Project
Kitchen Redesign
For clients in Montvale, NJ we had a number of objectives. They had moved into this beautiful home with a stunning back yard and huge windows in the family room and kitchen. The only problem was, the old kitchen layout was so closed in they couldn’t enjoy the beautiful view! The layout was poor, the island long and skinny, the cooktop was awkwardly located and the overall flow of the room always seemed congested, despite having ample square footage. To make matters worse, the décor, cabinets, and other materials were dated and in dire need of an update. They wanted an updated, bright and elegant kitchen and family room that would function well and be very livable, as they are a large and busy family with young children and a number of pets.
First up was to improve the layout. We removed the countertop seating area, which originally was right on top of the large kitchen table area, and added a new one closer to the fireplace area in the adjacent family room. By doing so we were able to adjust the size of that area and add a new kitchen island that was twice the size of the old one, and is now the “cooking center”, with a large range and downdraft vent, located nearby the additional wall ovens and large refrigerator. Because there was an existing header housing a great deal of ductwork and electrical, completely removing it was not an option; however by reducing the size of the upper cabinets at the sink area, the view to the back yard can now be enjoyed from anywhere in the kitchen.
New durable wood-look flooring was selected to replace the dated porcelain tile in the kitchen, which complements the existing hardwood in the family room area without having to replace it.
In the interest of the budget, the clients made the decision to keep some of the perimeter cabinets. (They have more projects to do!). We had those professionally refinished by our decorative painter to match all of the new cabinets that were ordered in the rest of the room. For the countertops we chose an exquisite quartzite – a natural stone that has delicate hints of color throughout the creamy background. A glazed ceramic tile was selected for the backsplash – a pale grey/blue that picks up one of the subtle colors in the countertop. Since the stone is so stunning, the backsplash serves as just the right “supporting role” to let the stone be the star of the show.
