I live in a a town that has a very strong arts community. It's one of the things that draws many from their beloved NYC neighborhoods to this one. This family is comprised of four amazingly creative, intelligent, and kind people. I'm lucky enough to also call them my neighbors and friends. They're the kind of neighbors I never knew to wish for until we moved to this block and realized what a world of difference good neighbors make. So when they asked me to help with their kitchen renovation, I was flattered, honored, and delighted.
As the creative people who had been in their house for a few years, they had ideas about ways to improve the adjacencies of the rooms and had set project goals. The kitchen was oddly shaped to include an enclosed porch. The powder room housed the laundry with a door that opened onto the main space of the kitchen. The connection from the kitchen to the dining room was circuitous and left no opportunity for interaction. The challenge was to think outside the box but stay within the existing "box". With no added square footage, we collaboratively reorganized the rooms to increase the kitchen and maximize counter space.
One of the homeowners is an avid baker and cook, so she needed a large work area and lots of storage. We organized the cabinets to accommodate easy access to all the kitchen essentials. The island serves as the center of family meals, coffee chats, and sweet baked treats.
Of course, the details are the signature of the artist. The couple found an economical porcelain floor tile and decided to use both colors in a herringbone pattern. The tomato red accents are found in the furnishings, kitchen tools, and also in the cord of the Barnlight pendant fixture. The bulletin board and push pin boards all accent the kitchen and exemplify the importance of this multifunctional hub.
A new framed opening was created to directly connect the kitchen and dining room. The old opening was closed to create a highly efficient (and separate) laundry room.
The powder room has a fun accent wallpaper that references their Brooklyn "roots".
Every design project is a bit of a puzzle. The challenge of finding creative solutions within the existing area is something I love. Couple that with the privilege of working with friends, and the outcome is that much more rewarding.