Designer & Trade Collaboration Series – Part Four
Customers often ask us if we’re willing to work with their architect or interior designer. The answer is always, “Of course!” Collaboration is the name of our game. For this five-part blog series, we continue by highlighting some of the more spectacular collaborations between Bilotta designers and other design professionals.
(Go back and read part one, part two, and part three of the series.)
KITCHEN DESIGN COLLABORATIONS WITH SENIOR DESIGNER PAULA GREER
Senior designer Paula Greer benefited greatly from the time Bilotta had a showroom in the Terra Tile building in Briarcliff Manor. In 1998, she met Robin Zahn (Robin Prince Zahn Architecture), who admired our Rutt display; they’ve been working together ever since, expanding their cabinetry choices to The Bilotta Collection and Wood-Mode.
Although Robin is an architect, she also helps customers make interior design decisions. She brings in clients, Paula does the kitchen design, and they both collaborate on finishes. Robin oversees the architectural aspects, while Paula handles cabinet specifications. Over the years, they’ve both referred customers to one another.
Then, in 1997, a contractor visited our showroom in Terra Tile & Marble, liked one of our cherry displays, and recommended Paula to Glenn Gissler (Glenn Gissler Design) for a job he was doing in New York City.
Paula collaborated with Rutt to design a door especially for him (a double beaded door with both an inside and outside bead), and thus began another long-standing design relationship. They used this door on many projects, painting it in whatever custom color Glenn wanted. Glenn concentrates on the look of the kitchen (finishes, countertops, tiles etc.) while Paula works on the cabinet plan, measurements, etc. Paula brings her expertise in cabinet design, while Glenn brings his fabulous design esthetic.
Paula sees many advantages to collaborating with someone over a long time period. First and foremost is that you’re both familiar with what each other does, so there’s a shorthand between you that makes jobs run much more smoothly. Also, the trust that develops between the pros can be felt by the customer, engendering a greater comfort level with their design team. And most importantly, Paula knows what her role is with each collaborator: what to communicate with the customer and how they are handled.
BILOTTA KITCHEN & HOME + Robin PRINCE ZAHN ARCHITECTURE
For one Robin Zahn job, a vaulted ceiling actually presented an obstacle to a cozy ambiance.
The solution was reclaimed beams that trace the outline and angles of the vaults to anchor the ceiling in the space. A big challenge with all the beams was the placement of the range and hood. The curvaceous stainless steel hood sports vertical & horizontal straps referencing the ceiling treatment.
Crisp white inset cabinets line the perimeter, while deep gray accents the island. Turned legs add a traditional touch.
Another application of contrast is found in the countertops: light marble was used on the dark gray island, while honed black granite graces the white cabinets.
Pearly mosaics add sparkle to the backsplash.
In another Robin Zahn job, the kitchen is surrounded by a secluded wooded landscape. A small addition allows for a spacious U-shaped room that accommodates a 48” range and fridge.
A surprising feature is the resulting different ceiling heights: the majority of the room, positioned beneath the second floor bedrooms and balcony, is standard height; the smaller addition at the end of the room has a vaulted ceiling that’s not immediately noticeable.
But as you approach the main sink, the ceiling explodes above, which is especially dramatic when viewed from the balcony. To subtly differentiate the two heights, shallow coffers were installed.
Banquette seating is tucked beneath corner windows for a feeling of dining in a tree house.
BILOTTA KITCHEN & HOME + GLENN GISSLER DESIGN
Glenn Gissler’s jobs are known for pushing the boundaries of current cabinet technology. In one kitchen, he envisioned metal doors with chrome frames to resemble a La Cornue-type range.
At the time, no one was making metal cabinet doors like that, and the process was very complicated. It took several prototypes to determine what thickness of the metals needed to be accounted for, but Paula finally had the cabinets made without doors, and then another fabricator made the metal-covered and framed doors.
In another Glenn Gissler kitchen, located in downtown NY, a very bold dark blue custom paint was chosen.
To disguise the vents near the ceiling, yet still maintain the look of cabinetry extending all the way up, Paula specified a custom cabinet with a third opening at the top, fronted by metal grills painted to match.
The other finish that was ahead of its time was on the island. It was wire-brushed oak. Again, several prototypes were required, but the resulting textural interest was well worth the effort.
Paula also collaborates regularly with trade vendors such as Terra Tile & Marble, Artistic Tile, Brooks Custom, Sub-Zero-Wolf, and The Bilotta Collection cabinetry.
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This post was written by Paulette Gambacorta. Paulette designed kitchens with Bilotta for over 28 years.
