SPECIAL PROJECT FEATURE: Lively and Lighthearted
Lively and Lighthearted
Once you cross the threshold of this traditional home, it’s apparent that you can’t judge a book by its colonial cover. The homeowners have an impressive collection of pop and modern art that harmonizes perfectly with their contemporary furnishings; they wanted to infuse the same clean and playful esthetic into their dated kitchen space. Bilotta Collection’s transitional cabinetry sets the tone, while polished stainless steel and chrome accents in the glass doors, corner shelves, custom hood, island pendants and decorative hardware provide plenty of sparkle.
Fanciful Feathers
Yes, that’s a feathered chandelier centered over the mid-century style tulip table and Lucite chairs! Amping up the fun factor is a colorful print of the iconic Marilyn Monroe Bubblegum image. The peninsula was designed with serious entertaining in mind. The sink faces outwards toward the table, and sits next to the beverage refrigerator, announcing that this area was not meant for food prep!
At Your Service
Ah, the coveted Butler’s Pantry: a versatile space between the kitchen and dining room that can be a wet bar, a serving counter for hors d’oeuvres or dessert, or simply a staging area for more formal sit-down entertaining. It may provide storage for wine and liquor, stemware, serving pieces and table linens. Most customers want a slightly dressier version of their kitchen here, and glass doors are practically a requisite. But these homeowners resisted that trend and took a whimsical approach. Instead of glass, they chose silver-toned embossed “alumasteel” door inserts that resemble a woven surface. Although the kitchen’s door style, paint color and countertop marble were repeated, they decided on a completely different backsplash: a jazzy glass mosaic of randomly-placed and sized squares and rectangles in textured silver, white and cream.
A Cook’s Dream
Some kitchens are renovated just for looks, but this couple really cooks and entertains. The newest 48” Miele dual fuel “smart” range may at first glance appear to have one large door, but it’s actually two ovens and a warming drawer. (Take a closer look at the break in the frame on the left side!) Because “White Diamond” marble was chosen for their countertops and backsplashes, they opted for a custom-made tempered glass mosaic behind the range and hood. Not only is it easy to maintain, but it injects an interesting pop of pattern into the room.
Soft Coloration
What you can’t see in the photos is that this is not your typical smooth-as-silk cabinetry paint; it’s a custom brushed effect that yields the subtle texture of a hand-painted finish, yet maintains the legendary durability of factory-applied coatings. Benjamin Moore’s “Super white” was used on the perimeter and peninsula, while their “Wall Street” neutral gray hue covers the island cabinets. That gray tone then re-appears in the mosaic behind the hood. For a worry-free flooring surface, the owners selected porcelain tiles in a cream-and-white limestone pattern that disguises spills and provides tonal contrast to the sea of bright white cabinets.
Kitchen designed by Danielle Florie, Senior Designer. Post written by Paulette Gambacorta.
