The Corner-less Kitchen
It’s very easy to layout a kitchen when the space you’re working with is square with long walls uninterrupted by windows or doors. Spoiler alert…this was not one of those situations. After moving into their new Montclair home and demoing their existing kitchen, our Clients found themselves left with a tragically awkward space. Featuring 5 separate doorways and far too many paths of traffic in, out and through the room, they were very concerned how their corner-less room would fit a well-appointed chef’s kitchen, an eat-at-island and a separate formal breakfast room.
To alleviate their concerns, we designed them a kitchen that was as much about creating empty space as it was about creating functional cooking space. Several cabinets received tapered fronts to maximize aisle widths while others were customized to store and clearly display spices. In order to preserve precious countertop space, the paper towel holder was built directly into the trash pullout cabinet and a hidden Nexus 21 motorized lift enables our Client to store their countertop appliances out of sight when not in use. Not only do the wall cabinets feature recessed LED under-cabinet lighting, but also in-cabinet lighting which is especially effective in the large pantry cabinet which features the sleek Lavido pullout by Hafele.
The painted inset cabinetry, from Plain & Fancy Montclair and Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry, is topped off with a mixture of quartzite and granite countertops from Dente Trading. The durable walnut and sapwood end-grain butcher block island from Grothouse Lumber contrasts beautifully against the wide plank, hand-scraped oak floors from All State Flooring. Backsplash tile was supplied by Creative Tile, all windows are from Marvin and the trim materials were sourced at West Essex Lumber and Kuiken Brothers. Separate Bosch and Fisher+Paykel dishwashers, disguised behind custom cabinet fronts, accompany a suite of Wolf & Sub-Zero appliances. Plumbing fixtures are by Kohler and Waterstone, light fixtures are from Hudson Valley and Lighting Expo and door hardware is from Restoration Hardware and Hardware Designs.