Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2017 - 51

CONTEMPORARY
TRANSFORMATION

A redesign trades in
an unattractive space
for a gourmet kitchen

KITCHEN
SECOND
PLACE

THE KITCHEN LOOKED OUT OF PLACE with its disproportionate size and
outdated design in this open, contemporary home. The original space only
took up a small corner of the floor plan and was almost dwarfed by the
14-ft.-high ceilings.
"We needed to take an unattractive and proportionately small space and
turn it into a stunning, contemporary gourmet kitchen better scaled to occupy
the open plan with extra-high ceilings,"said designer Leslie Lamarre of San
Mateo, Calif.-based TRG Architecture + Interior Design.

LEFT The back-to-back sink

layout with double dishwashers facilitates the homeowners' cleanup method; they
both like to pitch in to get the
job done quickly.
Two 18-in. wine cabinets and
a pair of 36-in. polished steel
china cabinets provide symmetry to the space.

REARRANGING THE LAYOUT

The original kitchen had an awkward change in
ceiling height from 141 inches in the prep space to
the eat-in area, which was 165 inches high. One of
Lamarre's first steps was eliminating this change
and bringing everything down to 141 inches,
which was in better proportion to the width of
the room.
"I instead designed dropped ceilings over each
island to add dimensionality to the space and establish a connection to the main ceiling above,"
said the designer, adding that she used AutoCad
to redo this kitchen.
Another solution to this previously disproportionate kitchen was relocating the garage door to
the end of the main cabinet wall. Because of this
the design team was able to convert a storage room
on the other side of this wall into a mudroom,
which was on the client's wish list.
The clients also wanted to include a large-screen
television and a favorite piece of art. By removing
the previous pantry space and slating pullout trays
for future pantry items, she freed up a wall for the
television. The wall across from this is the ideal
spot for the clients' beloved pop-art painting.

RIGHT The judges loved the
subtle accent of the highgloss finish on the refrigerator
and freezer panels, saying
it was, "A simple, creative
way to add some bling to
the warm organic feel of the
wood-grain cabinetry."
FAR LEFT The pivoting mudroom door, made with cabinet
paneling material, seems to
disappear along the main wall.

SOURCES
DESIGNER: Leslie Lamarre,
TRG Architecture + Interior
Design; PHOTOGRAPHER:
Bernard André
DISHWASHER: Asko;
FREEZER, REFRIGERATOR

& WINE COLUMNS: SubZero; LIGHTING: Artimide;
MARBLE: Pietra Fina;
RANGE: Wolf; SINKS: Julien

ENTERTAINING HAVEN

These homeowners were an executive couple
with no children, so they hoped for a space that
would be primarily used for entertaining. They
also wanted a kitchen that would ensure cleaning
up did not interfere with hosting.
"The space would need to facilitate gourmet
food preparation," said Lamarre. "At the same
time, it needed to be free of clutter while keeping
essentials close at hand."
Two islands were created; one is for entertaining
and includes seating, while the other is primarily
for prep and cleanup. Since this second island in
particular is for the hosts - who want cleanup to go
quickly - Lamarre designed it with back-to-back
sinks and dishwashers on each side.
There is a built-in coffeemaker, and the built-in
microwave has its own drop-down door. Beneath
these is a servo-drive-powered - or touch-to-open
- cabinet door, where countertop appliances are
stored. The islands are topped with white marble,
while the cooking areas around the perimeter feature resilient stainless steel.
"Materials were selected to project the upscale,
contemporary and masculine aesthetic the client
wanted," said the designer.


Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2017

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