Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2018 - 40

KITCHEN A ROOM
WITH
SECOND
PLACE

VIEWS

Designer pulls out all
the stops to provide an
urban yet modern retreat
for a client and his son

A FATHER WANTED TO TRANSFORM his recently
purchased older home in Chappaqua, N.Y., into
a modern yet rustic retreat where he and his son
could take advantage of the great outdoors. He
wanted an indoor/outdoor feel where every room
- including the kitchen - could have incredible
views of the property, which features a babbling
brook leading to a large pond.

BEFORE & AFTER

The former kitchen was closed off from the rest
of the house with several walls that darkened the
space and limited the views.
"While the general shape of the new kitchen
is the same, we added an L-shaped peninsula
where the walls were to seamlessly integrate it
with the dining and living areas," said designer
Jason Landau of Amazing Spaces LLC in Greenwich, Conn. "We also eliminated a tight hallway
between the kitchen wall and a wall framing the
stairway on both sides."
Although there were some structural elements
around which the design team had to work in
removing the walls, the now open stairway and
430-sq.-ft. kitchen allow for views of all sides of
the property, as well as ample natural light - another client wish.

LEFT "We selected some

darker elements throughout
the kitchen, such as the
stained wood floor, fireplace
cladding and reclaimed barn
wood accent walls," said the
designer.

FUNCTION & STORAGE NEEDS

The homeowner also wanted the kitchen to
be fully functional with a high-end appliance
package, island seating and a variety of materials. A bar-height countertop provides what
Landau calls "visual protection" from the adjacent areas so guests can't see the messier parts
of the kitchen.
Because the kitchen's many windows don't
allow for much wall storage, the design team
came up with some clever solutions to squeeze
in extra space where they could. Open shelving
was incorporated to create a seamless transition
into the breakfast nook and offers handy storage
for cookbooks.
The team installed a raised portion of the
countertop to accommodate counter-height
seating on one end, which allowed for a 7-in.thick walnut countertop above the steel-clad
cabinets on the dining room side. This thick
countertop - the designer's idea - features hidden storage for bar tools, linens and serving
pieces. The new bar and counter seating area at
the island provide a place for guests to perch while
the homeowner preps and cooks.

2018

40

ABOVE The gray quartz countertops complement the property's plentiful natural rock
- fulfilling the client's wish of
melding the indoors with the
outdoors. The open, floating
stairwell with the cable railing
in the center of the home
provides what Landau calls a
strong focal point.

MIXING MODERN AND RUSTIC

SOURCES
DESIGNER: Jason
Landau, Amazing Spaces
LLC; ARCHITECT: SJB
Architecture & Design;
CONTRACTOR: Bueti
Brothers Inc.; INTERIOR
DESIGN: JAC Studio;
PHOTOGRAPHER:

Peter Krupenye

CABINETS: Modern
Cabinet Company;
DISHWASHER: Miele;
FAUCET: BLANCO;
HARDWARE: Top Knobs;
HOOD: Elica; MICROWAVE:
GE; RANGE: Wolf;
RECESSED LIGHTING: WAC
Lighting; REFRIGERATION:
Sub-Zero; SINK: Blanco;
STEEL CLADDING &

WALNUT COUNTERTOPS:

MetalCraft; STONE

COUNTERTOPS: Ecuastone

"Because of the location and architecture of the home, the client was interested in such elements as distressed, live-edge wood, stone and metal - mixed
with modern lighting and furniture," said Landau. "Not a lot of clients are
that daring."
To show the texture of the rift-cut, white oak cabinetry, the designer used a
semi-transparent paint that allows the natural color to slightly bleed through.
Since the homeowner likes an industrial vibe, Landau used steel cladding on
the back of the peninsula for the backsplash, as well as behind the cooktop
and sink to protect the wood countertop. The designer also used this steel
cladding for the kitchen table legs and the backsplash next to the refrigerator.
"General lighting was thoughtfully considered and incorporates smallaperture, square-trimmed LED recessed fixtures throughout," said Landau.
"A unique statement chandelier punctuates the live-edge dining table in the
adjacent room."
LESSONS LEARNED

The designer explained that one of the reasons this project was such a success
was because he has learned to be a good listener and play well with others, as
everyone on the team had an opinion. He said the builder was amenable to
solving any issues that came up, and Landau and the interior designer divvied
up their responsibilities evenly - everyone had their say in the design process.
One of our judges, Dan McFadden, said this project had a great backstory
and a lot of innovative solutions to challenges.
"The new design looks right at home in the space - a mid-century modern
work of art created from metal,wood and cable,"said Landau."It is now a central
element, visible from all common areas on the first and second floors."


Kitchen & Bath Business / SEPTEMBER 2018 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)
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Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2018

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