White, Waves and Blue Kitchen

The owners of a contemporary home in Carlisle came to Feinmann to update their kitchen.  Although their original plan was to replace their white cabinetry with cherry, they were open to creative and modern design ideas.  By transforming this kitchen at its margins and not at its core, details like the spacing of elements and use of sleek materials became essential. Simple, strategic changes generated stunning results.

The clients also wanted to enlarge the island and create a better connection to the dining room. Another element that needed attention was an uncomfortably narrow shaft containing a skylight over the eating area that concentrated light rather than spreading it.

By splaying the shaft walls, its tunnel-like quality was mitigated, allowing more light into the space. The plane of the ceiling was continued across the skylight opening with a series of beams, painted white, that provide an appealing aesthetic solution.

The cherry cabinet notion evolved into white, high gloss slab doors around the perimeter with curved open shelving custom-built at one end of the kitchen. The cooktop moved from the island to the rear wall with a new vent hood. Two existing structural walls were hidden behind a newly configured, streamlined wall of white, high gloss cabinetry, including the pantry and a set of glass display shelves trimmed in chrome. Interspersed on the adjacent wall were “randomly” placed, upper glass-faced cabinets with the same chrome trim, providing a contrast to the alabaster palette.

The centerpiece of the kitchen is the Azul Bahia blue granite island that feels like a peaceful polynya. The movement of the granite is reflected in the backsplash tile which is sculpted and organic, Ona Natural by Porcelanosa. Perimeter countertops are Hanstone quartz in Specchio White. The bluish-gray cabinetry of the island has built-in bin pulls and a textured finish. Finally, the wavy theme continues with the Siro nickel handles from the Starline Collection (Small Wavy Cut). MIA pendants in satin nickel feature LED lighting, also found in the display cabinets.

Leaving no stone unused, the homeowners agreed to use the Azul Bahia in the dining room area as shelving in a small niche created by the new kitchen layout. The expanded opening into the dining room satisfied the homeowner’s request for an improved connection between the two spaces. Finally, the last piece of Azul Bahia granite became an outdoor tabletop for a firepit on the deck, expanding the blues movement.

This project illustrates that even marginal changes can bring big results. The final outcome is a polished and modern new kitchen that is a showplace for their contemporary home.

Photography by Eric Roth

2015 EM NARI Gold CotY Award, Residential Kitchen $50-100K

2015 Regional Chrysalis Award, Kitchen $100,000-$150,000

When Peter came to the house he took real interest in building a kitchen that would fit the design of the house and meet our needs. That was when we knew that Feinmann was the best choice for us. Anyone can rip out an old kitchen and put in some new counters and cabinets, but we wanted someone who cared about design, style, and function.