Kitchen of the Week: White Cabinets With a Big Island, Please!
Designers help a growing Chicago-area family put together a simple, clean and high-functioning space
The designers reworked the original architectural drawings to accommodate a 44-square-foot island by turning the kitchen 90 degrees from how it was presented in the construction drawings. They also enlarged the opening to the family room and left a generous 48 inches between the island and the perimeter counters.
“By making these plan revisions, we created a better eat-in space in the kitchen and a better flow into the main living area,” Storm says.
Faucet: Artifacts collection, Kohler; sink: Baldwin, Signature Hardware
“By making these plan revisions, we created a better eat-in space in the kitchen and a better flow into the main living area,” Storm says.
Faucet: Artifacts collection, Kohler; sink: Baldwin, Signature Hardware
The backsplash is a character-rich boutique hexagonal marble tile called Gioia Venatino. The countertop material is a quartz product made to look like Carrara marble. “We got the beauty, the light color and the great durability, so it was a win-win,” Kostelyk says.
Cabinetry: Cherrytree Kitchens; hardware: Empire collection, Schaub; countertops: London Sky, Corian
What’s the Difference Between Quartzite and Quartz?
Cabinetry: Cherrytree Kitchens; hardware: Empire collection, Schaub; countertops: London Sky, Corian
What’s the Difference Between Quartzite and Quartz?
“With an island this long, you have to be really thoughtful about where you place everything,” Kostelyck says. “We spent time with our clients deciding what appliances would serve their family best and meet their budget, and we worked hard to make sure they all worked well together.” A wall oven and microwave combo sits opposite the island. Large drawers at the base of the cabinets hold pots and pans.
Wall oven: 30 inches, Café series, GE; pendant light: six lights, Rochester collection, Savoy House
Wall oven: 30 inches, Café series, GE; pendant light: six lights, Rochester collection, Savoy House
A full-size integrated freezer sits on one side of a hallway that leads to a station for coffee and wine and, around a corner, a pantry.
The refrigerator, a mirror image of the freezer, sits to the right of the entrance to the pantry area.
“One of the reasons we created a paneled sort of hallway between the fridge and freezer was to conceal the pantry entrance,” Kostelyck says.
“One of the reasons we created a paneled sort of hallway between the fridge and freezer was to conceal the pantry entrance,” Kostelyck says.
Recessed can lights were used on the perimeter of the space, with decorative lighting over the island and the table. “We love beautiful lighting and want it to be functional,” says Kostelyck, “but in a kitchen, you really need good lighting.”
The designers selected elegant furnishings that make the space feel sophisticated despite the many childcentric activities that occur here. Beadboard ceilings, which run throughout the kitchen and dining area, add warmth and a sense of history to the new home.
Kilim rug: antique; elm plank table: Clubcu; dining chairs: Gaston, Dovetail Furniture; banquette: Litchfield, Stanford Furniture
Kilim rug: antique; elm plank table: Clubcu; dining chairs: Gaston, Dovetail Furniture; banquette: Litchfield, Stanford Furniture
This preliminary drawing shows the layout of the new kitchen, with the dining table on the right, the large island in the middle and the entrance on the left leading to the drinks station and the pantry.
Contractor: L. Martinez Construction
More
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Contractor: L. Martinez Construction
More
How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
More Kitchens of the Week
Other Resources on Houzz
Find kitchen designers and see their past projects
Shop for your kitchen and dining room
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with four children and another on the way
Location: Wheaton, Illinois
Size: 430 square feet (40 square meters)
Designers: Amy Storm and Jane Kostelyk of Designstorms
When designers Amy Storm and Jane Kostelyk started working on this new-build house outside Chicago, the homeowners had just found out they were expecting. With three young kids and one on the way (they’ve since had the fourth child and now have another on the way), they were very busy and needed the designers to walk them though construction from start to finish and relieve them of a lot of daily decisions and selections. For the kitchen, they gave the designers just two directives: white and a big island.
Pendant lights: Millennium Lighting; stools: Hinkley, Arteriors Home; find wood bar stools