Kitchen Design
Sleek Toronto Kitchen Warms Up With Rich Gray Cabinets
A designer balances a kitchen’s chic quartz wall and sculptural island with warm-tone cabinets and gray-washed floors
Before: The previous kitchen had light-toned wood cabinets and black granite countertops. The space felt closed off from the rest of the living area because of its layout and bulky island.
After: By better utilizing both walls of the kitchen and floating the island, Royt made the space feel much more open to the rest of the living area. The designer added recessed can lights to the ceiling to provide more functional lighting for cooking, prep work and overall ambiance. “The previous kitchen felt pretty dark,” Royt says. “Creating an L-shape layout and new lights made all the difference in the world.”
The designer covered the wall behind the sink and stovetop in a massive slab of honed quartzite. “It’s a natural stone like marble, but it’s more user-friendly and easier to maintain,” Royt says.
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The designer covered the wall behind the sink and stovetop in a massive slab of honed quartzite. “It’s a natural stone like marble, but it’s more user-friendly and easier to maintain,” Royt says.
Find kitchen designers on Houzz
The back wall of the kitchen is covered in floor-to-ceiling cabinets made out of a laminated MDF in slate gray. They provide ample storage, which allowed the designer to forgo upper cabinets on the other wall. Instead, the quartzite-covered wall has a floating shelf and a range hood clad in the same slate gray laminate MDF.
The new sculptural island was made on-site out of steel and then clad in a veneer of white-and-gray quartzite. A pair of acrylic counter stools fades into the background, while an LED light fixture overhead has touches of brass to help warm up the space.
Shop for clear acrylic counter stools
The new sculptural island was made on-site out of steel and then clad in a veneer of white-and-gray quartzite. A pair of acrylic counter stools fades into the background, while an LED light fixture overhead has touches of brass to help warm up the space.
Shop for clear acrylic counter stools
The homeowners wanted to keep the countertops free of appliances, so Royt designed an appliance garage in the wall of cabinets to house the microwave and a coffee station below. The inside of the cabinet is wrapped in the same stunning quartzite. “It’s a nice little surprise when you open it up,” the designer says.
Before: The former living area had dark stained wood flooring. While the old kitchen was technically open to the living area, it felt disconnected due to its layout.
Before and After: 13 Dramatic Kitchen Transformations
Before and After: 13 Dramatic Kitchen Transformations
After: To better integrate the living area and the kitchen, Royt covered the media wall in the same gray MDF used for the cabinets. The media wall has a pair of cabinets at the end to conceal media equipment and a niche to display glassware.
The lower gray-washed oak kitchen cabinets have a rounded end cap with three shelves. “The end cap looks like a piece of furniture and provides a soft transition into the living area,” Royt says.
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The lower gray-washed oak kitchen cabinets have a rounded end cap with three shelves. “The end cap looks like a piece of furniture and provides a soft transition into the living area,” Royt says.
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How to Design a Warm Contemporary Kitchen
10 Ways to Go Dark in a Contemporary Kitchen
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with two kids
Location: Toronto
Size: About 250 square feet (23 square meters)
Designer: Alex Royt of Condovate Interiors
Designing a sleek, glossy magazine-worthy kitchen that is also warm and inviting can require a delicate balance. Mastering that balance was the mission of designer Alex Royt when undertaking a gut renovation of a 25th-floor high-rise condo in Toronto for a family of four.
The kitchen features a stunning wall of white-and-gray quartzite and a sculptural island made out of the same material. It also features sleek new appliances clad in black stainless steel. It’s the warmer touches, such as the slate gray cabinets and the gray-washed oak floors and lower cabinets that keep the space from feeling too cold and sterile. “The homeowners wanted a minimalist space, but it also had to be functional and inviting,” Royt says.