Kitchen of the Week: Clean and Contemporary With Easy Flow
A New York couple work with a designer they found on Houzz to create an open-concept kitchen with modern flair
Before Andy and Jamie Tobias and their two young children moved into a Cape Cod Colonial house they purchased in Irvington, New York, they asked designer Jennifer Howard — whom they found on Houzz — to coordinate a design-build project that would open up the home’s dated kitchen to the dining room and living room. “They love to entertain, but not formally,” Howard says.
Removing walls and relocating appliances for a more efficient layout were some of the key changes Howard made to create a more modern, open-concept kitchen. With soothing colors and natural textures, the space now flows smoothly into the adjoining rooms.
Removing walls and relocating appliances for a more efficient layout were some of the key changes Howard made to create a more modern, open-concept kitchen. With soothing colors and natural textures, the space now flows smoothly into the adjoining rooms.
After: Removing the walls created an open kitchen with a strong connection to the adjacent spaces. An added peninsula with seating for four keeps the kids and guests out of the kitchen’s main work zone. “It has become a gathering spot, and for the most part people do stay on the other side,” Jamie says.
Changing the kitchen floor from tile to the same light white oak used for all the rooms on the first floor (except for the playroom and mudroom) helped create an easy flow between the kitchen and the dining and living rooms.
A bright and light color scheme makes for a soothing environment. The walls and ceiling are painted a custom washable matte white (similar to Super White by Benjamin Moore), and the custom paint-grade maple cabinets with slab doors and drawers were painted the same white in a low sheen. The cabinet doors have satin nickel knobs, while the drawers have slender satin nickel asymmetrical pulls. “They wanted clean lines and more separation of the doors and drawers, with no molding details,” Howard says. “Nothing where dust can get on it.”
A backsplash with glossy white 2-by-8-inch ceramic tiles also keeps things bright. The homeowners chose a neutral gray quartz for the perimeter counters and a white quartz with dark veins for the island top for contrast. “They’re incredibly functional, and clean up so easily,” Jamie says. “We had marble in our old apartment, and I’m happy we don’t have to worry about the staining.”
Shop for bar and counter stools on Houzz
Changing the kitchen floor from tile to the same light white oak used for all the rooms on the first floor (except for the playroom and mudroom) helped create an easy flow between the kitchen and the dining and living rooms.
A bright and light color scheme makes for a soothing environment. The walls and ceiling are painted a custom washable matte white (similar to Super White by Benjamin Moore), and the custom paint-grade maple cabinets with slab doors and drawers were painted the same white in a low sheen. The cabinet doors have satin nickel knobs, while the drawers have slender satin nickel asymmetrical pulls. “They wanted clean lines and more separation of the doors and drawers, with no molding details,” Howard says. “Nothing where dust can get on it.”
A backsplash with glossy white 2-by-8-inch ceramic tiles also keeps things bright. The homeowners chose a neutral gray quartz for the perimeter counters and a white quartz with dark veins for the island top for contrast. “They’re incredibly functional, and clean up so easily,” Jamie says. “We had marble in our old apartment, and I’m happy we don’t have to worry about the staining.”
Shop for bar and counter stools on Houzz
Before: This look inside the original kitchen shows its tile floor, traditional-style dark cherry cabinets and bay window that overlooks the backyard. A wood breakfast table was bumped up against a narrow center island that contained a cooktop, which Jamie didn’t want to have without proper ventilation. “It was an odd use of space,” Howard says.
The swinging door on the left opened to the dining room. At the far right, a door to the backyard was located in a dead space that could be better used for storage.
The swinging door on the left opened to the dining room. At the far right, a door to the backyard was located in a dead space that could be better used for storage.
After: Howard hid a walk-in pantry behind an easy-open pocket door in a newly created corner of the kitchen, to the right of the sink where the door to the backyard had been. (The family can now access the yard from a sliding glass door that was added in the dining room.)
The new center island measures 30 inches by 5 feet, which is a bit shorter than the previous island. Howard and the homeowners did this to create more spacious walkways between the work zones around the island.
Modern concrete pendant lights with wood trim help illuminate the island. Jamie changed the blue cords on the pendants to white. The bay window over the new undermount stainless steel sink with single-lever pull-down faucet was cleaned up and the sill level was changed.
The new center island measures 30 inches by 5 feet, which is a bit shorter than the previous island. Howard and the homeowners did this to create more spacious walkways between the work zones around the island.
Modern concrete pendant lights with wood trim help illuminate the island. Jamie changed the blue cords on the pendants to white. The bay window over the new undermount stainless steel sink with single-lever pull-down faucet was cleaned up and the sill level was changed.
Before: This side view of the original kitchen shows the Sub-Zero Pro 48 stainless built-in side-by-side refrigerator that Andy and Jamie were able to incorporate into the new kitchen.
After: The new cooking zone (where the refrigerator once stood) includes a 36-inch gas cooktop with front controls and chimney-style hood, which help give the space a clean and modern look.
Andy and Jamie were able to save money by incorporating the existing Wolf double ovens into the new design as well. This image shows the back of the island, with its 24-inch built-in microwave drawer and 30-inch warming drawer. “I love having the drawer microwave, because my kids can use it themselves,” Jamie says. “And my husband is a big fan of the warming drawer — he uses it all the time.”
Andy and Jamie were able to save money by incorporating the existing Wolf double ovens into the new design as well. This image shows the back of the island, with its 24-inch built-in microwave drawer and 30-inch warming drawer. “I love having the drawer microwave, because my kids can use it themselves,” Jamie says. “And my husband is a big fan of the warming drawer — he uses it all the time.”
By taking the table out of the middle of the kitchen and moving the refrigerator, the family gained space for a drop-off spot and snack area between the fridge, as well as a new opening to the back stairway of the home. “Now we can have a fully functional wall with the refrigerator and cabinetry, and we were also able to create space for a fully functional mudroom,” Jamie says. The mudroom sits to the left of the fridge. (See floor plans below.)
Before: This floor plan of the original kitchen shows how the room was cut off from surrounding spaces, such as the dining room on the left, and how the cooktop in the island and the table created a crowded area in the middle of the room. Also note the old entrance into the kitchen from the garage (bottom right) and the former door to the backyard (top right).
After: By eliminating the door to the backyard, Howard created space for a walk-in pantry, top right. She removed the walls at the left to open the kitchen to the dining room but maintained some separation with a new peninsula. She created a mudroom where the door to the garage was (bottom right). “For me, it always comes out to that ‘aha’ moment with the layout,” Howard says. “Just capturing that whole walk-in pantry area that was a dead corner was essential. When I can do that for a client, it’s a great success.”
“[The kitchen] has become our hangout spot with family and friends that’s very comfortable and inviting,” Jamie says.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
“[The kitchen] has become our hangout spot with family and friends that’s very comfortable and inviting,” Jamie says.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Andy and Jamie Tobias and their two young children
Location: Irvington, New York
Size: 320 square feet (30 square meters)
Designer: Jennifer Howard of JWH Design and Cabinetry
Before: Prior to the renovation, a series of walls separated the kitchen, dining room and living room in the traditional-style home. The existing kitchen had a tile floor, while the dining and living rooms had wood. “We had a sense it had been meticulously maintained, but it wouldn’t work for our family,” Jamie says. “Both Andy and I like to cook, so we didn’t want to be isolated. I also wanted something lighter and brighter, and it didn’t have that modern and clean look I wanted.”
Find a kitchen designer near you