Kitchen of the Week: Clean and Classic With a Modern Edge
A designer creates a bright and open kitchen with white oak, pale marble and matte black details
Becky Harris
March 27, 2020
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
“This kitchen was originally about the size of a closet,” interior designer Rebecca Axler says. The full renovation she designed for the first floor of the narrow Toronto row house included opening up the floor plan and enlarging the kitchen. After having her clients answer a thorough questionnaire and share inspiration photos, Axler determined that their style was “clean and timeless but with an edge.” She transformed the kitchen into a beautiful focal point that now functions as a hub for the busy young family of four.
Photos by Stephani Buchman
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple and their two kids
Location: Toronto
Size: 250 square feet (23 square meters)
Designer: Rebecca Axler of rtg designs
This renovated staircase adjacent to the kitchen illustrates the effect they were going for. While Axler preserved the original railings and newel posts on one side, she removed a solid wall at the back of the staircase and replaced it with glass, seen here from the front entry. This made the house feel lighter, brighter and more expansive.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple and their two kids
Location: Toronto
Size: 250 square feet (23 square meters)
Designer: Rebecca Axler of rtg designs
This renovated staircase adjacent to the kitchen illustrates the effect they were going for. While Axler preserved the original railings and newel posts on one side, she removed a solid wall at the back of the staircase and replaced it with glass, seen here from the front entry. This made the house feel lighter, brighter and more expansive.
The transparency under the stairs puts the kitchen on full display upon entering the home. Axler made the white oak kitchen island view-worthy with a special detail: The wood on the end is faceted like a diamond. And she chose the chandelier with care. “This is the only light fixture on this floor, and it makes a big impact,” Axler says. “It’s dramatic and the sightlines were important. You can see it from everywhere on the first floor.”
This photo shows almost the entire width of the long, narrow house. Axler estimates the home is 16 to 17 feet wide. The counter stools and the wall behind them are separated by several feet for circulation.
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This photo shows almost the entire width of the long, narrow house. Axler estimates the home is 16 to 17 feet wide. The counter stools and the wall behind them are separated by several feet for circulation.
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One of the homeowners’ must-haves was Benjamin Moore’s Barren Plain paint on the cabinets, which provided a base for Axler’s color palette. “The backsplash is a mix of that ‘greige’ paint color, whites and grays,” she says. It’s marble in a classic herringbone pattern. The quartz countertops are Pure White by Caesarstone. These elements provide the timeless part of the style equation; the custom metal vent hood, chandelier and matte black cabinet hardware and faucet provide the edge.
The sink in the island, the range across from it and the refrigerator to the right form the work triangle. The slim cabinets on either side of the range are pullouts for oils, herbs and spices.
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The sink in the island, the range across from it and the refrigerator to the right form the work triangle. The slim cabinets on either side of the range are pullouts for oils, herbs and spices.
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“My clients love wine, cooking and entertaining,” Axler says. This side of the kitchen makes it easy to grab a bottle from the cooler to serve guests.
In reconfiguring the first-floor layout, Axler borrowed space from the dining room to expand the kitchen. During the planning phase, her clients were uncertain about what they wanted the space off the left side of the kitchen to be. Axler kept it flexible by designing multipurpose custom cabinets in white oak with gold grilles.
“The cabinets could have worked as a buffet had they decided to make this the dining room,” she says. But the family ultimately decided to mount a TV over them and turn the space into a cozy living room. Like the staircase-facing side of the island, this side also ends in a 3D diamond-like point, providing a nice view from the living room.
In reconfiguring the first-floor layout, Axler borrowed space from the dining room to expand the kitchen. During the planning phase, her clients were uncertain about what they wanted the space off the left side of the kitchen to be. Axler kept it flexible by designing multipurpose custom cabinets in white oak with gold grilles.
“The cabinets could have worked as a buffet had they decided to make this the dining room,” she says. But the family ultimately decided to mount a TV over them and turn the space into a cozy living room. Like the staircase-facing side of the island, this side also ends in a 3D diamond-like point, providing a nice view from the living room.
The 10-foot-long island serves as the center of the work triangle. In addition to the sink, it contains a dishwasher, trash pullouts and storage space for small appliances. The columns on either side of the stools are camouflaged cabinets. The one on the left holds bar items, the one on the right is for dog supplies.
The flooring throughout this level is engineered white oak. “The engineered floors have mixed tones, which is forgiving,” Axler says. And they stand up well to snowy boots during Toronto’s long winters.
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
The flooring throughout this level is engineered white oak. “The engineered floors have mixed tones, which is forgiving,” Axler says. And they stand up well to snowy boots during Toronto’s long winters.
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
Tucking the fridge and microwave in this corner kept them within the work triangle but out of view from the front entry. The homeowners use the three drawers to store snacks for the kids, who can grab them without getting in the cook’s way. The cabinets over the fridge have slats for trays, baking sheets and platters.
This photo also shows the extra-tall height of the upper cabinets. Axler balanced their proportions with the millwork between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling. “Because the ceilings are high, it was important to get the proportions of this top crown right,” she says.
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This photo also shows the extra-tall height of the upper cabinets. Axler balanced their proportions with the millwork between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling. “Because the ceilings are high, it was important to get the proportions of this top crown right,” she says.
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Look to the left to see one of the hidden cabinets revealed.
Takeaways
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Takeaways
- Smaller, less-permanent details like lighting, stools and cabinet hardware can add edginess to a classic design. And they’re relatively inexpensive and easy to replace if you want to switch up the style down the line.
- Talk with your designer about flexibility. Here the homeowners could opt for an adjacent dining room or living area because of the versatile cabinetry Axler designed for the space.
- Placing items like refrigerators, snack drawers and wine coolers at the edges of the work triangle makes it easy for people to serve themselves without getting in the cook’s way.
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I like it
I love it including the glass wall. My guess is that the glass wall also serves as a barrier to a cold wind entering the kitchen when the front door is in use since this is in Toronto.
Can you please let me the length of the kitchen cabinets?