Kitchen of the Week: A Room Transformed Into Functional Art
An architect opens up a nondescript galley kitchen to create a sculpted walnut centerpiece for a New York City apartment
This homeowner wanted to add architectural significance to his generic one-bedroom Upper East Side apartment, create a welcoming refuge from the noise of New York City and have a place where he could comfortably cook and work at home. While thinking about the feeling he wanted the space to evoke, he recalled fond memories of the apartment his grandmother lived in when he was a boy. When architect Andrew Mikhael saw photos of the grandmother’s apartment, he could see how the warm wood and graceful lines of her midcentury Dansk serveware and Adrian Pearsall furnishings had imprinted on his client. Using the attributes of those pieces as inspiration, he created a kitchen that inspires his client as a work of functional art.
After: “We decided to make the kitchen a central figure in the apartment, and from there the plans came together very quickly,” Mikhael says. Architect and homeowner were on the same wavelength: Treat the kitchen as a functional work of art and make it an unexpected centerpiece. Mikhael had the wall between the kitchen and living room removed to combine the spaces. He then moved the dining room so it would flow out from the kitchen in the new configuration.
On the right, he extended the kitchen into the entryway space. This expanded it from 56 to 87 square feet. He installed an angled walnut wall that recalls a partially pulled-back curtain, dramatically revealing the sculptural kitchen. It also provides a sense of separation from the bedroom. The door to the bedroom is just past the angled wall.
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On the right, he extended the kitchen into the entryway space. This expanded it from 56 to 87 square feet. He installed an angled walnut wall that recalls a partially pulled-back curtain, dramatically revealing the sculptural kitchen. It also provides a sense of separation from the bedroom. The door to the bedroom is just past the angled wall.
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Before: The kitchen was dark and space was tight.
After: Now the view from the front entry is dynamic and inviting. The angled wall frames the kitchen and introduces the walnut, an homage to the homeowner’s grandmother. From there the wood morphs and blends — it wraps, it anchors, it hammers out a rhythm and provides contrast.
Since the homeowner and architect had met over a question about lighting, it was fitting that the design began with a lighting strategy. Because the ceilings are concrete, lighting couldn’t be recessed into them. Instead, Mikhael came up with a beautiful way to conceal the lack of recessing. He used LED tape lights mounted in long, narrow channels that hang down less than an inch from the ceiling. “Then we used wood slats to give them a home. The ceiling slats shield the lighting,” he says. In addition to concealing the light channels, the slats bring the walnut across the ceiling in a pleasing rhythm.
Another early decision involved a large structural column that couldn’t be moved. Mikhael placed the fridge to the left of it and wrapped the appliance and column in walnut. This concealed them both while transforming them into a centering anchor for the space, giving the room balance. He created a symmetrical arrangement on either side.
Walnut continues on the lower cabinets, while white flip-up upper cabinets and a back-painted glass backsplash provide a lighter look on the wall. Undercabinet LED lights provide another sleek source of light.
To keep the look minimalist, Mikhael specified frameless cabinetry with simple finger pulls instead of hardware. The cabinetry is flush with the fridge-column surround. All of the walnut is bookmatched, which enhances the continuous look.
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Another early decision involved a large structural column that couldn’t be moved. Mikhael placed the fridge to the left of it and wrapped the appliance and column in walnut. This concealed them both while transforming them into a centering anchor for the space, giving the room balance. He created a symmetrical arrangement on either side.
Walnut continues on the lower cabinets, while white flip-up upper cabinets and a back-painted glass backsplash provide a lighter look on the wall. Undercabinet LED lights provide another sleek source of light.
To keep the look minimalist, Mikhael specified frameless cabinetry with simple finger pulls instead of hardware. The cabinetry is flush with the fridge-column surround. All of the walnut is bookmatched, which enhances the continuous look.
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The architect continued the rhythm of the slats on the ceiling with slats that run down the wall to the left. The area behind the slats contains a stainless steel range and hood. He wrapped the range and hood in stainless steel to create a continuous look. “The steel provides a nice contrast to the wood coming down,” he says.
The countertops are matte black Corian and the faucet is also matte black.
The countertops are matte black Corian and the faucet is also matte black.
Before: The haphazard built-ins under the windows concealed a radiator unit.
After: Mikhael designed a new walnut cover for the radiator that ties the two spaces together.
The sculptural walnut kitchen provides a beautiful view from the dining room and plays off the homeowner’s furniture choices. The dining table serves as his work-from-home space during the day.
“You have to have a meticulous carpenter to work on a project like this,” Mikhael says. “I asked my contractor if he minded if I worked with the carpenters at Conex Interiors directly, and he gave it his blessing. They did an incredible job.”
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The sculptural walnut kitchen provides a beautiful view from the dining room and plays off the homeowner’s furniture choices. The dining table serves as his work-from-home space during the day.
“You have to have a meticulous carpenter to work on a project like this,” Mikhael says. “I asked my contractor if he minded if I worked with the carpenters at Conex Interiors directly, and he gave it his blessing. They did an incredible job.”
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The living area tucks nicely into the opposite corner. The walnut “curtain” creates separation between the kitchen and the bedroom door.
Before: The dark square near the center of this plan is the structural post Mikhael had to work around.
After: As part of the renovation, Mikhael borrowed a few square feet of space from the bedroom closet to expand the bathroom.
The homeowner has noted that, despite all the activity and noise of Manhattan’s streets, when he enters the light-filled wood apartment, he feels a world away.
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The homeowner has noted that, despite all the activity and noise of Manhattan’s streets, when he enters the light-filled wood apartment, he feels a world away.
See more photos of this apartment
More on Houzz
Read more stories about kitchens
Browse photos of modern kitchens
Find a local contractor
Shop for your home
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: New York City
Size: 87 square feet (8.1 square meters)
Architect: Andrew Mikhael
Contractor: Famurat Builders
Before: Mikhael and the homeowner originally crossed paths on an architectural discussion board. The homeowner had asked about lighting options for a concrete ceiling, and the architect had provided some information and suggestions. The conversation continued from there, and when the homeowner was ready to renovate, Mikhael got the job.
“He loves to have people over and cook and bake for them,” Mikhael says. “He cooks a lot and wanted a lot of light in the kitchen.” But in this apartment, the small galley kitchen was tucked away behind walls and was dark. The homeowner also wanted versatile spaces. For example, he often needs to work from home, but he didn’t want his workspace to feel like an office.
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