Expert Talk: Design Lessons From 9 Stunning Kitchens
Architects share a behind-the-scenes look at the design decisions for some of their most interesting kitchen projects
Lawrence Karol
August 14, 2012
Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly unprepared for the real world and at a loss as to what I should do next. Luckily, one day I stumbled through the doors of Architectural Digest and was taken under the wing of legendary editor Paige Rense. She had the vision to look past my uninspiring sociology degree and my general lack of experience—an unlikely journalism career was born. After AD, with my magazine karma still intact, I was hired by yet another publishing legend, the food critic and writer Ruth Reichl. I currently ply my trade as a freelance writer and editor and live in stylish Mid-Century-Modern comfort with my dog, Mike.
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Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly unprepared... More
I don't know about you, but I can never seem to get my fill of kitchen remodeling ideas. So I was excited when I came across the rooms designed by Fivecat Studio, a four-person architecture firm based in Pleasantville, New York.
Every one of the firm's projects is a close collaboration between partner Mark LePage, his wife, Annmarie McCarthy, and project managers Bjorn Slate and John Whalen.
And their close collaboration has yielded a surprisingly wide variety of design styles. From traditional rooms to a restored 1960s glass house to a commercial-grade kitchen built in the home of a cooking school instructor, I'm sure you'll come away with dozens of new ideas after taking a look at these thoughtfully designed spaces.
Every one of the firm's projects is a close collaboration between partner Mark LePage, his wife, Annmarie McCarthy, and project managers Bjorn Slate and John Whalen.
And their close collaboration has yielded a surprisingly wide variety of design styles. From traditional rooms to a restored 1960s glass house to a commercial-grade kitchen built in the home of a cooking school instructor, I'm sure you'll come away with dozens of new ideas after taking a look at these thoughtfully designed spaces.
Mix and match materials: The homeowner was very involved in this project and selected the colors, fixtures and finishes. The open-plan space has large surfaces for prep and cleanup, and the stainless-steel appliances and open shelving allow for efficient food prep and give the room the feeling of a commercial kitchen.
"The wood butcher-block island counter is a nice contrast to the stainless equipment and warms up the otherwise cool color palette," says LePage.
The ceiling is a beadboard panel from Nantucket Beadboard with a custom reveal detail. It has flat moldings that cover the beadboard seams, provide scale and give the appearance of structural beams without reducing the ceiling height. The painted maple cabinets, fabricated by Crown Point Cabinetry, have very simple details.
"The wood butcher-block island counter is a nice contrast to the stainless equipment and warms up the otherwise cool color palette," says LePage.
The ceiling is a beadboard panel from Nantucket Beadboard with a custom reveal detail. It has flat moldings that cover the beadboard seams, provide scale and give the appearance of structural beams without reducing the ceiling height. The painted maple cabinets, fabricated by Crown Point Cabinetry, have very simple details.
Restore a true original: This is a complete restoration of an original St. Charles painted-steel kitchen, part of a modern glass house designed in 1969 by architect Robert Fitzpatrick.
"The cabinet boxes were repaired and refinished in place, while the metal doors and drawers were removed and restored by a local automotive body shop," says LePage.
The original appliances were replaced with state-of-the-art ones, except for a fully functioning, vintage Sub-Zero refrigerator that got new stainless steel panels. The rubber flooring, which was not original to the house, was removed and replaced with 24-by-24-inch porcelain tiles.
"The cabinet boxes were repaired and refinished in place, while the metal doors and drawers were removed and restored by a local automotive body shop," says LePage.
The original appliances were replaced with state-of-the-art ones, except for a fully functioning, vintage Sub-Zero refrigerator that got new stainless steel panels. The rubber flooring, which was not original to the house, was removed and replaced with 24-by-24-inch porcelain tiles.
Choose a central location: Fivecat Studios designed this kitchen in collaboration with Bilotta Kitchens of Mamaroneck, New York. The previous kitchen was demolished and a new addition, which includes the adjacent family room and new family entrance mudroom, was constructed between the main house and the previously detached garage.
The kitchen was designed to be the central living space for a large family with young children. "Since it's wide open to the mudroom at one end and the family room to the other, the kitchen still benefits from the natural daylight of the sun-filled adjacent spaces, even though it's located in an interior area," says LePage.
The kitchen was designed to be the central living space for a large family with young children. "Since it's wide open to the mudroom at one end and the family room to the other, the kitchen still benefits from the natural daylight of the sun-filled adjacent spaces, even though it's located in an interior area," says LePage.
Take back tradition: "We consider this project our favorite rescue," says LePage. The original 1907 shingle-style house experienced a major fire in 1947. It was "modernized" at that time to reflect the then-popular international style.
The current owners purchased the house in 2007, and Fivecat constructed several small additions, resulting in a larger, more efficient space. They also added a mudroom to provide a new entrance directly from the driveway.
"Traditional details keep the design of the kitchen respectful to the home's original style, while the up-to-date appliances, fixtures and finishes reflect the modern taste of the owners," says LePage.
The current owners purchased the house in 2007, and Fivecat constructed several small additions, resulting in a larger, more efficient space. They also added a mudroom to provide a new entrance directly from the driveway.
"Traditional details keep the design of the kitchen respectful to the home's original style, while the up-to-date appliances, fixtures and finishes reflect the modern taste of the owners," says LePage.
Incorporate furniture and carpet elements: This is one of Fivecat Studio's first kitchen projects, completed as part of a whole house addition/renovation. The large pantry cabinet and maple-topped island were designed to look like freestanding furniture. A custom stone tile "carpet" sits below the island, surrounded by radiant-heat marble herringbone field tile.
"The oversize plaster ceiling coves allow for an indirectly lit, painted 'sky' tray and flow continuously into the custom-fabricated range exhaust hood," says LePage. He adds that the original 1920s Mediterranean home influenced the custom iron light fixtures and hardware.
The custom cabinetry — painted and stained maple, glazed and slightly distressed to make it appear aged — was fabricated by Winchester Woodworks.
"The oversize plaster ceiling coves allow for an indirectly lit, painted 'sky' tray and flow continuously into the custom-fabricated range exhaust hood," says LePage. He adds that the original 1920s Mediterranean home influenced the custom iron light fixtures and hardware.
The custom cabinetry — painted and stained maple, glazed and slightly distressed to make it appear aged — was fabricated by Winchester Woodworks.
Make it professional: This modern space was built for a professional chef and designed to be flexible for multiple uses. It serves as the classroom for Marissa's Kitchen, the owner's private-lesson cooking school, as well as for preparing daily family meals.
"The plan of this kitchen is adapted from a true commercial kitchen, with a dedicated beverage area, a food prep area, cooking area and a hidden cleanup station. A closed-circuit video camera system allows students to see every move Marissa makes no matter where they are in the space," says LePage.
The high-gloss bamboo cabinets allow for easy cleaning and the Fireslate counters are extra durable. Eucalyptus flooring provides an ecofriendly surface that's easy on the feet during long cooking sessions.
"The plan of this kitchen is adapted from a true commercial kitchen, with a dedicated beverage area, a food prep area, cooking area and a hidden cleanup station. A closed-circuit video camera system allows students to see every move Marissa makes no matter where they are in the space," says LePage.
The high-gloss bamboo cabinets allow for easy cleaning and the Fireslate counters are extra durable. Eucalyptus flooring provides an ecofriendly surface that's easy on the feet during long cooking sessions.
Use what you have: This kitchen was renovated within its existing footprint. By relocating the appliances and making minor modifications to the space, the architects made the kitchen more efficient and provided better access to a new multilevel patio and outdoor kitchen.
"It's the perfect example of creating a more functional, better-looking kitchen without the need or expense of building an addition," says LePage.
The counters are granite, and the painted maple cabinets were fabricated by Crown Point Cabinetry.
"It's the perfect example of creating a more functional, better-looking kitchen without the need or expense of building an addition," says LePage.
The counters are granite, and the painted maple cabinets were fabricated by Crown Point Cabinetry.
Try the family-friendly approach: A new addition expanded this kitchen and provided a sun-filled space for a large farmhouse family dining table (not visible here). A former laundry room adjacent to the kitchen was converted into a new mudroom with storage and cubby cabinetry for the family's three young children and their dog.
The owner selected the glass tile backsplash. The countertops are Verde Vecchio granite and the floors are limestone. Crown Point Cabinetry fabricated the stained maple cabinets.
The owner selected the glass tile backsplash. The countertops are Verde Vecchio granite and the floors are limestone. Crown Point Cabinetry fabricated the stained maple cabinets.
Relocate for better flow: The design team relocated this kitchen from the front of the house to an adjacent dining room space in the rear. Removing a wall helped to integrate both spaces into a new open-plan, social kitchen.
"Details such as the pendant light fixtures provide a modern touch in an otherwise traditional design," says LePage.
The painted maple cabinets were fabricated by Crown Point Cabinetry.
More: How to Remodel a Kitchen
"Details such as the pendant light fixtures provide a modern touch in an otherwise traditional design," says LePage.
The painted maple cabinets were fabricated by Crown Point Cabinetry.
More: How to Remodel a Kitchen
We believe that the transition of a house into a home is a sense of history and a piece of the future. It tells... Read More
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someone suggest I use them in my root cellar to brighten it up...I almost slapped him! I'll just stucco the cemet blocks thank-you! Okay I'm done crabbing about the tiles now!
[My background: 25+ yrs. specializing in high performance kitchens, baths, work spaces, storage and display]
1) At the least, a kitchen is for storing and preparing food and beverages. Minimizing closed "wall cabinets" (12" d., typical) is contradictory to providing appropriate accessible storage for all the small items in a kitchen! Whether for new construction or remodeling, "smart design" balances placement of walls and windows with a space's function. A "smart kitchen" does not have to sacrifice storage for style. An ''evolved" kitchen is still a kitchen.
2) While it can have its place (ha ha), open shelving contributes to visual clutter and exposes items to dust, greasy dust, floating pet hair, bugs--dead and alive, etc.
3) Base cabinets (24" d.), best utilized for the typically few large things, often become black holes where stuff is stuffed and then forgotten. Yes, pull-out shelves (or even just plastic boxes as mobile holders) do help.
4) 24" d. pantry cabinets and walk-in pantries can accommodate giant bags of pet food, step stools, cases of soda, junk nobody knows what to do with, so on. However, they too tend to become black holes and/or jumbled messes. Also, if one walks into a pantry, then he/she is walking through a column of wasted space. While a house (and its kitchen) might aim to be "up-scale," square-footage may still be at a premium. Other more effective cabinet configurations (combined with easy organizing practices) can better meet users' needs.
5) Determining Adequate Kitchen Wall Cabinet Quantity (custom or spec)
(No set answer!) Here are a few good questions for project programming:
~ How many bedrooms and/or residents in home?
~ Nature of use and users: Kitchen only or Family Headquarters? Restaurant or at-home eatters? Microwavers or gourmet cooks with lots of gizmos? Individual or 2 cooks + dog(s)/cat(s) + kids + friends?
~ 30" tall vs. 42" tall wall cabs? Other types of storage available for plates, glasses, spices/cooking supplies, small food storage containers, paper/plastic goods, etc.?
~ Proximity to other spaces (utility room, butler's pantry, hall closet, mud room, family room, dining room) with storage provisions for bulk items, cleaning tools/supplies, flower vases, light bulbs, ice buckets, ice chests, barbecue tools/supplies, . . .?
6) "In what other room do we find cabinets . . . 5 feet up on the wall?"
Hummm: Utility room, family room, bathroom, office/studio/hobby/work room, hall way, garage; just about any other place where I can hang or stand them!