Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: 112 Square Feet Laid Out for 2 Cooks
A thoughtful new design lets this couple cook comfortably in tandem and includes room for a much-needed pantry
Inspiration: “My client held up a plate they had bought in Portofino, Italy, and said, ‘I want my kitchen to feel like this plate,’ ” Neithart says. They love blue, and their house is a 1920s classic California Spanish house. They also wanted it to feel bright and open.
Must-haves: In addition to wanting their kitchen to feel like handmade coastal Italian pottery and give them enough room to cook together every night, the couple wanted a farm sink, a Moravian star pendant light, a La Cornue CornuFe range and a lot of color.
Must-haves: In addition to wanting their kitchen to feel like handmade coastal Italian pottery and give them enough room to cook together every night, the couple wanted a farm sink, a Moravian star pendant light, a La Cornue CornuFe range and a lot of color.
Layout: In this floor plan, you can see the work zone is a simple triangle of the sink, range and refrigerator. The microwave is tucked next to the refrigerator and the dishwasher is next to the sink. Beyond this, there are three key elements that make the small space function well and not feel closed in.
One, Neithart knew that in theory maxing out every inch with cabinets would seem like the way to go, but in reality, the couple would need some empty space so they would have more room to move around and not feel so closed in. After all, every countertop reduces the area in which they can move around by two feet. So she helped them understand they would want some negative space — about five square feet. You can see it in the top left corner of the plans between the entry and the refrigerator.
The second element was the refrigerator itself. A counter-depth refrigerator saved a lot of space as opposed to a freestanding refrigerator. “They are more expensive, so I believe a cabinet-depth refrigerator needs to solve a lot of problems in order to be worth the expense. In this case it was a really good use of their budget,” she says.
The third key element for functionality was the new pantry cabinets, seen in the top right corner.
One, Neithart knew that in theory maxing out every inch with cabinets would seem like the way to go, but in reality, the couple would need some empty space so they would have more room to move around and not feel so closed in. After all, every countertop reduces the area in which they can move around by two feet. So she helped them understand they would want some negative space — about five square feet. You can see it in the top left corner of the plans between the entry and the refrigerator.
The second element was the refrigerator itself. A counter-depth refrigerator saved a lot of space as opposed to a freestanding refrigerator. “They are more expensive, so I believe a cabinet-depth refrigerator needs to solve a lot of problems in order to be worth the expense. In this case it was a really good use of their budget,” she says.
The third key element for functionality was the new pantry cabinets, seen in the top right corner.
Pantry: To the left, you can catch a glimpse of the pantry cabinet. This may be the most thrilling thing about the entire renovation for Neithart’s clients. They are so happy to have an appropriate place to store their food. There are pull-out shelves to make accessing everything easy. Things they don’t need to access as often go up top, such as extra paper towels.
Dishwasher: A panel-front dishwasher maintains continuity along the bottom cabinets.
Dishwasher: A panel-front dishwasher maintains continuity along the bottom cabinets.
Splurge: La Cornue CornuFe range and counter-depth refrigerator
Save: Once the homeowners were on board with bringing in the blue they loved via the cabinetry paint, choosing paint-grade cabinets instead of stain-grade saved them money.
Save: Once the homeowners were on board with bringing in the blue they loved via the cabinetry paint, choosing paint-grade cabinets instead of stain-grade saved them money.
Backsplash: The hand-painted terra-cotta tile plays a major role in the room’s style. “These painted terra-cotta tiles by Tabarka Studio are handmade all the way through, which is an important consideration,” Neithart says. Knowing her clients liked things to look very tidy, she borrowed a grouted board from the tiler to show them a mock-up of what it would look like. “Because they are handmade and not machine cut, they have uneven edges that do not make for straight, clean grout lines,” Neithart says. “For me, that’s part of the charm, but this look is certainly not for everyone. So my clients took some time to think about whether or not they’d like that look before committing.”
The color of the tile was also important. “I love Tabarka Studio tiles because they have such a beautiful color to them that is more subtle than a lot of Spanish tile you see in commercial spaces in California,” the designer says. “It’s like watercolor. I think it’s nice to use something quieter in a home, especially next to all of the color in the cabinets here.”
Tile: Paris Metro Collection, Tabarka Studio
The color of the tile was also important. “I love Tabarka Studio tiles because they have such a beautiful color to them that is more subtle than a lot of Spanish tile you see in commercial spaces in California,” the designer says. “It’s like watercolor. I think it’s nice to use something quieter in a home, especially next to all of the color in the cabinets here.”
Tile: Paris Metro Collection, Tabarka Studio
Cabinet details: Speaking of tidiness, Neithart brings up another issue that can arise — using mullions in glass cabinet doors. “Mullions add lines, and if they don’t line up with the shelves, they can be visually busy,” she says. She recommends using plain glass panes without mullions. Or if you do want mullions, you can use glass shelves or do what she did here — line the mullions up with the shelves and paint them to match. One important thing to note is that when you do this, you cannot adjust the heights of your shelves, so consider that before committing. Neithart also recommends “getting a little obscure” with the glass, such as using seeded, wavy or antique glass designs.
Hardware: The hand-forged pewter cabinet hardware suits the home’s age and looks beautiful with the blue paint.
Cabinet paint: Spellbound 1659, Benjamin Moore; cabinet hardware: Square Twist Collection in pewter, Top Knobs
Hardware: The hand-forged pewter cabinet hardware suits the home’s age and looks beautiful with the blue paint.
Cabinet paint: Spellbound 1659, Benjamin Moore; cabinet hardware: Square Twist Collection in pewter, Top Knobs
Faucet: The faucet’s graceful curve has a traditional look that befits the home, while its pull-down sprayer is a modern convenience. “He especially loved this faucet,” Neithart says of one of the homeowners. “It has an industrial look.”
Light fixture: After seeing another one of Neithart’s projects that had Moravian star pendant lights, the couple absolutely had to have one. She found a petite, vintage one that’s just the right scale for this kitchen.
Faucet: Traditional pull-down faucet in satin nickel: Waterstone; sink: fireclay sink with apron in white, Julien; see other white farmhouse sinks
Light fixture: After seeing another one of Neithart’s projects that had Moravian star pendant lights, the couple absolutely had to have one. She found a petite, vintage one that’s just the right scale for this kitchen.
Faucet: Traditional pull-down faucet in satin nickel: Waterstone; sink: fireclay sink with apron in white, Julien; see other white farmhouse sinks
Countertops: While her clients originally thought they wanted Carrara marble for the counters, Neithart had gotten to know them well enough to know that would not work. They needed something durable because they cook a lot and have 5-year-old twins, and stains and chips would have driven them crazy because they like neat and tidy. She knew Caesarstone’s London Grey would be a great fit for them. “This one does a really good job of feeling more like natural stone,” she says. “It has veining and coloring that’s very similar to Carrara, but it’s really tough to destroy it.”
“People think smaller kitchens are hard to work in, but I feel the opposite way,” the designer says. “Having a small triangle is very convenient. You’re really just pivoting around most of the time. Smaller kitchens are awesome!”
Range: 36-inch CornuFe dual range by La Cornue; stainless steel hood: custom, Modern-Aire
More: Read more Kitchen of the Week stories
Range: 36-inch CornuFe dual range by La Cornue; stainless steel hood: custom, Modern-Aire
More: Read more Kitchen of the Week stories
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their twin girls
Location: Pasadena, California
Size: 112 square feet (10.5 square meters); about 10 by 11 feet
Designer: Charmean Neithart
The challenge: Creating a functional floor plan for two people working side by side in a 10-by-11-foot kitchen takes a lot of careful thought. “The tricky thing was that this couple loves to cook together every night and they have twin girls to take care of. Despite its small size, the space had to be able to flow so that two people can cook comfortably at the same time and handle the food and snack needs of the 5-year-old twins,” Neithart says.
Biggest need: The couple desperately needed more counter space and pantry storage. “One of my clients is only about 5-feet, 1-inch tall, and [the couple] were using upper cabinets as their pantry storage. Making matters worse, the existing upper cabinets were extra-high. So she was dragging this stepladder around so that she could reach while watching her daughters at the same time,” she says. “It was hurting me just watching her do it. I knew that pantry storage would be top priority.”