A Kitchen Refresh

Recently, Laliberte Interiors embarked on a new project: the kitchen of a Glen Rock home. The client, a family who loved to have people over, wanted a kitchen that could function as a space to entertain, working in harmony with the living and dining room that it opened into. It was time to refresh the space and turn the dated kitchen into a refined space fit for busy mornings on the go and nights of celebration with family and friends; that is where we came in.

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When our team came to see the kitchen, we spotted an issue with the flow of the space. The kitchen was structured with an island and two counterspaces that connected at a right angle. The peninsula of the kitchen, which was perpendicular to the island, worked against the open-concept floor plan, cutting the kitchen off from the rest of the floor. The lines of the space weren’t clean and the peninsula thwarted the natural lighting of the space. To resolve this, we took out the peninsula and extended the parallel counter spaces. This allowed for fresher movement and crisper symmetry. 

One of the main concerns that the client had was clutter. Their kitchen counters were topped with appliances that were essential to their day to day but felt crowded in the space. We sought a way to rectify that. Off of the kitchen is a room referred to by the client as “the bike room”, holding, as the name suggests, the family’s bicycles. We decided to utilize that neglected room and revitalize it as a spacious pantry. Here, all the appliances could be tucked away from the kitchen, while still easily accessible for daily use. The kitchen became sleek and free for entertaining, with all of the counter appliances hidden behind the pocket door that separated the pantry and the kitchen. 

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Next on the agenda was aesthetic. The client was drawn to European aesthetics with a pristine and elegant atmosphere. We found this through the timeless combination of walnut and white marble with gold finishings. The cabinets went from wood to white and the backsplash was simplified, complete with some hidden outlets that blended into the tiling. We also prioritized custom pieces that truly fit the home. For the most gorgeous results, we pull from our carefully curated list of fabricators we choose to work with because they are the finest in their craft. We designed the custom stainless steel and brass hood, made by Amore Design Factory, and custom lacquered brass and partially silvered glass pendent lights, made by Urban Electic Co. With this revamp, the kitchen became airy and polished. But we weren’t done yet as we also designed the pantry. The pantry stood inverse to the kitchen, incorporating the same feeling and color palette in a slightly different way. The navy blue touches in the kitchen became the cabinet color for the pantry, keeping the neutral, calm atmosphere that is central to the kitchen design, while adding in a bit of mood and color. The gold accents remained, adorning the cabinet handles, sink, and lights. The pantry backsplash stayed in the geometric world of the kitchen backsplash, but a little darker and more complex. All together, the pantry and kitchen balanced each other perfectly.

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With all of these changes, we were able to create a gorgeous kitchen/pantry space, enduring in style, and beloved by the client. The kitchen ebbed and flowed right into the rest of the house, perfect for having guests over. The addition of the pantry solved the counterspace dilemma, added valuable storage, and lets the kitchen shift into what it needs to be, whether that is a space to entertain or to make breakfast. This kitchen remodel is a vibrant refresh fit for our beloved clients.

Client review:

“Lisa is an incredible designer - very experienced in both design and uniquely as an architect. This combination is very powerful - it means she can create world class designs that are both inspiring and timeless - while at the same time understanding the construction process so well that the designs are possible to implement and very clearly detailed for the builders. She was truly a great partner in our complete gut and renovation of our home - working with this iteratively until we arrived at designs we all loved. I cannot recommend Lisa's work more highly - she is truly a unique individual with incredible talent.”

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