Grey and White Kitchen with Pops of Color

PROBLEM:

This Montclair, NJ kitchen had been 'renovated' prior to the family's moving in, but was not what they needed or wanted. The range had been installed butted up against a wall and doorway, the kitchen door to the patio was cramped and narrow, there was a lack of storage and limited countertop work space. Plus, these clients didn't like what they called the whole 'Home Depot aesthetic', and complained that the open space above the cabinets was a dust-collection issue.

KITCHEN SOLUTION:

Starting with the client's vision of a white kitchen, we selected classic white cabinetry and a white engineered stone countertop and, for warmth and interest, paired them with soft grey tile. The backsplash tile is an elongated, modernized 'subway' style and the floor tile is a low maintenance weathered wood-look porcelain. The white and grey kitchen provides a neutral background for the client to add pops of color from her inventory of red, orange and turquoise artwork, vases and bowls. The result is a bright, fresh and welcoming space that delights the whole family -- two adults and two active growing boys.

We relocated the wall 30" toward the bathroom, providing a wider door to the patio as well as a new run of counter space and cabinetry. The new Wolf range was relocated so that there are now cabinets and counters on either side. We installed 42" tall wall cabinets, plus crown molding to the ceiling - closing that dust gap is one of my cardinal kitchen rules! Bonus discovery: when we opened the walls during renovation we found unsealed waste pipes and immediately solved an ongoing mystery leak.

General contractor: Sean O Boyle, sjo corp