White Kitchen Montclair

The appliances in this Montclair kitchen were old and shabby. The lighting was terrible. The placement of the center table was awkward. The room was drafty and cold in the winter.

A few construction changes opened up this Montclair kitchen, greatly improving flow and functionality. The walls and a window were removed from the cramped Butler’s Pantry. The too deep hall closet was shortened to allow for a regular depth coffee station cabinet on the kitchen side. The dropped soffits were removed to allow for taller cabinets. A taller and wider window replaced the short sink window. The center table was replaced with a smaller table desk moved next to the back window overlooking the bountiful garden. Food storage is improved with a tall cabinet with deep roll-out shelves next to the counter depth refrigerator. Other accessories provide custom storage solutions: a pull-out cutting board cabinet, a pull-out double bin cabinet for trash & recycling and wooden drawer dividers for silverware and utensils.

The updated traditional style is right in tune with this 1920s center hall colonial. The white on white avoids boring with texture and some contrast. The large format grey porcelain floor tile anchors the room. The 4x4 white ceramic backsplash combines a straight run at the counter with a diagonal pattern above. The Carrara Marble style engineered stone counter keeps it light, bright and practical. The decorative scene over the range combines four different tiles for interest: white ceramic rail + grey, blue and white floral scroll mosaic marble + skinny white liner + 1x2 Carrara Marble herringbone at the center. The soft white cabinets are a variation on a simple Shaker style door. The decorative range hood, wood valance above the window and crown molding around the room add more traditional detail.

General contractor: European Craftsman, LLC