Location means everything in a New York borough. One family in Brooklyn loved their apartment’s close proximity to the local museum and the botanical garden, but the drawback was the outdated kitchen. When the homeowners turned to Claudia Giselle of New York City-based Claudia Giselle Design, they initially were looking for just an update.

“During our interview, we discovered that the existing apartment layout was also not working, and simply touching up the kitchen itself was not what this family needed,” said Giselle, who explained that the five-member household wanted to congregate better with friends and family in this small space.

Giselle’s first challenge was convincing the homeowners to completely demolish the kitchen. Using AutoCAD for drafting and Sketch-Up for 3D modeling and computer simulation, she showed them how she could transform their galley kitchen into an open space.

She first suggested demolishing the walls between the kitchen, dining room and the living room and connecting all three areas. This would accommodate their hosting needs and also expose views of the nearby gardens in the previously enclosed kitchen. Once the family could visually see the proposed open concept, it was a no brainer.

The last spaces that needed a complete remodel as well was the master and kids' bathroom. The objective for the bathroom for the children was to make the room feel larger and fun. The custom handmade tiles added a playful element to the bathroom. We used a porcelain tile that looks like wood on the floor to give the room a rustic feel. The frameless glass shower door visually opens up the room. If you look closely, we extended the countertop to inside the shower allowing for visual expansion as well as a shelf inside the shower. Lastly, the master bathroom's goal was to select finishes that reflect both our client's preferences. A fresh and warm palette. We added a small drawer under the banjo to maximize storage.