Kitchen of the Week: A New Island for Socializing and Baking
A couple downsizing from a Victorian home into a condo embrace warm, contemporary style in their new kitchen
Before. The clients’ former kitchen had been in a traditional style with cherry cabinets, and they were ready for a dramatic change. Unfortunately, the dark transitional-style kitchen in their new home wasn’t providing it. And while the peninsula portion of the U-shaped kitchen provided some seating, it was cutting off the kitchen from the living room. “It was really just a cook space,” Johnson says. “There was no room for anyone else to join the cook within the kitchen without getting in the way.”
Must-haves. The homeowners wanted an island with seating and a low baking counter, pantry storage, a large refrigerator-freezer, a cooktop with wall ovens and a TV that could be viewed from the island seating area.
Renovation prep. Johnson recommends that clients take an inventory of everything they’ll need to store in their kitchen. They should note what they use on a daily and weekly basis and what gets pulled out only every other month or less. This will help with storage planning for maximum functionality. “These clients were moving, which made paring down what they were bringing with them a natural process,” Johnson says.
Must-haves. The homeowners wanted an island with seating and a low baking counter, pantry storage, a large refrigerator-freezer, a cooktop with wall ovens and a TV that could be viewed from the island seating area.
Renovation prep. Johnson recommends that clients take an inventory of everything they’ll need to store in their kitchen. They should note what they use on a daily and weekly basis and what gets pulled out only every other month or less. This will help with storage planning for maximum functionality. “These clients were moving, which made paring down what they were bringing with them a natural process,” Johnson says.
Layout. “We focused on functionality early on in the design process,” Johnson says. The biggest change in layout involved getting rid of the peninsula that closed off the space, going from a U-shaped to an L-shaped kitchen. This freed up space for an island, which makes working between the refrigerator, sink, range and ovens and putting away groceries easy.
Island. A striking Fantasy Brown quartzite waterfall countertop wraps around three sides of the island, creating a lovely view from the adjacent living room. A special must-have the homeowners carried over from their former home was a dedicated baking station. Johnson found room for it at the far end of the island. Its 32-inch height (compared with the 36-inch height of the other counters) makes rolling out dough easier.
Like the perimeter countertops, the baking station’s counter is quartz, but in a thicker profile. “We made it 2½ inches high to give it some heft, kind of like a chopping block would look,” Johnson says. The baking counter has a mitered edge, which gives it the appearance of a solid thick slab.
The island is 98 inches long by 28 inches wide and is 38 inches from the perimeter counters. It has seating on one side, which was important to the couple, and storage on the other. The work side of the island contains the everyday dishes and china, which are easy to access when unloading the dishwasher or serving. There’s an electrical outlet on the work side next to the baking station.
Refrigerator. The fridge has a panel front that fits in seamlessly with the rest of the cabinetry. To the left of the fridge is a pantry cabinet and to the right is a pullout for the trash and recycling bins.
Perimeter and baking countertops: London Sky quartz, Corian; see more quartz countertops
Island. A striking Fantasy Brown quartzite waterfall countertop wraps around three sides of the island, creating a lovely view from the adjacent living room. A special must-have the homeowners carried over from their former home was a dedicated baking station. Johnson found room for it at the far end of the island. Its 32-inch height (compared with the 36-inch height of the other counters) makes rolling out dough easier.
Like the perimeter countertops, the baking station’s counter is quartz, but in a thicker profile. “We made it 2½ inches high to give it some heft, kind of like a chopping block would look,” Johnson says. The baking counter has a mitered edge, which gives it the appearance of a solid thick slab.
The island is 98 inches long by 28 inches wide and is 38 inches from the perimeter counters. It has seating on one side, which was important to the couple, and storage on the other. The work side of the island contains the everyday dishes and china, which are easy to access when unloading the dishwasher or serving. There’s an electrical outlet on the work side next to the baking station.
Refrigerator. The fridge has a panel front that fits in seamlessly with the rest of the cabinetry. To the left of the fridge is a pantry cabinet and to the right is a pullout for the trash and recycling bins.
Perimeter and baking countertops: London Sky quartz, Corian; see more quartz countertops
Counters. The perimeter and baking station countertops are a durable quartz that looks like marble. Johnson made sure to provide ample work space around the range and the sink.
Backsplash. The backsplash took some custom work by the tile installers. This particular ceramic tile comes on netting but only in one color, so they created a random pattern using three colors to create a mosaic look with rich variation in tone.
Sink, faucet and hardware. Stainless steel on the sink, faucet and hardware adds a sleek, modern touch. The homeowners opted for hardware in a boat cleat shape that adds subtle flair to the streamlined room.
Cabinets. All the cabinetry, including the panel fronts on the integrated dishwasher and refrigerator, is by Poggenpohl. This gives the kitchen a seamless, contemporary look. “This is a European laminate that looks like woodgrain and has a gorgeous texture,” Johnson says. “And it is superdurable — it won’t fade in the sunlight and it can stand up to a lot of wear and tear.”
This photo also gives us a good look at the square LED undercabinet lighting. “The wiring is integrated into the shelves and they fit in flush with the bottom surface of the cabinets,” Johnson says.
Cabinets: Teak Lava, Poggenpohl; faucet: Zoe in stainless steel, KWC
Backsplash. The backsplash took some custom work by the tile installers. This particular ceramic tile comes on netting but only in one color, so they created a random pattern using three colors to create a mosaic look with rich variation in tone.
Sink, faucet and hardware. Stainless steel on the sink, faucet and hardware adds a sleek, modern touch. The homeowners opted for hardware in a boat cleat shape that adds subtle flair to the streamlined room.
Cabinets. All the cabinetry, including the panel fronts on the integrated dishwasher and refrigerator, is by Poggenpohl. This gives the kitchen a seamless, contemporary look. “This is a European laminate that looks like woodgrain and has a gorgeous texture,” Johnson says. “And it is superdurable — it won’t fade in the sunlight and it can stand up to a lot of wear and tear.”
This photo also gives us a good look at the square LED undercabinet lighting. “The wiring is integrated into the shelves and they fit in flush with the bottom surface of the cabinets,” Johnson says.
Cabinets: Teak Lava, Poggenpohl; faucet: Zoe in stainless steel, KWC
Range. The range is a countertop cooktop, and the hood appears as a sleek horizontal line. (The rest of it is hidden behind the upper cabinet doors.) Beneath the range is a utensil drawer and drawers for pans and lids. To the left of the range is a pullout for spices and oils. And there’s a pullout stepladder drawer hidden within the toe kick so the couple can reach the less-frequently used items they store up high.
The corner cabinet has pullouts that make it easy to access and provides space for items such as mixing bowls.
Find cabinet-mounted vent hoods
The corner cabinet has pullouts that make it easy to access and provides space for items such as mixing bowls.
Find cabinet-mounted vent hoods
Flooring. The flooring is white oak that Johnson had patched, sanded and refinished in a lighter hue for an updated look.
Lighting. Recessed LEDs provide light to the room. The team decided to forgo typical pendants to keep an uncluttered view through the room. To create a slight accent, Johnson used recessed lights with crystal lenses over the island.
Lighting. Recessed LEDs provide light to the room. The team decided to forgo typical pendants to keep an uncluttered view through the room. To create a slight accent, Johnson used recessed lights with crystal lenses over the island.
Oven wall. Another must-have for these homeowners was a TV that could be viewed from the island. This one is flush with the cabinetry and has an articulating arm so it can be angled toward the island. Johnson used the space behind it for slats for storing cutting boards and baking sheets.
Below are a convection oven and a steam oven. “A lot of our clients are opting for a steam oven over a microwave lately,” Johnson says.
Find a kitchen designer to help choose your appliances and layout
Below are a convection oven and a steam oven. “A lot of our clients are opting for a steam oven over a microwave lately,” Johnson says.
Find a kitchen designer to help choose your appliances and layout
Floor plan. Here you can see the easy work triangle and how the island serves as a workstation and social zone. “Their large traditional kitchen served these homeowners well for many years, but they are having lots of fun with their new look and all of the new features in their new kitchen,” Johnson says.
Takeaways
How to Create a Dedicated Baking Station
How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?
Takeaways
- Before your renovation, pare down your kitchen items as if you’re moving, and take notes on which ones you use most often.
- A waterfall countertop enhances the view into a kitchen within an open floor plan.
- If you’re a big baker, consider a lower countertop that will make rolling out dough easier. Johnson recommends 31 to 32 inches, depending on your height; if you’re petite, you may want to go even lower.
- Light up a backsplash and countertops with undercabinet lighting.
- For a sleek, uncluttered lighting look, think outside the pendants-over-the-island box.
How to Create a Dedicated Baking Station
How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: Brookline, Massachusetts
Size: 162 square feet (15 square meters); about 10¾ by 15 feet
Designer: Bruce Johnson of Lee Kimball
Designer Bruce Johnson had renovated the large traditional kitchen of these clients in their Victorian home 26 years ago. But all these years later, their needs and their style had changed dramatically. With their children now grown, the couple had downsized to a two-bedroom condominium with a warm, contemporary style.
They called upon Johnson to help them redesign the kitchen in their new Boston-area home. The couple love to cook and to entertain friends and family, and with the help of smart storage and a functional layout, the smaller kitchen meets their needs just fine.
The style. The kitchen is sleek but warm.
Scope of work. This was a complete renovation, including refinishing of the existing floors.