Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: Black-and-White Elegance in an Open Plan
A Toronto designer helps a couple update their kitchen with soft black cabinets, marble-look countertops and better flow
Jesse and Alexa Tepperman were excited when a sizable lot with a 2,200-square-foot, 1950s bungalow went on sale in a neighborhood that topped their dream list of places to live in Toronto. The couple, who at the time were living in a townhouse with two dogs and a son on the way, thought the charming house was something they could update to fit their soon-to-be-busier lifestyle. After buying the property, they began renovations right away, living in their townhouse during the work.
The main focus of the remodel was an awkward and chopped-up alcove kitchen. The couple worked with designer Arielle Mizrahi to take down walls and push the kitchen into a former dining room, creating a more open and inviting layout. That freed up room for a new 9-foot kitchen island that seats six. Soft black cabinets with blue undertones set against a backdrop of crisp white walls and glossy white handmade-look backsplash tile create elegant style.
The main focus of the remodel was an awkward and chopped-up alcove kitchen. The couple worked with designer Arielle Mizrahi to take down walls and push the kitchen into a former dining room, creating a more open and inviting layout. That freed up room for a new 9-foot kitchen island that seats six. Soft black cabinets with blue undertones set against a backdrop of crisp white walls and glossy white handmade-look backsplash tile create elegant style.
After: Mizrahi removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room and pushed the kitchen into the former dining area. (The window on the left is the window seen in the dining room in the previous photo.)
She also removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, creating an open floor plan. These major moves allowed Mizrahi to increase the overall size of the kitchen by 95 square feet.
The new 9-foot island seats six people and includes a prep sink, slim dishwasher, wine cubbies and a microwave. “We love to entertain,” Alexa says. “But I also needed the island to be multifunctional so I could have a large workspace where I can pull out my laptop and get work done.”
The Teppermans considered going with black quartz counters and cream-colored cabinets but instead flipped the palette and went with black cabinets (painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball) and porcelain countertops that mimic the look of white marble. The walls are a crisp white (Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore).
The cabinet color has blue undertones. Mizrahi describes it as a charcoal navy. “This color adds a lot of dimension and is very compelling,” she says. “It transforms as the light changes during the day. Having two walls of windows adjacent and that big window over the sink allowed us to use this darker color.”
The couple updated all the flooring in their home with engineered hardwood in variegated chestnut tones. “I love the wider planks of the floor,” Alexa says. “I initially wanted to do a chevron or other pattern there, but wanted a floor that would be special but not overwhelming. We tried to follow a budget, and Arielle found some on clearance because they were discontinuing the shade.”
Custom cabinets: California Kitchens and Bath
Browse counter stools
She also removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, creating an open floor plan. These major moves allowed Mizrahi to increase the overall size of the kitchen by 95 square feet.
The new 9-foot island seats six people and includes a prep sink, slim dishwasher, wine cubbies and a microwave. “We love to entertain,” Alexa says. “But I also needed the island to be multifunctional so I could have a large workspace where I can pull out my laptop and get work done.”
The Teppermans considered going with black quartz counters and cream-colored cabinets but instead flipped the palette and went with black cabinets (painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball) and porcelain countertops that mimic the look of white marble. The walls are a crisp white (Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore).
The cabinet color has blue undertones. Mizrahi describes it as a charcoal navy. “This color adds a lot of dimension and is very compelling,” she says. “It transforms as the light changes during the day. Having two walls of windows adjacent and that big window over the sink allowed us to use this darker color.”
The couple updated all the flooring in their home with engineered hardwood in variegated chestnut tones. “I love the wider planks of the floor,” Alexa says. “I initially wanted to do a chevron or other pattern there, but wanted a floor that would be special but not overwhelming. We tried to follow a budget, and Arielle found some on clearance because they were discontinuing the shade.”
Custom cabinets: California Kitchens and Bath
Browse counter stools
A wall-mounted hood over a new 36-inch cooktop coordinates with the cabinet color.
Ceramic zellige tiles with various white tones and an irregular glossy surface that creates a handmade look runs from countertop to ceiling on the cooktop wall, adding shimmer and texture. “The way the cabinetry is broken up helped conceal a 2-inch slope in the ceiling of this older home,” Mizrahi says. “By carrying the tile from counter to ceiling, it also helps obscure what would otherwise appear as a wedge-shaped spacer.”
Ceramic zellige tiles with various white tones and an irregular glossy surface that creates a handmade look runs from countertop to ceiling on the cooktop wall, adding shimmer and texture. “The way the cabinetry is broken up helped conceal a 2-inch slope in the ceiling of this older home,” Mizrahi says. “By carrying the tile from counter to ceiling, it also helps obscure what would otherwise appear as a wedge-shaped spacer.”
The main sink sits beneath a window that features a new matte black iron frame. “That was one of the first details [Mizrahi] showed me on her plans after looking at my inspiration photos,” says Alexa, who used Houzz and other sites to gather design ideas. “I love that grille detail there.”
Double wall ovens stand at the far left end. Upholstered stools with burnished brass legs complement brass pendant lights and swing-arm sconces over the sink, as well as brass faucets and cabinet hardware.
Double wall ovens stand at the far left end. Upholstered stools with burnished brass legs complement brass pendant lights and swing-arm sconces over the sink, as well as brass faucets and cabinet hardware.
A 24-inch stainless steel dishwasher sits to the left of the double-basin sink. A second dishwasher, a 17¾-inch model, is in the island near the prep sink, giving the couple flexibility when cooking together and entertaining. The couple also cook Kosher, the dietary law followed by some Jewish people. “Having the double dishwashers along with the double wall ovens and the double sink allows them to follow strict rules,” Mizrahi says.
Three cabinets with ribbed-glass fronts, in the corner next to a new stainless steel French-door refrigerator, conceal tableware and reflect natural light.
Undermount sink: Crosstown, Elkay; sink faucet: Trinsic, Delta
Three cabinets with ribbed-glass fronts, in the corner next to a new stainless steel French-door refrigerator, conceal tableware and reflect natural light.
Undermount sink: Crosstown, Elkay; sink faucet: Trinsic, Delta
The porcelain countertops offer the look of pure white marble and give the family a hygienic, nonporous surface that’s naturally resistant to stains and thermal shock. “Alexa has a really good eye for high design, and these are very durable and family-friendly, and the replication of marble patterns is superior to quartz,” Mizrahi says. “They’re expensive and you have to practice some care, but they’re a showstopper.”
This floor plan shows the good flow around the island (center) that helps create specific work areas so two people can cook comfortably. Mizrahi had to keep a small wall for structural support, but she used the area to add floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinets (center right) near the refrigerator.
For the Teppermans, this user-friendly and elegant kitchen has become the new heart of their home. “It has proven to be a space we not only enjoy being in, but it’s very functional,” Alexa says. “It’s the first space you see when you walk into our home.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
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For the Teppermans, this user-friendly and elegant kitchen has become the new heart of their home. “It has proven to be a space we not only enjoy being in, but it’s very functional,” Alexa says. “It’s the first space you see when you walk into our home.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Jesse and Alexa Tepperman; their 1-year-old son, Billy; and their two dogs
Location: Toronto
Size: 225 square feet (21 square meters)
Designer: Arielle Mizrahi Design
Before: The previous kitchen had a combination of faux butcher block and solid-surface countertops and aging black appliances paired with stark gray walls. A diner-like breakfast bar sat beneath an opening that overlooked the living room (left), while a wall with a doorway near the refrigerator separated the kitchen from the dining room. A doorway into the kitchen near the range (bottom right) created a potential hazard, especially with a toddler in the house. “It felt really disjointed,” Mizrahi says. “It didn’t feel like a safe space for the family to make meals.”
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