KITCHENS
Winning Vertical Walnut Designer-builder: Jonathan Eklund of Ecostruct Location: New York City Size: 120 square feet (11 square meters); 8 by 15 feet Homeowners’ request. Open up a closed-in galley-style kitchen. “We were able to figure a way to remove and restructure a load-bearing wall to extend the kitchen and provide some island seating, helping to tie the kitchen and living room together,” says designer-builder Jonathan Eklund, whose client found him by searching for local professionals on Houzz. Wood cabinets. Vertical-grain matching walnut veneer. “The owners were adamant about having grain-matched millwork throughout the kitchen,” Eklund says. “I was concerned that with the existing oak parquet floors, this could lead to too much wood on-site, so I suggested walnut veneer as a contrast with vertical grain matching to add some depth. The open shelves with the white subway backsplash helped to cut the overbearance of the wood as well.” Other special features. “With so much wood in the kitchen and darker-stained parquet floors, it was really important to get some neutral colors and varying materials into the kitchen,” Eklund says. “Subway tiles is one of my favorite ways...
Simplify for an Uncluttered Look In this kitchen, it’s almost as if the countertops are part of the cabinets. The deep gray doors merge into the slim expanse of work surface along the top. This streamlined design helps create an uncluttered feel in the open-plan room.
Since the kitchen windows stretch to the counters, leaving no space for electrical outlets on the walls, Manfredo placed pop-up outlets around the window perimeter.
Another 72-inch awning window provides a beautiful view over the sink. “Nick and Arielle have an amazing terraced garden outside, which makes for a great view,” O’Connell says. The concrete counters, copper faucet and wood cabinetry and trim complement the garden. The simple silhouette of the one-handle faucet with integrated sprayer is in keeping with the minimalist aesthetic.
cabinets
Back-painted glass is one of my favorite backsplash materials, and I always encourage homeowners who go this route to pick an eye-catching color to make it the focal point of the kitchen. Of course, that means you have to pick and stick to one color, which can be tough for those with color commitment issues. This intense pink backsplash provides the wow factor in a kitchen designed by Pedini London. Create a similarly stunning focal point in your kitchen with Magenta from Benjamin Moore.
The handles in GE’s Café Matte collection are available in brushed copper, brushed stainless, brushed bronze and brushed black.
black wood cabinets
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