Kitchen of the Week: Clean Contemporary Style in Black and White
A designer opens up a layout to improve storage, add entertaining space and create an airy look with dramatic details
After a year of living in their California bungalow and working in its 140-square-foot kitchen, this couple with three kids had developed a checklist of improvements that could be summed up in one word: “more.” They needed more storage, more entertaining space and more connection to the backyard and views.
They hired designer Marissa Satomi and contractor John Paul Coffey to help. The remodeling team took down walls to expand the kitchen into part of a bedroom, creating a more open and airy layout. That also allowed room for a new dining area and a new island that offers seating and serving space during parties. The expansion, and the relocating of a stacked washer and dryer, also let Satomi shift over the fridge to free up space for a pantry that, along with improved cabinets, increased available storage. New glass doors connect everything to the backyard. And flat-panel cabinets, black granite countertops, wood flooring and slab marble backsplash and island top add fresh, contemporary style.
They hired designer Marissa Satomi and contractor John Paul Coffey to help. The remodeling team took down walls to expand the kitchen into part of a bedroom, creating a more open and airy layout. That also allowed room for a new dining area and a new island that offers seating and serving space during parties. The expansion, and the relocating of a stacked washer and dryer, also let Satomi shift over the fridge to free up space for a pantry that, along with improved cabinets, increased available storage. New glass doors connect everything to the backyard. And flat-panel cabinets, black granite countertops, wood flooring and slab marble backsplash and island top add fresh, contemporary style.
After: The remodeling team took the kitchen back to the studs, smoothed out the popcorn ceiling and updated the electrical and plumbing. It also knocked down walls separating the kitchen from the dining room and bedroom, using the space to expand the footprint of the kitchen and create a more open layout. A new bedroom suite addition made up for the lost space.
White walls, ceiling and custom flat-panel maple cabinets (Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore) establish a bright look. “Chantilly Lace is one of my favorite whites,” Satomi says. “These owners are art collectors and this house isn’t very big, so I feel the white makes everything look bigger. It’s very clean and modern, but a warm modern.”
Satomi took the upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage. A new pantry cabinet takes the former place of the fridge, which Satomi shifted over after relocating the washer and dryer. Solid white oak floating shelves add storage and display space for everyday dishes and help fill what was once just a blank wall. The shelves coordinate with new domestic oak hardwood flooring.
Custom cabinetry: Adam Holm, Pseudo Studio; cabinetry hardware: Trinity in flat black, Emtek
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White walls, ceiling and custom flat-panel maple cabinets (Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore) establish a bright look. “Chantilly Lace is one of my favorite whites,” Satomi says. “These owners are art collectors and this house isn’t very big, so I feel the white makes everything look bigger. It’s very clean and modern, but a warm modern.”
Satomi took the upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage. A new pantry cabinet takes the former place of the fridge, which Satomi shifted over after relocating the washer and dryer. Solid white oak floating shelves add storage and display space for everyday dishes and help fill what was once just a blank wall. The shelves coordinate with new domestic oak hardwood flooring.
Custom cabinetry: Adam Holm, Pseudo Studio; cabinetry hardware: Trinity in flat black, Emtek
Find kitchen remodelers near you
A Statuario Supreme marble slab backsplash punches up the style, while black granite countertops, matte black cabinet pulls and a black commercial-style faucet and other black details deliver a touch of dramatic contrast. “I love the contrast with the black against the white,” Satomi says. “I think the old kitchen was very generic, and going with the black was a bolder move.”
A custom casement window over the sink overlooks a side yard and allows fresh air and light inside. “We wanted to showcase some of the beautiful marble, so we found a balance between the size of the window and the size of the backsplash,” Satomi says.
She also updated and enlarged the window on the range wall for more light and views.
Sink: Quatrus, Blanco; faucet: Crue in matte black, Kohler; window over sink: Ultimate, Signature collection, Marvin
A custom casement window over the sink overlooks a side yard and allows fresh air and light inside. “We wanted to showcase some of the beautiful marble, so we found a balance between the size of the window and the size of the backsplash,” Satomi says.
She also updated and enlarged the window on the range wall for more light and views.
Sink: Quatrus, Blanco; faucet: Crue in matte black, Kohler; window over sink: Ultimate, Signature collection, Marvin
This pulled-back view shows the new island that sits where a wall once divided the kitchen from a bedroom.
The island is positioned off the kitchen a bit but near the new spot for the recessed fridge. It offers seating and functional serving space during parties because people can move around all sides of it without stepping into the main part of the kitchen. A Statuario Supreme marble countertop with waterfall edges coordinates with the kitchen backsplash. “Having the island is perfect for having breakfast with the kids in the morning, and it creates a more spacious and open feel for this home,” Satomi says.
A pair of solid brass pendant lights with a matte black finish also help connect the island to the kitchen. The kitchen also has new LED recessed lights and undercabinet light strips. “Cooking and entertaining is one of the family’s biggest pleasures,” Satomi says. “Having a well-designed lighting plan was important.”
Large new fold-out modern glass doors improve connection and views to the backyard. “The folding glass doors create a wonderful indoor-outdoor space for the family,” Satomi says.
Folding glass doors: Fleetwood Windows & Doors
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The island is positioned off the kitchen a bit but near the new spot for the recessed fridge. It offers seating and functional serving space during parties because people can move around all sides of it without stepping into the main part of the kitchen. A Statuario Supreme marble countertop with waterfall edges coordinates with the kitchen backsplash. “Having the island is perfect for having breakfast with the kids in the morning, and it creates a more spacious and open feel for this home,” Satomi says.
A pair of solid brass pendant lights with a matte black finish also help connect the island to the kitchen. The kitchen also has new LED recessed lights and undercabinet light strips. “Cooking and entertaining is one of the family’s biggest pleasures,” Satomi says. “Having a well-designed lighting plan was important.”
Large new fold-out modern glass doors improve connection and views to the backyard. “The folding glass doors create a wonderful indoor-outdoor space for the family,” Satomi says.
Folding glass doors: Fleetwood Windows & Doors
Shop for bar stools and counter stools
The kitchen now opens to a casual dining area with a custom table made of steel and Statuary Extra marble. A custom wood bench made by the cabinetmaker joins a mix of ghost chairs, a wire frame chair and a solid black chair.
The Most Common Kitchen Design Problems and How to Tackle Them
The Most Common Kitchen Design Problems and How to Tackle Them
The dining area walls feature framed art by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Oded Balilty. “He was in San Francisco for an exhibition in 2014 and they fell in love with his work and have several of his pieces,” says Satomi, who also specializes in curating art collections.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with three kids
Location: San Anselmo, California
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Marissa Satomi Design
General contractor: John Paul Coffey of AMG Construction
Before: The couple felt that the former kitchen functioned all right, but the cabinets provided insufficient storage and the abundance of white and light gray finishes made for a virtually nonexistent style.
Meanwhile, walls closed off the kitchen from surrounding spaces, including the backyard, and the protruding fridge made the available workspace a tight squeeze. “They entertain a lot, and there was no space to congregate in the kitchen,” Satomi says.