The couple wanted the renovation to have a “contemporary and clean feel,” but asked that the original Douglas fir flooring be retained. They agreed that an island was needed for daily dining and casual entertaining, and suggested that a door leading to the outside wouldn't take up as much square footage. So the contractor carried out the goal of simple shapes to the letter, as the partial wall separating the refrigerator and oven was removed and the French he door was replaced with a single frame.
“The main problem with houses that are over 100 years old is the framework, and the original ones probably aren't plums,” says Patrick. “When designing a more modern kitchen, we found this difficult in some areas, especially when integrating the refrigerator next to the new door.”
The latest design focuses on the island, with seating at one end and storage along the two longest sides. The fridge was in the corner by the outside door, facing an L-shaped block of cabinets that had an open shelf above the sink and a glass cabinet on the far wall. An oven was installed in a dedicated corner on three walls, and the entire room was decorated from top to bottom with sage green square tiles and white oak.
“The decision to use white oak was for two reasons,” Patrick says. “One was to achieve the contemporary style they were looking for and not darken an already hidden space. Kitchens can be quite shady at certain times of the day and already have rich floors, so white Oak adds brightness.”
Of course, no one could argue that there was a lot of wood in this kitchen. Therefore, some details were worked out to provide the necessary layers. Johnny and Josh came up with the idea of accenting the island with fluting, and the pros installed cross-reed panels on the glass cabinets to complement the backsplash and pendant grid above the island. “The square grid motif was also the reason we decided to coordinate the factory with white oak handles,” adds Patrick. “When viewed from certain angles, the wooden handles create a Morse code-like pattern that is interspersed throughout the cabinet.” Even the upholstered fabric of the island's seating features a lattice pattern.
