A Color-Blocked Kitchen
Behind the doors of the unassuming 1920 detached two-family home in the Ridgewood, Queens neighborhood of New York City is a purple and orange color-blocked kitchen. It was created by designer Paulina Hospod and cabinet craftsman Albert Rutkowski of New York-based AhA!nteriors for a couple who embraced the unconventional. Hospod said, “They don’t believe in cars, so they would bike to our office from their home, which is about a 45-minute ride. She is very free-spirited, and wanted a kitchen that no one else would ever have. She loves color. He is color blind, and would always be wearing two different colored shoes.”
Reflecting on her design goals for the project, Hospod said, “We wanted to provide our clients with a space that is unique to them and just really fun. We wanted people seeing the kitchen to either love it or hate it – and nothing in between! You can not be neutral about your feelings regarding this kitchen.”
With only a single request by the homeowners to the design team – to use color and incorporate their collection of neon signs – Hospod was free to follow her muse.
Materials and Color
She started by looking at materials. The selection of a green color-through MDF for the cabinet doors drove the design. Unlike a painted surface, any material that is color-through offers easier maintenance. “It doesn’t show scratches or dents as easily as a painted surface,” said Hospod.
Industrial-grade aluminum diamond plate was chosen to wrap the base of the island. Typically used for flooring surfaces, it is extremely durable, so it was used to sheathe the back side of the island, which would be exposed to the most wear and tear. After cutting the metal sheets to fit the island, the safety-orange plates were bent over the rounded end of the base and adhesive was used to attached them to the substrate. Decorative rivets were added at the edges of the panels to reinforce the connection.
AhA!nteriors had stockpiled the quartz for the countertop early on, before the renovation had started, as it was being discontinued. “The source, EuroStone, was the only company at the time that offered a purple slab,” said Hospod.
The tile work in the 180-square-foot kitchen continues the singular design. A custom order from Pratt and Larson, the pattern and mix of purple, orange and white resembles the Ishihara test for color-blindness.
Sources
Designer: Paulina Hospod, AhA!nteriors Corp.; Photography: Paulina Hospod; Cabinets: Albert Rutkowski; Cabinet Hardware: Etsy; Countertops: EuroStone; Faucet: Watermark; Flooring: Appalachian Woods; Lighting: Wayfair; Range, Refrigerator: Big Chill; Sink: Native Trails; Tile: Pratt and Larson (backsplash); Vent Hood: Faber
