Opening Up a Cramped Kitchen
Charged with opening up the cramped kitchen in a 1926 home, designer Meredith Weiss, the founder of Commack, NY-based Merri Interiors, identified several goals for the project beyond adding area: create a focal point, enhance the room’s functionality and imbue it with character.
Weiss annexed part of a small full-bathroom that adjoined the kitchen on the rear exterior wall, adding 68 square feet to the space. The move increased the room’s measurements to approximately 19-1/2 feet by 13 feet.
The designer turned the far end of the kitchen into a focal point by creating a composition anchored by the stainless steel Thermador refrigerator. The location of the entrance to the now half-bath became critical to this; to avoid the need for hinge restrictors on the fridge, the doorway was carefully positioned to allow the French doors on the appliance to be opened wide.
Materials and MCM
The homeowners were partial to the midcentury modern aesthetic – a far cry from the look of the existing kitchen. “I had a sample door in walnut that was exactly what they were wanting. The moment they saw it, they fell in love,” said the designer.
In turn, this choice of cabinet drove the selection of the countertop. “To work with the walnut, I wanted a more organic, natural feel,” said Weiss. “This particular Caesarstone product has a bit of a concrete, earthy look.”
The designer tiled the entire stove backsplash wall to visually extend the kitchen and create a sense of symmetry with its equally-sized windows. She explains, “Stopping the backsplash at the end of the cabinet run would have made the space feel stunted and small, as well as leaving the rest of the kitchen disconnected. It also would have created a feeling of imbalance, with one side appearing heavier than the other.”
Stodgy in style, the old kitchen was cramped, with only a single wall for upper cabinets.
Sources
Design: Meredith Weiss, Merri Interiors; Photography: Nicole Larson Photography; Cabinets: Luxor; Cabinet Hardware: Top Knobs; Countertops: Caesarstone; Faucet: Kohler; Lighting: Crate & Barrel, West Elm; Microwave, Range, Refrigerator: Thermador; Tile: Tile Club: Ventilation: Luxaire; Wine Cooler: XO
