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Perfectly balanced
Perfectly balanced from Kitchen Trends volume 2510
We all have very differing views of the best kitchen size – and these are based on various factors: the size of the family, how and where everyone prefers to congregate, and even how many cooks there are in the house.
The owners of this home saw a kitchen in the Downsview Kitchen showroom and fell in love with just about every detail of it. Sean Daigle of Downsview Kitchens then worked with the owners to design a new kitchen for their home, which was being remodeled. The old kitchen, divided into a main area and a separate pantry, was too small, and didn't allow the family to gather together around a table.
In the renovation, this part of the house was rearranged to create a 20ft square – room enough to fit the U-shaped kitchen and a large table in the center. French doors and windows were eliminated when the house was extended on both sides of the kitchen, so now the only natural light is via the large arched opening into the dining area.
On the back wall of the kitchen, opposite the archway and providing a focal point, is an ornately detailed mantel that conceals a custom range hood. The large, freestanding gas cooker in the alcove is supplemented by a double oven on one side wall of the kitchen.
The traditional design was chosen to ensure the kitchen complemented the rest of the Regency-style house. Classic details include undercounter cabinetry drawers and doors in a nine-piece style featuring applied moldings, mullioned glass upper-level cabinetry, decoratively carved legs on the central island, and an ornate crystal chandelier. Dentil crown moldings finish the line between the top of the cabinetry and the white painted ceiling, and the chandelier hangs from a decorative plaster rose.
"Apart from liking its crisp finish, one of the reasons for choosing white for most surfaces in the kitchen was because of the lack of natural light coming into it. This particular shade of white, which is brighter than many other whites, helps to lighten the space," says the designer.
All cabinetry and the custom range hood have a white-painted finish, countertops are made from white statuary marble, and the refrigerator is behind molded, white-painted panels. White rosette and subway tiles form the backsplashes behind the range and the sinks.
Glass doors front most of the upper cabinets around the room, providing the owners with the opportunity to display their large collections of crystal and glassware, china and silver. At the same time, the glass helps to keep the space as light and bright as possible. Interior lighting within these cabinets creates reflections and makes an eye-catching showcase for these items.
Organizing the layout of such a large kitchen requires care and thought so that it results in an efficient workspace.
To do this, Daigle designed this kitchen as a series of zones. A wet area on one side of the U-shape contains the main sink and integrated dishwasher. A large cooking zone, containing a gas range and two electric ovens, with a small second sink set between them, allows two people to cook at the same time.
The owners wanted the island to be a large, uncluttered space, with a refectory-table look.
"We stained the island cabinetry to match the oak floor. Keeping the dark finish below eye level ensures the spacious appearance of the kitchen isn't affected," says Daigle.
With traditional detailing, this kitchen fits perfectly into the Regency style of the rest of the house.
The large gas range is topped with a custom-designed mantel in the same white-painted finish as the other cabinetry in the kitchen. Statuary marble was chosen for the countertops on the island and around the perimeter of the kitchen.
Decorative white-on-white tiles with a rosette pattern form the backsplashes behind the sink and range. The owners had seen a tile they liked during a trip to Italy and managed to find a local company able to supply a similar design.
The large U-shaped kitchen is symmetrical. A crystal chandelier, originally destined for the dining room, is centered over the island, and the range is in the middle of the kitchen's rear wall.
The white subway tiles connect easily with the decorative rosette tiles behind the kitchen sink. Lighting concealed beneath the glass-fronted upper cabinetry causes the collections of silver, china and glassware to sparkle.
The mantel over the large gas range was custom- designed and manufactured to create an eye-catching focal point in the kitchen.
To keep the integrated look, the refrigerator was concealed behind molded, white-painted panels made to match the rest of the cabinetry. The marble countertop has an ogee and bull-nosed edge.
Faucets were selected to add another traditional touch to the kitchen.
Credit List
Perimeter cabinetry
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Custom white glazed finish on Firenze 7 doorstyle
Island cabinetry
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Custom stained oak on Firenze 7 doorstyle
Countertops
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Statuary marble with ogee and bullnose edge from Creation Marble Co
Lighting
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Crystal chandelier from Capital Lighting
Backsplash
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Rosettes and white subway tiles from Tile & Marble Co
Faucets and pot filler
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Harrington, polished nickel
Double oven
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Viking 30in
Story by Mary Webb
Photography by Robert Stein
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