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This remodel has created a crisp, modern kitchen

View of contemporary kitchen with wooden flooring, white cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, gray, brown — View of contemporary kitchen with wooden flooring, white island and white stools.

This kitchen by designer Lisa Grider combines Italian cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, white, brown

View of contemporary kitchen with wooden flooring, white cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, orange, brown

View of contemporary kitchen with wooden flooring, white countertop, cuisine classique, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, room, sink, white, brown

View of contemporary kitchen with wooden flooring, white cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, room, brown, white

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Creating a contemporary kitchen in a classic house requires fine harmony. Attention to tonal empathy and an easy flow between the kitchen and its surroundings are two important factors.

For this project, the owners asked designer Lisa Grider to replace their existing, tired workspace with a more clean-lined aesthetic. Despite forming part of a traditional house, the couple wanted a light, modern feel for this revamp and improved connection to the breakfast area and separate dining room, says Grider.

"The old, rather standard kitchen had an awkward, jutting peninsula that effectively cut the kitchen off from the breakfast area making it awkward to navigate the large space.

"We replaced the closed-off layout with an open, flowing design substituting an island for the peninsula and separating the work areas to allow clear access through to the dining room at the rear," says Grider. "The prep area is on the island, near the refrigerator, cooktop, and oven, while the wash-up station with second sink and dishwasher is on the opposite wall.

A large walk-in pantry is directly behind the kitchen and space was borrowed from this for the substantial built-in refrigeration.

The minimalist two-tone island is a visual feature, but has no seating. Instead, the designers created a movable table that can be positioned at the end of the island or even placed over it to provide extra floorspace. This seats up to three.

floor plan area, design, diagram, drawing, floor plan, line, plan, product, product design, structure, white — floor plan

To merge the old and the new, the designers avoided any mouldings and chose a light wall tone that strikes a midpoint between the stone counters, the white glass upper cabinet doors and the contrasting warm wood veneer.

Stainless steel accents are seen on the appliances, toekicks, the pantry door, backsplash and on a custom bannister further down the room.

"The kitchen's horizontal emphasis also leads the eye down the room towards the breakfast area and arched widows," says Grider.