Twice as good Upsized apartment kitchen remodeled by Archetype

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Upsized apartment kitchen remodeled by Archetype

Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra ceiling, countertop, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, white, gray — Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra marble island counter tops. Mirrored back splash.

Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, cuisine classique, home, interior design, kitchen, room, window, gray

Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, cuisine classique, home, interior design, kitchen, room, gray

Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra cabinetry, countertop, interior design, kitchen, room, gray, white

Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra cabinetry, countertop, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, room, white

Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra countertop, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, shelf, white

Black porcelain floor tiles. Red accenting walls. Carra countertop, drawer, furniture, kitchen, shelf, gray

Transforming a two-bedroom apartment into a four-bedroom apartment with two living areas and three bathrooms provided extra space for the owner of this home. But joining two apartments together for the Vasisht residence did necessitate a rethink of the kitchen facilities.

One of the kitchens was in a state of disrepair and the other had been remodeled a few years previously. With only one kitchen permitted by New York code, the owner decided the best option was to enlarge the newer kitchen to better suit the size of the remodeled apartment.

Designed by architect Alan Berman and interior designer David Lugo of Archetype LLC, the apartment effectively had two entries.

"It made sense to make the entry beside one kitchen as a secondary exit, which meant we could incorporate the space from the original entry foyer into the new kitchen," says Berman. "Consequently, we knocked down a wall, removing a bank of cabinets, and introduced a new island cooking center. Because this also needed to be a circulation space, there wasn't room for bar stools at the island. Instead, we positioned a casual eating bar against one wall."

A mirrored backsplash behind this counter reflects light and makes the room seem more spacious. It also ensures the seating area is not too claustrophobic, says Berman.

Glass-fronted overhead cabinets reinforce the sense of transparency and reduce the solid look of the Shaker-style cabinets.

Other features of the kitchen include a wine refrigerator beneath the bar counter on one side, an integrated dishwasher, and vertical pull-outs next to the oven. The pull-outs provide storage for spices and cooking items right where they are used.

"The kitchen also benefits from bright red accent walls," says Lugo. "Most people want to do everything white, but the red works with the eclectic feel of the rest of the interior."