Warm Minimalist Kitchen In East Falls
BRIAN WETZEL Photographer
VESTIGE HOME Stylist
It’s kitchen season around here.
With several kitchen projects in the works or about to get started, it seems like the perfect time to share our #TwinonFox kitchen reveal! We love our clients, that goes without saying, but when our client is also a neighbor and a friend, it makes it even better!
This particular kitchen is set in the lovely neighborhood of East Falls, close to our studio in a beautiful, Dutch Colonial twin. Our client and her two boys had already renovated portions of the home to suit their more modern, minimalist aesthetic. The original kitchen was something the family had been dealing in since they moved in several years earlier and it had numerous problems in terms of functionality including a lack of workspace, cramped corners, and it felt isolated from the main dining area. Our client enjoys cooking and baking while being able to have her two boys close by and the original layout made it difficult for more than one person to be in the space at a time. Another major functional challenge of the original space is that the rear entrance of the house acts as their main family entrance and they were lacking in any sort of space to have storage for the coats, bags, shoes, and leashes that inevitably accumulate at any entrance to a home. So in additional with being charged with creating a more functional kitchen, we also considered how we could increase the amount of “mudroom” storage which still make it blend seamlessly within the space.
“Before” Images of the Original Kitchen and Mudroom Space
“Create a modern, minimalist, Scandinavian inspired space with streamlined finishes punctuated with natural elements.”
— Project Design Statement
Early in the Design Planning Phase, we explored how to increase the functionality of the kitchen by enlarging the space overall. The pass through and wall between the living and dining room wasn’t doing this kitchen any favors so we removed it to allow for increased square footage. We also reconfigured the interior door openings from the front of the house so we could create an unbroken line of cabinetry and offer a convenient spot for their panel ready refrigerator to blend seamlessly with the cabinetry. This increased floor space lead also offered the opportunity for a large island for baking and meal prep and we custom designed it with seating at the end so that friends and family can participate with the activities in the kitchen while being out of the way of the main lines of traffic.
With our modeling software, we were able to walk our client through the proposed kitchen design and floorpan, allowing her to move forward with confidence. Below is the original design in SketchUp followed by the new, fully completed kitchen space - from rendering to reality.
Drawing on the design statement, we balanced warm, minimal white, inset slab front cabinets with a beautiful, rich green backsplash tile that has a matte finish and slightly uneven, handmade feel. By running the same tile around the range hood, we were able to create a more modern feeling in the space while drawing the eye up. For durability, and to ground the lighter cabinets, we installed a honed, black granite countertop on the perimeter of the kitchen. Extremely durable, as well as stain and heat resistant, the honed black granite is a great choice for families and messy cooks alike!. To balance the dark stone, we designed a custom island in a rich, stained black oak with a Japanese-inspired leg detail, which was another cultural design influence our client wanted us to consider for the space. The island is topped with a warm-toned quartzite with a dramatic “lightning bolt” vein that acts as an artistic, organic element in the space, adding some beautiful design tension with the other more restrained design elements. Handmade wood pulls add a tactile element and warmth to the stained oak. With built-in drawers for storage, recycling, and plenty of additional seating, the custom island dramatically increased the overall functionality in this kitchen.
In order to not overwhelm the space and keep to our minimalist Scandanavian vibe, we designed open shelving in several upper areas of the kitchen, which is great space to display cookbooks and other collections. We found a gorgeous and shapely modern wall light to provide an interesting focal point on the small section of wall between the window and back door. It’s the perfect piece to have dimmed for a dinner party, almost like a glowing sculpture.
At vestige HOME, we spend a lot of our design planning explore functionality within our projects. Especially with utility spaces like kitchens and bathrooms, it’s crucial that we are thinking ahead with the “a place for everything and everything in it’s place” mindset. Taking a peak inside of those gorgeous slab cabinets, with retractable doors a “coffee station” offers a spot for our client to store all of her coffee gear and pull the doors closed when not in use. Next to the coffee station we designed an integrated pantry, complete with a spot to tuck a small countertop microwave, maximizing the countertop space. Finally, a seamless, paneled refrigerator and freezer is the icing on the cake.
Across from the refrigerator, we were able to take space from a very large powder room at the back of the house to create a custom built-in mudroom cabinet complete with hanging spaces for coats and bags, as well as deep drawers for shoes and other necessities. Smaller storage above the hanging rod maximizes the storage for longer term, less frequently used items. Once we had the layout for the mudroom finalized, we turned out thoughts to the materiality for that area. With the play of black and white on the island, we thought that we needed to add another layer to the space and decided upon a natural finish ash for the mudroom cabinet. The end result is a bit unexpected and decidedly youthful with the bold grain pattern of the ash while the sleek quarterline profile sits at ease with the rest of the new kitchen.
In the end, we were able to give our client a substantially larger and more functional kitchen that connected into her dining space while significantly opening up the back of the house. Now she can cook until her heart is content and have plenty of room to share with family and friends! To close out, I’ll let our client tell you in her own words, what this project means to her family.
“Everything looks amazing. You guys far exceeded my expectations and made everything so easy. The new kitchen has transformed my whole house. I love it so much.”
— #TwinonFox Client
If you’re ready to transform your home with elements of unexpected beauty without ever having to sacrifice functionality, then vestige HOME is the right interior designer for you. Our full-service model means that we are able to service projects in Philadelphia and beyond. Getting started is easy, simply fill out our inquiry form and our team will be in touch to set up a quick discovery call. We can’t wait to meet you!
