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Street Smart

By: Theresa McTammany
Published: 9/25/2007Source: Kitchens & Baths

A Tiny City Kitchen Takes a Design Cue from the Blocks Below

 

Architect Carl Finer and his wife, designer Laura Elterman, were already familiar with the layout of their client's 1,800-square-foot apartment located on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Over the years, their eponymous firm had handled several similar projects in the 10-year-old building. "The owners wanted to get rid of the cramped stock condo kitchen and create a loftlike space," says Finer of the clients, a young professional couple with one child and another on the way. "I didn't want a stuffy kitchen," says the wife. "We both like to cook and wanted a professionally equipped space with room for the kids to eat."

 

Removing the wall between the kitchen and the dining room opened up the space and focused attention on the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a vibrant stretch of Broadway. After observing how the famous thoroughfare shifts abruptly to the left, before resuming its straightforward path through the city, Finer decided to echo that angular element in the design: The modified galley plan he devised has a distinctive elbow-crook configuration. Rising up from the breakfast bar, custom-built cabinets are also skewed at the same angle as the street below. The frameless European-style cabinets are crafted of anigre, a honey-colored hardwood with a distinctive flamed pattern. "I liked the unusual grain of the wood," says the wife.

 

Storage-beyond the borders of the kitchen as well as within-was a big priority. "When you are paying $1,000 per square foot for space, you want to make sure you utilize every square inch effectively," Finer says. A pair of appliance garages, housing a coffee station and stand mixer, occupy opposite ends of the counter, keeping the central stretch clear and increasing valuable food prep space. "We open them up in the morning and are ready to go," says the wife. A 9-foot wall of closets not only eases the clutter crunch in the kitchen, but also helps keep the adjoining living area free of bookcases or armoires.

 

Fixtures and finishes contribute to the contemporary aesthetic. The owners decided on Kirkstone-a volcanic stone that is both heat- and scratch-resistant-for the countertops.

Stainless steel pro-style appliances, glass-tiled backsplash and wall column, and a Kirkstone-tiled floor add texture and shine throughout the room.

 

Though sophisticated, the space is far from serious. Details like the anodized aluminum strips installed along the toekick and cabinet channels reflect light and encourage the eye to continue along the lines. Next to the fridge, a narrow band of wall space has been appropriated for wine storage, injecting a circular motif into the angular mix. "Some of our best ideas happen on the fly, during construction," says Finer. "The design process doesn't stop when the drawings are done."

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