GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN  SERVICES

A KITCHEN RENOVATION:

a virtual tour, from drawings and model to completion

CONCERNS:

• open space up for light and view of garden
• increase storage
• build in good ventilation and exhaust
• install mixed ambient and task lighting for beauty & economy
• provide a pleasant place to cook and entertain in an open floor plan
• allow the cook to participate in conversation while working and the guests to watch and mingle
• create a meditative space to be surrounded by garden in all weather
• display collections of Native American pottery and cookbooks
• maximize counterspace for food prep and serving
• allow enough dining area space for a seating of 12

LIMITATIONS:

• narrow room that cannot be widened
• open floor plan divided by central staircase to second floor
• rear extension limited because of perenial garden and tree
• predominance of red oak on floors, staircase enclosure limits choice of wood and finish for contiguous kitchen cabinetry
• clients are very tall
• basic space only 8'-0" wide x 10'-0" long x 8'-2" high

BEFORE AND AFTER: 3 VIEWS

pendant globes in sunroom: incandescent; plus daylight

Lighting: a mixture of types adds color interest and can save on electrical costs; dimmer switches allows shift in ambience and mood and also adds to bulb life

• xenon instead of fluorescent for undercabinet task lighting of counter = warmth and long life
• incandescent globes on dimmers create mood  at night in the sunroom
• low-voltage halogen recessed downlights and wall-washers create clear ambient lighting and sparkle on tiles and flooring
• halogen pendants over oak divider add color accents and emphasize  the division between dining area and kitchen 

Storage: variety and utility, with careful planning, makes a compact kitchen work: [see below, left to right, top to bottom]

• pantry with swing-out inner shelves
• hollow space under stairs transformed into closets for clothing and dishes
• buffet with layered drawers for knives and drawers for pots &  pans
• windowseat in sunroom becomes storage for toys and equipment, cool storage for bottled beverages

Countertop and Backsplash: Silestone left and Bisazza 2" x 2" tiles right

• Silestone is a manufactured quartzite material custom cut  from a template; it is anti-bacterial, does not need sealing like granite and is more durable
• Bisazza tiles are made in Italy of glass; they are ideal for mosaic decoration and come in a variety of sizes; irridescent green and gold adds sparkle and reflective light for the backsplash

a half-bath or "powder room" is utilitarian, no matter how elegant; it is usually located where people work or play, rather than near the bedroom.  It affords both client and designer the opportunity to create in a small space something unexpected. 

In the room at the left above, adjacent to a foyer and living room, antique mirrors, hand-finished panelling, gold-leaf ceiling paper, and Sherle Wagner fixtures in onyx are complemented by the custom-designed vanity and window treatment in silk moire.

In the room at the right above, off a private  office, a mere 30" x 55" space challenged the designer to use illusion to create space: mirrored walls and a zig-zag porcelain tile motif meanders across the floor, up the wall to the ceiling to tease the eye into believing the room is larger than it actually is.  When the door is open, the mirror reflects the window in the office behind the person entering.  That window looks out onto a side garden.  Suddenly, the tiny powder room is twelve feet wide.

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Contact Carol for your residential interior design needs.

Memberships:
American Society of Interior Designers [ASID]  •  International Interior Design Association [IIDA]  •  U.S. Green Building Council [USGBC]

Serving Metropolitan New York City (Including Long Island), Connecticut, New Jersey, & the Southern Portion of New York State