Central Av Kitchen The Chef’s Table

This turn of the 20th century, home badly needed a new kitchen. An old porch had been partially enclosed, and the old kitchen window opened onto that enclosure, a small stretch of hallway 6 feet wide. The room had little in the way of form or function. The appliances all needed to be replaced, the lighting and flooring were in bad repair and the kitchen itself lacked culinary inspiration.

The client requested a kitchen with modern top of the line cooking appliances, a well thought out plan which would include an island, a desk, eating for 6, custom storage, a “cat” corner for the family pet’s food and bowls as well as a drop-dead design aesthetic. Welcome to the Central Av Kitchen.

The old exterior wall was removed and the 6’ hallway was incorporated into the kitchen area providing space for both a table as well as generous island with seating for three. In lieu of pantry cabinets, a pantry closet was framed to the right of the refrigerator to account for a change in ceiling height. The closet conceals the slope of the old exterior wall.

Additional space for the cooktop credenza was found by extending a wall concealing the basement stairs. Custom screened marble tile covers the wall behind the induction cooktop. A pot filler faucet is an added convenience becoming very popular with clients who cook. The secondary cooking area adjacent to the cook top has a single convection wall oven and one of my favorite appliances, a steam oven. This is the one appliance no kitchen should be without.

An immovable corner chase became part of the design supporting a full counter to ceiling cabinet for glasses and cups. Dish drawer storage is located below this cabinet, perfect when unloading the dishwasher. Once again, my favorite culinary sink (Franke) and professional style faucet (Brizo) add to the chef’s table experience of the kitchen. The refrigerator is a gorgeous 42” french door styled Sub Zero.

Moving to the island, you will find an undercounter beverage refrigerator, additional storage and a mixer lift to keep the stand mixer at the ready but tucked away. Great for casual dining and ample space for preparing meals, the island is the perfect centerpiece to the kitchen design. A traditional ship lap wood detail was turned on its end to surround the island. The contrasting color and texture of the rustic oak gives relief to the smooth painted finish of the kitchen cabinets. The stain color is repeated on the pantry door as well as the family room entrance door to the kitchen.

Near the kitchen table, a desk is located for both recipe research as well as homework. The spare dining chair serves as a desk chair. Open shelves are simultaneously practical and decorative.

Custom storage details include, a spice drawer, pull out pantry, dish drawer, garbage/recycling cabinet, vertical tray storage, utensil, and flatware drawers, “cat corner” which holds all things kitty related, while keeping the cat dining area out of the main kitchen.

Additional details about the space. The cabinets are a traditional plain inset construction but without visible hinges. Large format “concrete” porcelain floor tiles create a simple canvas for blue painted cabinets with a black glazed finish. Contemporized matte black hardware provides a beautiful contrast to the cabinet color. The other splash areas are covered in a simple white mottled glazed porcelain subway tile. The “cat corner” which is not visible is realized in a distressed black paint with a wood counter top to match the oak on the island.

Another key point is the ceiling height. Taller ceilings allow for taller cabinets but need a strong molding detail to balance the tall cabinet doors. To demonstrate that detail, you will notice a combination of moldings (9” high) and double paneled doors to overcome a “tower effect” in the space.