Kitchen of the Week: Fresh New Space for a Blended Family
A gutted and remodeled kitchen in Canada gets a new layout and a classic black-and-white design
Building a nest together is a rite of passage for many newlyweds, but when one spouse is an interior designer, it’s almost a requirement. A kitchen remodel can refresh more than just a dated space; it also can mark a new chapter for a family. The remodeled space now reflects the identities of both partners and serves to draw their larger family closer together.
An avid cook, St. Amand took care to create a functional layout that would facilitate food prep and cooking, allow for entertaining, and look timeless rather than trendy. Professional-grade appliances from Fisher & Paykel, including a 48-inch range with six burners and a griddle, were ideal for her culinary interests.
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For the countertops, St. Amand selected a stunning quartz. “I knew I wanted to mimic marble, but marble isn’t the best choice for busy people and families in their kitchens because it’s porous and stains easily.” She loved the quartz so much that she decided to use it above the range too.
Work with a pro to design your dream kitchen
For the countertops, St. Amand selected a stunning quartz. “I knew I wanted to mimic marble, but marble isn’t the best choice for busy people and families in their kitchens because it’s porous and stains easily.” She loved the quartz so much that she decided to use it above the range too.
One strategy she employed to create a room that felt timeless but updated was to stick with a black-and-white palette. She knew she wanted white cabinets, so she painted them in that classic designer favorite, Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore, and added a rich black range hood for contrast.
It is this contrast that informed her design for the luxurious kitchen island. “I love the contrast of black and white, and I wanted to make sure there was some element of uniqueness to the island, but I didn’t want it to be a solid black. The black border details make a strong statement and contrast nicely with the quartz countertop,” she says.
As it turns out, the island is one of her favorite features in the new kitchen because it allows her to spread out and entertain without feeling constrained. “It’s just a great gathering spot. It’s the hub of the kitchen.”
It is this contrast that informed her design for the luxurious kitchen island. “I love the contrast of black and white, and I wanted to make sure there was some element of uniqueness to the island, but I didn’t want it to be a solid black. The black border details make a strong statement and contrast nicely with the quartz countertop,” she says.
As it turns out, the island is one of her favorite features in the new kitchen because it allows her to spread out and entertain without feeling constrained. “It’s just a great gathering spot. It’s the hub of the kitchen.”
With the color palette and countertop material established, her next major find was the lantern-style sconces from Universal Lamp in Toronto that add an element of the unexpected to the backsplash behind the range. “When you go down to the studs, you need to position with your electrician where the lighting is going to go,” St. Amand says. “People tend to forgo this step until the end, but you need to have a plan in place so that you can map it out with the contractors on-site. Plan your lighting during the design process, not after!”
She purchased the pendant lights above the island from a trade resource and selected virtually every other detail of the renovation before construction even started.
She purchased the pendant lights above the island from a trade resource and selected virtually every other detail of the renovation before construction even started.
Having raised the ceiling by a foot, she knew she wanted something of scale for her lighting and decor, both here and in the adjoining dining room. The Visual Comfort fixture above the dining table, the mirror display above the buffet, and the custom 40-inch-high buffet itself are proportioned for maximum impact.
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The pattern on the hostess chairs was carefully and deliberately chosen: While the designer recommends minimizing pattern on big-ticket items, smaller occasional furnishings like dining chairs lend themselves wonderfully to a little pattern play. The bar stools are a custom design and feature nailhead details, plush fabric and handy hardware that picks up the warm gold tones of the pendants overhead.
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The pattern on the hostess chairs was carefully and deliberately chosen: While the designer recommends minimizing pattern on big-ticket items, smaller occasional furnishings like dining chairs lend themselves wonderfully to a little pattern play. The bar stools are a custom design and feature nailhead details, plush fabric and handy hardware that picks up the warm gold tones of the pendants overhead.
Every detail was lovingly tended to, right down to the black Blanco Silgranit sink, purchased through the designer’s countertop supplier.
St. Amand knew that she wanted to use wallpaper as a backdrop to the additional cabinetry running perpendicular to the island, and her selection set the tone for the cabinetry’s design. Conscious of the potential for Benjamin Moore’s Onyx lacquer to overpower the space, she was careful to modulate the visual weight with open shelves that showcase seasonal displays, and glass doors on the cabinets to display her china collection. The opaque lower doors hide small appliances and gadgetry.
“I like appliances to have a place, so I think it’s important when designing your kitchen to consider what’s going in the drawers versus the cabinets and to allocate the space accordingly,” St. Amand says.
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“I like appliances to have a place, so I think it’s important when designing your kitchen to consider what’s going in the drawers versus the cabinets and to allocate the space accordingly,” St. Amand says.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Sarah St. Amand, her husband and their four children
Location: Ontario, Canada
Size: About 600 square feet (56 square meters)
The original kitchen was broken up and dark, and brightening it and creating a more open concept was the first order of business. To accomplish this, St. Amand removed a wall that separated the kitchen from the family room. St. Amand says she nearly took the kitchen down to the studs to get everything she wanted. In the process, she replaced windows and doors, raised the ceiling, and ripped out the granite countertops.