Washington, DC

A major flood offered an opportunity for this Georgetown homeowner to renovate her kitchen to better suit her active young family. At about 30 years old, the renovation was, fortunately, unimpeded by historical constraints and board reviews. The existing kitchen had a much more traditional feel than the rest of the townhouse, which mixed transitional with modern features. An “L-shaped” kitchen with an oversized island preserves precious natural light from the room’s three tall windows.

The rowhouse’s Italian owner wanted to add a warm European feel during the renovation with clean lines and lots of storage. She also wanted ample counterspace for food preparation and a separate island for the sink with stool space for casual dining. We used Caesarstone “Haze” quartz countertops, with waterfalls on the island ends for a crisp, clean look.

All the wall cabinets reach almost to the ceiling and are accented with a slim ¾” recessed negative detail  to add visual interest while keeping them from overpowering the room. Pairing the smoky woodgrain melamine and high gloss brown/gray PET gave the room a warm yet unmistakably European feel without being too stark and provides easy maintenance.

Repositioning the fridge freezer and stacked oven tower to new locations created an open stretch on the long wall where we centered the cooktop below the striking glass and stainless rangehood. Flanking both sides of the hood with high gloss cabinets featuring horizontal touch-lift mechanisms provides plenty of storage and obviates the need for protruding handles or pulls. A minimalist, back painted sheet of tempered glass forms the backsplash .

The base cabinets and the tall units that hold pantry storage and disguise the refrigerator are faced with a horizontal wood grain veneer in durable melamine. Deep, wide drawers in the base units are accessed with uniform 12” pulls that complement the horizontal wood grain. Tall pantry storage on both sides of the kitchen make access convenient for both cook and diners with a deep corner countertop pantry to conceal small appliances.  

By separating the Miele oven, speed oven/microwave and integrated fridge freezer on opposite sides of the cooktop, guests can access them from both sides of the island without having to enter the main cooking area. The deep island allows the young family to have a comfortable workspace far enough away from the offset sink area to avoid accidental water damage.

A slim soffit was built down to accommodate existing plumbing and duct work above all the wall cabinets for a uniform feel. Soft LED lights glow below the handle-less uppers, tempered glass behind the cooktop in the grey shade to emulate the Caesarstone “Haze” quartz counter and the beautiful mirrored glass pendants finish the room perfectly.

Designed by #JGKB. Photography by Bob Narod.