The Design Team
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Every well-designed kitchen involves a blend of style and function, but the stakes are higher (and demands greater) when the homeowner is both a fashion exec and serious cook. Melissa Sussberg, who has worked for luxury clothing and home design firms, had very precise requirements for the kitchen for her active family. She and husband Matthew have two young boys.
After purchasing their Chappaqua home, they turned to Hirshson Architecture & Design to enhance its 6,000 square feet with a kitchen design by Bilotta Kitchens of New York. “She knew exactly how she wanted to use the kitchen and how she wanted people to interact in the space,” says Scott Hirshson, who adds that as a former Jonathan Adler exec, Sussberg “was comfortable mixing, matching, and going bold.”
Topping her chic chef’s wish list: a black and gold La Cornue range with a custom hood, now a key focal point. The plans called for reconfiguring the space to allow for better flow, optimal placement of appliances like the gold-standard range and dual dishwashers, open shelving, and an island painted Benjamin Moore Blue Toile.
That island is topped with scratch-, stain-, and heat-resistant Neolith Classtone (a manufactured surface that looks like marble) and stores all kinds of baking tools, including a KitchenAid mixer lift, on one side and a Bosch microwave drawer and snack storage for the kids on the other. An appliance garage next to the range conceals a coffee maker and toaster.
There are several ways to enter the kitchen, and each wall offers practical amenities with an attractive view. Walking in from the family room, “you look from the glass table straight through to the range wall, so you have a lot of eye candy,” says Bilotta senior kitchen designer RitaLuisa Garces, referring to the table and chairs, pendant lights, blue island, and the hood behind it.
The back wall of the kitchen, with windows and glass doors looking out to the backyard and pool, is clad floor to ceiling in white subway tile, which provides a backdrop to open shelving that allows easy access to everyday dishes. (Sussberg liked the open shelves she had in a previous home in Brooklyn and wanted to re-create that in her new kitchen.) Even the refrigerator wall looks stylish, thanks to twin Sub-Zeros — a glass-front model for refrigeration and a full freezer.
Instead of opting for a larger island with bar stools, Sussberg preferred to anchor the room with a sizable table for family meals. Lit by a modern, brass-lined Tom Dixon pendant, the striking, contemporary table is more practical than it may look. “Many people think they can’t have a glass table,” says Garces. “They say, ‘I have young kids; I don’t want the fingerprints,’ but it’s actually so much easier to clean than wood. Just spray it, wipe it, and it looks new again.”
All of the elements work together to deliver the visual appeal that Sussberg craved while also meeting the family’s day-to-day needs. Says Hirshson, “It’s a hard-working space, and she truly enjoys being in the kitchen.”
Get the look
Shop this list to get a similar look in your own kitchen.
Prep Faucet
Grohe Single-Handle Faucet in Satin Chrome, $449
Klaff’s
Cabinet Hardware
Emtek Freestone Finger Pull in Satin Brass
Pelham Lumber, Pelham
www.pelhamlumber.com
Dining Lighting
Beat Fat Pendant in White, $550
Tom Dixon
www.tomdixon.net
Emtek Freestone Urban Modern Appliance Pull
Pelham Lumber; Pelham
www.pelhamlumber.com
Perimeter Countertops
AKDO Ash Gray
Dimensional Stone, Mount Vernon
www.dimensionalstone.net
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Cabinetry
Backsplash |
Island Countertops
Neolith Estatuario
Dimensional Stone, Mount Vernon
www.dimensionalstone.net
Range
La Cornue CornuFé Gloss Black With Chrome and Brass Trim
Royal Green, White Plains
www.leiberts.com
