Blue Streak

By Kitchen of the Month

When Snaidero kitchen designers Lauren Fister and Stephen King were approached by a young couple to renovate the kitchen in their new contemporary home, they knew this project would be a fun one.

The couple, who with their two elementary-age sons recently had moved to Armonk from London, had a strong sense of design and an even stronger sense of what they wanted. The homeowners came to Fister and King with two mandates: a sleek, modern look and lots and lots of color. They had come to the right place: both are Snaidero hallmarks. “The couple favored a modern look, but didn’t want the kitchen to be cold,” says King, owner of the Greenwich and South Norwalk, Connecticut, kitchen design/build studio. “Color definitely helps achieve that.”

The lady of the house fell in love with a display on the showroom floor featuring cabinetry in Dream Blue, a metallic high-gloss lacquer with plenty of presence. To complement the deep periwinkle shade, Fister and King recommended doing the island in a coordinating matte lacquer finish in a beigy silver. “The warm shade of the island and the cooler color of the cabinets balance each other,” Fister says. Stark white countertops on both the island and the perimeter cabinetry tie together the whole kitchen.

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The silver-beige of the island plays off the cool blue perimeter cabinetry; countertops of CaeserStone, a quart product, in stark white Blizzard, visually link the two. A 30-inch double oven by Thermador coordinates with an adjacent Miele coffee system built into the cabinetry, which keeps the countertops free of clutter. To the left of the coffee system is what Fister calls “an equipped pantry unit,” a stainless-steel pantry complete with plenty of electrical outlets. “It’s a great place for appliances such as a mixer,” she explains. “It’s not only stored there for easy access, but because of the outlets and stainless-steel lining, also can be used right there, as well.” A modern light fixture, Fuschia Pendant, and leather stools, both from Design Within Reach in Greenwich, Connecticut, enhance the clean, modern aesthetic.

An oversized faucet by Dornbracht makes washing dishes and filling pots a cinch. Rater than tile or stone, a sheet of glass—which looks sleek but cleans up easily— was chosen for the backsplash. “The homeowners didn’t want something trendy,” Fister says. “They wanted something that works well with their design.” A round glass table surrounded by white chairs ensures that all attention is focused on the view outside.

A raised glass countertop makes a perfect place for the boys to eat breakfast, as well as a useful serving spot when entertaining. On the island, an electric cooktop by Wolf was fitted with a downdraft rather than a bulky hood, which would have visually fought with the light fixture. The edges of the cooktop are sloped for a more streamlined look. The island also houses a built-in Sharp microwave.

A home office houses a computer as well as a pantry and deep drawers for the boys’ artwork. A Viking designer stainless-steel refrigerator is built-in so the entire wall is flush.

Photos by Wing Wong of MemoriesTTL, LLC.