Our Focus series shines the spotlight on the details: the extraordinary materials, spaces, and ideas that take great projects to the next level.

Kyle Meek and Inky Son are passionate about cooking and entertaining, so they always dreamed of renovating the cramped, cookie-cutter kitchen in their east Williamsburg apartment. Kyle bought the flat in 2012, Inky moved in a few years later, and the apartment has since become home for the busy professional couple and their dog, Banjo.

Although the apartment was built in 2007, Inky notes that the kitchen always felt a little underdone. “It was your typical NYC apartment layout,” she says. “There was not enough storage, a microwave above the stove (our pet peeve), a small sink, and cheap finishes.”

Before: Kyle Meek and Inky Son say that their original kitchen felt “chaotic” when hosting. It had a cramped layout and builder-grade materials. " layout="" credit="Leah Kiren Solk" photoUserId=""/>

When Kyle and Inky decided it was time to overhaul their kitchen, they reached out to architect Leah Solk. "My inspiration was Inky’s cooking passion,” says Solk. “I wanted guests to feel like they were having a Chef’s Table experience.”

SVP of strategy and chief of staff for the NBA, is a passionate home cook who attended culinary school in 2019 to refine her skills. " layout="bleed" credit="Rachael Stollar" photoUserId=""/>

The renovation took a total of eleven months, including three months of construction time. Solk points out that the original layout was limited because of the orientation of the peninsula, which didn’t leave enough space for a true dining area.

“We made the bold choice of extending the kitchen into that amorphous area between the kitchen and living spaces, and rotating it 90 degrees so that we could have a large dining island,” Solk explains. “The key was that the plumbing locations didn’t have to move—we designed around them so that the kitchen layout felt natural.” This layout allowed for a large, steel-framed island, which was fabricated in a local shop in Brooklyn for $800. The island can host five to six people, and it provides lots of extra storage.

“Prior to the kitchen renovation, we would host friends for dinner parties and it was always a bit chaotic,” Inky says. “I was juggling for space and timing was always off because I didn’t have enough room—or the tools to make everything come out on time. Now with the expanded kitchen, new appliances, and a Chef’s Table layout, it’s been really fun.”

For the finishing touches, Solk selected durable quartzite counters and a large-scale porcelain tile backsplash with minimal vertical seams, because as Solk notes, “cooks shouldn’t have to worry about cleaning grout!” She swapped the dark, generic builder-grade millwork with elegant walnut veneer cabinetry and textural white oak tambour that ties in with the the refinished oak flooring.

Inky especially loves the sepia-toned reeded glass that fronts the upper cabinetry, admitting that she “wasn’t 100 percent sold” when Solk first presented it as an option (she thought glass cabinets might “look too retro”). Those cupboards are now one of her favorite design elements, and she credits Kyle for nudging her to say yes.

“These glass surfaces all could have been tile, drywall, or painted wood,” Solk says, “but a few special moments take the space far from its developer roots.” Another of the architect’s favorite details is the stone planter, which holds an herb garden as well as storage for the couple’s record collection.

Solk designed a stone planter for an herb garden with vinyl storage underneath. “It integrates the worlds of cooking and lounging,” she says." layout="" credit="Rachael Stollar" photoUserId=""/>

“We’re looking forward to entertaining a lot more in our new kitchen,” Inky says. “We can’t wait to host more friends for dinner.” The renovation has also sparked other creative pursuits—Kyle is an Emmy award–winning director of photography, and the couple are planning to team up on a series of short cooking films. As Inky puts it, “Kyle needs to film some new videos now that we have such a beautiful space to cook!”

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Project Credits:

Architect: Leah Solk, Solk Architecture / @solkarchitecture

Contractor: Hakka Contracting

Cabinetry Design: Solk Architecture

Cabinetry Installation: E-Wood Cabinetry

Photographer: Rachael Stollar / @rachael.stollar

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