Sunday Kitchen

Project architects Studio Marshall Blecher and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter opened up the center of the house, previously comprising a maze of fourteen small rooms, creating one large and airy kitchen and dining space with a high, chapel like ceiling. A six-meter-long concrete plinth standing at the center of the room which doubles as an island bench and dining table, had to be lowered into the house by a crane while the roof was being reconstructed.

The kitchen got a place of pride in the addition, as the family loves to cook, and the lowered ceiling differentiates it from the adjacent living area. The custom island received a rounded corner that echoes the entry. "The unusually shaped island bench responds to the geometry of the external glazing, which was in turn angled to respond to exterior views," says the firm. Circular legs on the island gives it a furniture quality and imparts a "lightness" to the large piece. The lattice over the window provides dappled, natural light and will eventually be covered in vines.

The kitchen of this Manhattan pied-à-terre was opened and enlarged; adding a Calacatta Gold marble countertop and backsplash which runs from just under the cabinets to the terrazzo tile floor that matches the counter's creamy tone.

The drop ceiling was removed to make the kitchen feel larger, and Troy RLM kitchen lights were installed above it.

Each of the three smaller cabins has a full kitchen.

The open-plan kitchen, dining, and living areas are washed in sunlight that streams in through floor-to-ceiling windows and doors.

Adding storage under the new stair maximizes the kitchen's footprint. Hemlock wood on the stair was stained to complement the casework. The faucet is from Brizo and the green backsplash tile is Heath.

The renovation reconfigured the kitchen to include a peninsula, which has a secondary level for the owners' wheelchair-using daughter.

The custom banquette has a slatted back so as to allow the window behind it to open and let in light. The table is a vintage piece from John and Kelly, made with reclaimed wood from a bowling alley. The overhead pendant is by Brendan Ravenhill.

The design team added a skylight to the shower room, which has a ribbed glass partition and wall tile from Solistone.

A custom-built island anchors the kitchen-dining area, the most social area of the home.

A curved slot above the living room is designed to grab the northern light and pull it all the way down through the home. The arched shape references the original shape of the hallway walls. "We used this form in a few areas: bathroom enclosures, bathroom windows, and this skylight," explains Ben Peake, an associate at the firm. "The concave [scalloped] form is also seen in the wainscotting, and the dining room table and the coffee table legs."

Terrazzo flooring and a board-formed concrete ceiling add texture, while full-height cabinetry accented with bespoke, round wood handles provides plenty of hidden storage.

Carrara marble countertops and backsplash add a luxurious feel, as does the dark green leather upholstery on the bench seating which, in a space-saving move, is essentially part of the kitchen island. The Highline linear pendant light is from Archier.