When the long-time owners of a mid-century modern home in the Columbus neighborhood of Upper Arlington were ready to update their kitchen, it was important to them that the style of the remodel be in sync with the architecture of the house.
That was their primary focus when they called J.S. Brown & Co., the team that had completed two earlier renovations in their home. When they met with designer Monica Lewis there were a few other requests that would influence the new design as well.
About two years prior, the owners had installed several high-end appliances—including a Sub-Zero glass-door refrigerator and a Wolf range—and they wanted to keep these in play. Plus, their place is home to a golden retriever and the terracotta tile floors were well-tested and appreciated for the fact that they were low-maintenance and easy to clean. For that reason, they wanted to extend the tile into the adjacent living area as well.
Taking in those parameters and the kitchen’s U-shaped footprint, Lewis was ready to begin. “The first thing we did was rework the layout of the appliances,” the designer says. “The range had previously been placed tight into a blind corner. We moved it down to the middle of the run along the wall.” The only appliance that needed to be added was a Sharp microwave drawer.
On the wall adjacent to the refrigerator, there used to be a big storage area with bypass doors. That was replaced with a bank of floor-to ceiling cabinetry with alcoves for displaying favorite pieces from the homeowner’s ceramic collection.
The lower cabinets are frameless with a flat paneled door and made of a durable, impact-resistant, thermally fused laminate. Upper cabinets flip open and stay up and out of the way while cooks work. Their aluminum frames are inset with a clear, but textured, glass that was custom etched by the artisans at Franklin Art Glass so the view of the contents would be more diffused.
“I love that the homeowner went with that horizontal format on the cabinets,” Lewis says. “In fact, I like the horizontal feel of the whole kitchen. It was fun to do something that was in keeping with the architecture of the house.”
RESOURCES
Contractor: J.S. Brown & Co.
Design: Monica Lewis, CMKBD, MCR, UDCP, J.S. Brown & Co.
Cabinets: Thermally fired laminate from Eclipse
Backsplash: Field tile: 4×12 porcelain in Cellar Salt by Interceramic, Mosaic in Castle Gold Pyramid by Voguebay, all from Hamilton Parker
Floor tile: MSI Focus Graphite Matte Porcelain Tile from Hamilton Parker
Glass panels on cabinetry: Etched by Franklin Art Glass