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August 9, 2007
Parlor Kitchen #8: Clinton Hill Charmer
Today's entry on the parlor kitchen thread comes from a neighbor of ours in Clinton Hill. We've been in this place and it's gorgeous. Here's what the owner had to say:
We had to do a gut renovation of our entire house when we bought it. We lived in our rental unit on the garden level before even deciding upon a kitchen. Boy, did we change our minds a lot. We went from white cabinets, to green cabinets to finally going for walnut cabinets. We were always planning on stainless appliances, however, but the counters were another story. The 3-inch depth was a definite and we wanted something in a light color. We eventually decided on the Carrera for several reasons: first, because it's light, second, because it matched our fireplace mantels throughout the house and, finally, because we LOVE the way that they age.(There is a wine stain from one raucous party and every time we see it we smile.) The walnut cabinets go with our stairs and floor details. We wanted to maintain some sense of the old with our modern kitchen. Our appliances are from Drimmer’s on Coney Island Avenue. The cabinet knobs are from Gracious Homes. The faucet fixture is Dornbracht from Simon’s. The cabinets are semi-custom. P.S. The doors out to the garden are industrial doors like you would see on a bodega, the lights are from DWR as is the table and the chairs are originals.
Do other people think wine stains add character, too?
Ideas for the Parlor Floor Kitchen? [Brownstoner]
Parlor Kitchen #1: Architect-Designed in The Slope [Brownstoner]
Parlor Kitchen #2: Contractor's Own Kitchen [Brownstoner]
Parlor Floor Kitchen #3: Jeffrey's 35-Footer [Brownstoner]
Parlor Kitchen #4: Spreading Out in a 22-Footer [Brownstoner]
Parlor Kitchen #5: Where the Party's At [Brownstoner]
Parlor Kitchen #6: Modern in Prospect Heights [Brownstoner]
Parlor Kitchen #7: Doing It On The Cheap [Brownstoner]
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Comments
I found Drimmer's great place to buy appliances if you know what you want. Just order/get quotes over the phone if you have make/model #.
Great idea about matching cabinets with other wood in house(stairs).
To me, if parlor floor kitchen in older house and very much part of rest of floor - I think kitchen should not be too slick or sterile but more like rest of floor. So a little wear and stains is fine.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 11:16 AM
PS - but - not sure I agree with the see-thru on kitchen cab doors.
And, question, is that door insulated enough for winter?
Otherwise, great.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 11:19 AM
wow, beautiful! i love it. i love the contrast between the light marble and walnut cabinets. i'm curious though why there's no cabinet above the stove. maybe a safety issue?
Posted by: lemlar at August 9, 2007 11:19 AM
Just wanted you to know I have loved your kitchen from the moment I saw it on the reno blog and specifically asked Mr. B to feature it! I talked to the people at DWR and they say these light fixtures are not theirs. Possibility you got them from somewhere else??
Posted by: North Sleeper at August 9, 2007 11:28 AM
This is very nice, elegant and simple.
I like the industrial touch as well.
The only issue is the venting of the stove. A free floating modern vent hood would have looked great above the stove.
And having some stains and chips on the marble just proves that you actually use the kitchen for the intended purpose - cooking! Good work.
Posted by: mg at August 9, 2007 11:34 AM
I think the glass fronts were a good choice because they make the tall dark cabinets less oppressive visually. If they had been solid wood, the dark color would press in on you which defeats the intent of an open layout where you want the feel of expansive airy openness. As for coutertops, I love nicks, scratches and stains of old houses but I have a thing about stains on coutertops! I'm always obsessively wiping up everything in the kitchen. So I personally would not go for material that stains. But I love the choice of a white countertop.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 11:38 AM
This kitchen is perfect. What is the brand of cabinets and the exact name of the marble? I totally agree with you on marble patina.
Posted by: Chiller at August 9, 2007 11:47 AM
Can't tell from the pics, but do you need to step up to that door to the outside, (if that's what it is). If so, isn't the step inside the kitchen a trip hazard? Like I said, I can't tell--a few more pictures would be enlightening.
A beautiful kitchen from what I can see. I too love he look of marble and am OK with a "patina". Another question--How is the stove vented?
Posted by: carolyn at August 9, 2007 11:52 AM
wow. this kitchen is truly breathtaking. and, another marble counter! i notice there is no backsplash but all tile on the wall behind the counter. it looks beautiful. any problems with that? why 3" thick counters? is that for aesthetics or practical purposes? where did you get the marble? also, what do you mean that the cabinets are "semi-custom"? and, finally, no vent/hood -- has that caused any problems?
Posted by: anony at August 9, 2007 11:52 AM
gorgeous... thanks for sharing.
when we renovate our kitchen, i want to blend a modern style with the original style of our brownstone. you've done a great job!
Posted by: lc at August 9, 2007 11:54 AM
I love everything! The only question I have is whether you have ventilation? I do a lot of cooking and frying and a hood is a must. The area above the range looks very cool without a hood and definitely gives the room height but have you been able to avoid setting off fire alarms while cooking?
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 11:54 AM
I love this hood and would look great in the space
http://www.bestbybroan.com/display/router.asp?BestProductID=100339
or this one
http://www.bestbybroan.com/display/router.asp?BestProductID=3669
My two cents - sorry.
I do not think there is a step protruding into the kitchen, it is just a tall saddle at the door, I have original French doors in my kitchen and they have a 7" tall saddle.
Posted by: mg at August 9, 2007 12:04 PM
i like the door to the deck-did you buy it or was it custom? please share!
Posted by: anon at August 9, 2007 12:07 PM
Woo. Love the transom window above your "bodega door"! I definitely FOR wine stains adding character to a kitchen. We wanted carrera marble for our counters too but for now, we're using IKEA's butcher block counters until we save enough money. Can't beat the value and we love how the wood is getting smoother and worn in. I would think the same characteristics would go with when your marble counters wear over the years. It goes nicely with modern appliances in an older home. Nice kitchen! *clap clap clap*
Posted by: Snickers at August 9, 2007 12:31 PM
I've looked at all the kitchens you've been posting, and have been inspired by many -- but this one really makes my heart beat fast. It's exquisite. The play of light against dark. The modern vibe with the traditional materials. It's truly a work of art. I particularly applaud the glass fronts on the cabinets as well, since they make the dark wood less heavy. I wonder -- are they frosted or ribbed?
Posted by: JEF at August 9, 2007 12:34 PM
Not trying to be snarky, but aren't hood vents for stoves a pretty recent "neccessity" born in the last 15 years, since chef's kitchens and the use of industrial appliances came into vogue? Of course, they are useful, especially if you fry a lot, but most people don't fry much now either. Is there any building code requiring them? Or are they really just more of the vocabulary and aesthetic of the upscale kitchen: Wolf,Sub-Zero,range hood, refrigerater drawers, etc"?
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 12:45 PM
Love, love, love this! I agree that hoods are a new fangled thang. Our mothers didn't have 'em and they cooked much more than most of us do today. And some stoves -- like Jenn-Airs -- have downdraft ventilation.
Posted by: NeoGrec at August 9, 2007 12:53 PM
Have to say that a hood, especially one that vents outside makes all the difference in the world. Didn't have one at our old place and the kitchen would get coated in olive oil from the cabinets up to the ceiling. Anything we had on top of the cabinets would get coated and then it was especially charming when dust would land on top. It was so much work to keep after and it was just gross.
We cook every day. I don't even know what brand our hood is and I don't care, it works. I guess it's a luxury, but in my opinon it's a practical one.
Posted by: TJ at August 9, 2007 1:06 PM
Sure, our grandmothers (for some maybe mothers) did not have a vent hood, they did not have dryers, dishwashers and other things which make life easier. I also remember helping Mom clean the kitchen and her white upper cabinets were yellow with grease specially on the side of the stove, same goes for the ceiling above it. And if you do not clean this grease on regular basis the dust sticks to it and makes it really gross. Again just another convenient modern appliance - not a must, but makes life easier.
Posted by: mg at August 9, 2007 1:06 PM
We have the vent in the microwave over the range, it does not vent outside, and yet we don't get any grease on the walls or cabinets. We cook plenty with butter and oil too.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 1:23 PM
The non vented hoods or microwaves recirculate the air. They trap the grease in the filters (located at the bottom) which you should either wash or change to new over time. They are just fine unless you fry or grill a lot.
Posted by: mg at August 9, 2007 1:35 PM
Having a hood that vents outside makes all the difference, especially when searing meats or cooking fish.
Posted by: anon at August 9, 2007 1:37 PM
maybe it's one of those fancy ones where the vent pops up from below...
Posted by: slopehead at August 9, 2007 1:44 PM
Totally agree with anon 137. We have a commercial-style stove, cook all the time, and I know our kitchen would be a smelly, greasy disaster without the hood. We have a Vent-a-Hood with two fans, vented to the outside, and it's great.
Posted by: tinarina at August 9, 2007 1:50 PM
Anyway - hood or no hood this is a great kitchen.
Posted by: mg at August 9, 2007 2:08 PM
Another winner!
Posted by: Park Sloper at August 9, 2007 2:28 PM
Vent hoods are a recent development because people are now installing professional-grade stoves that have much higher BTUs. In some cases, a hood is a safety measure. In many cases its a style/status thing. The worst is when the vent hood just blows the air back into the room instead of venting outside. So lame.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 2:41 PM
Beautiful.
I think the range hood is a (functional, not code) necessity over a high powered range if there's cabinets above it. Here they've left the space open to the top. Different - but certainly works.
Aside from the obvious, where does one get a bodega door from?
Posted by: John at August 9, 2007 3:02 PM
Very nice indeed
Posted by: OOT at August 9, 2007 3:36 PM
Like this kitchen's owner, we chose to have high wall cabinets instead of a big ole vent going across the top of the wall to the outside. We needed the storage more than the venting. The window is two feet from the stove and not a problem to open. We're living with it just fine! And love having the storage.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 4:31 PM
This is obviously a nice kitchen, but personally I think it has a few off-notes:
• the dark wood (walnut here, but often "wenge") plus white counter look is trendy-dated, to my mind
• the lack of a hood is aesthetically nice but impractical, given the horsepower of that range
• the obscure glass in the cabinets, while a good idea, reveal one problem: the shelves and interiors of the cabinets can be seen to be just maple. I might have chosen to stain the interiors (though maple takes a stain poorly) or used a different, textured glass
Love the transom and the 3" thick counters are to die for.
--an architect in Brooklyn
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 4:52 PM
the cabinetry is beautiful... love the
gorgeous wood grain, nd the contrast with the counter tops ... so lovely.
the white tile behind the stove makes for an easy clean up, and with the transom you have great ventilation.
love this series... and thanks to all the homeowners for sharing a peek at your lovely kitchens!
Posted by: bren at August 9, 2007 6:35 PM
This is my least favorite of the "expensive" kitchens features here.
I think the blank spot over the range is awkward, there does not appear to be enough counter space, and those big funny light fixtures are just odd in a residential kitchen.
I love the window in the back with the tilting transom, very cool.
I like to have a portion of the counter made of marble, for dough, it really helps. But why have the entire counter made of marble? it isn't a greek temple, and marble is hard to keep clean, tomato sauce and meat gravy stain it, cans and stoneware scratch it, its just not a great counter surface, except for show.
but it is good for show, it looks beautiful contrasted with dark wood.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 9, 2007 8:39 PM
i love it! it's the proportion of the cabinets to the height of the room ... almost cathedral-like, which is a perfect foil to the (semi) modern aesthetic, that floats me boat.
LOVE the subway tiles. the door and transom are so utterly unobtrusive that they almost melt away.
what JEF said - "The modern vibe with the traditional materials' - yup.
LOVE IT!
suzy the guest
Posted by: guest at August 11, 2007 2:18 PM
Owner here, thanks for your comments and here are my responses:
1. Not having a vent has never been a problem, we just open the doors or the transoms. We didn't want another big industrial item in the kitchen--a hood. But as my Mother always, says "to each their own".
2. The glass is frosted, we like the way they look and aren't bothered that the interiors "match" as the architect mentioned. We live here it isn't a magazine.
3. The bodega doors are "custom", I guess. They come and measure and make them. They are insulated enough for us, we have a fireplace in the kitchen and in the winter that is going; the stove is baking bread or pizza (thanks to my very busy 8 year old daughter) and we shut the pocket doors for a warm cozy feeling. I think that if it were any hotter, we just might suffocate.
4. In fact, the lights ARE from DWR. But we got them many years before we even had the house--they are "vintage DWR" and are no longer sold their. Sorry.
5. There is a step up to the terrace, never been a problem for us.
6. We chose 3 inch depth (white Carrera)
because we LOVED/LOVE the way it looks. Unfortunately, can't remember who did it. A little place in Brooklyn.
7. Semi custom means that some on stock and the others made. The big tall ones were made to fit the kitchen.
8. The tile is actually crackled--it looks nice, can't tell in the photos. The wide space between the cabinets above the stove, is actually very good for us, because we have A LOT of artwork (thanks to my sculptor husband) and we need some wall that is not covered with art.
Thanks everyone.
Owner
Posted by: guest at August 13, 2007 11:07 AM
Great job, owner. We are thinking of redoing our kitchen and really loved the way yours turned out. What architect did you use?
Posted by: Gravy at May 28, 2008 5:55 PM
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