RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2020
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FIRST PLACE / SMALL TRADITIONAL KITCHEN
continued from page 13
Dishwasher: Miele, range/oven/wall oven: BlueStar,
refrigerators: Sub-Zero, ventilation: RangeCraft
custom hood
Karen Swanson
New England Design Works, Boston, MA
Photography: Jared Kuzia, Jared Kuzia Photography
This kitchen, just 120 square feet, while petite, is rich
with custom details and truly unique. Sometimes a
project evolves and comes together over time: in this
case, there was a clear starting point: the leaded glass
insert for the upper wall cabinets.
The homeowner purchased her home 20 years
previously and at that time had embarked on a project in
the adjacent dining room – the installation of custom
leaded, stained glass windows as a way of shielding her
view of the neighboring home. Our thought on the design
of the new kitchen was to draw upon this architectural
detail and include an element of leaded glass.
There was a bit of a layering process from here — the
home has dark woodwork and a low-key soothing
quality to it. I wanted to draw upon the lead in the new
glass inserts and bring that matte, natural tone into
other aspects of the design. I was able to do that by
designing a custom ventilation hood featuring blackened
steel straps and rivets – the balance of the hood in
combination with the glass inserts is my favorite part of
the design.
Continuing on with the layering process, from here,
I drew upon the vertical elements in the strapping on the
hood and the lead in the glass inserts. I opted to design
a custom French window which contributed further to
the vertical design elements as well as choosing a
vertically oriented picket tile.
The overall sense of calm and serenity as well as the
integration into the original house yet with unique design
elements makes this a project that is truly unlike any
other I have worked on.
