The owners of a 1992 Colonial in Pikesville, Maryland, tapped Baltimore designer Melissa Marcus to overhaul their main-floor spaces, including a dated kitchen that was hampered by a poor connection to the adjacent family room and an inconvenient traffic pattern.
Making the kitchen more functional was a top priority for the homeowners, who like to cook and entertain. “Visitors enter the house from the mudroom off the kitchen,” Marcus explains. “Prior to the renovation, the cooktop, ovens and refrigerator were right there when you walked in from the mudroom. Guests would hang out around the island, right in the working triangle.”
Collaborating with Richard Brodie of Creative Contractors, Marcus improved circulation through the kitchen, relocating appliances and eliminating two small openings between the kitchen and family room in favor of one larger one. “These changes created much better flow,” she explains. The design team also replaced a double window with two separate windows that now flank the range, creating symmetry and allowing for a dramatic Neolith sintered-stone backsplash.
When it came to style, “the clients have a fun, modern aesthetic and were not afraid to go bold,” Marcus avers. Custom onyx-stained walnut and natural rift-cut white oak cabinets offer striking contrast, accentuated by open oak shelving. A minimalist custom hood trimmed in oak forms is centered above the range, while cabinetry wraps around the corner into the breakfast nook to create a coffee station. The L-shaped island, topped by Caesarstone waterfall counters in two different grades of thickness, contribute to the sleek vibe. Noir Furniture counter stools add a touch of glam.
Kitchen & Interior Design: Melissa Marcus, Melissa Marcus Designs, Baltimore, Maryland. Kitchen Cabinetry Supplier: Travis Kedzior, National Lumber Co., Baltimore, Maryland. Contractor: Richard Brodie, Creative Contractors, Inc. Owings Mills, Maryland. Photography: Keyanna Bowen.
THE DETAILS
CABINETRY: plainfancycabinetry.com through nationallumber.biz. COUNTERTOPS: caesarstoneus.com through rocktopsfabrication.com. BACKSPLASH: neolith.com through rocktopsfabrication.com. APPLIANCES: monogram.com, bosch-home.com, subzero-wolf.com through adu.com. FAUCET & SINK: kohler.com through fergusonshowrooms.com.
