The residents of a 1944 BUNGALOW in Silver Spring waited 25 years to redo their cramped, outmoded kitchen. After the kids had flown, they hired Tanya Smith-Shiflett of Unique Kitchens and Baths to execute a vibrant and colorful redo. “The original space was tiny,” recounts the designer. “We decided to tear a wall out between the kitchen and dining room to make space for everything they needed.”
A new layout shifted appliance locations. Facing the range, a cabinet wall comprises a paneled fridge, coffee bar and pantry; the sink overlooks the backyard. “The wife wanted an island but was afraid she couldn’t fit one,” says Smith-Shiflett, who was able to supply a baker’s island from UKB’s stand-alone collection for small kitchens. Its dark-stained maple base is topped with black soapstone.
When it came to finishes, the wife specified a timeless, British aesthetic—and a bright, warm palette. She loved the green hue of the glazed-ceramic backsplash tile—but when juxtaposed with matching green cabinetry, “the cabinets kind of got lost,” Smith-Shiflett explains. Once she and her clients upped the blue tones, she relates, “it just worked!”
Embracing a vintage look, the backsplash tile extends to the ceiling. The cabinets—including a window seat in the breakfast nook—are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue. Slate-look porcelain tile clads the floor.
PROJECT TEAM
Kitchen Design: Tanya Smith-Shiflett, Unique Kitchens and Baths. Contractor: Carrmichael Construction.
KITCHEN DETAILS
Cabinetry: uniquekitchensandbaths.com. Countertops: eurostonecraft.com. Floor & Backsplash Tile: tilebar.com. Appliances: monogram.com, fisherpaykel.com, subzero-wolf.com through adu.com. Sink, Faucets, Lighting & Chairs: devolkitchens.com. Hardware: houseofantiquehardware.com.