The owners of this kitchen in a duplex on Manhattan’s Upper East Side wanted a warm and inviting room where they could enjoy informal meals with their three teenage children. Since they often host large gatherings as part of their philanthropic interests, they also needed oversize major appliances and ample workspace for caterers.
“In addition to these two core requirements, my clients requested a stylish, modern kitchen that would not soon become dated,” says architect Michael Neumann. The timeless design was the first-place national winner in a recent Sub-Zero/Wolf Kitchen Design contest.
The renovation project required gutting the original kitchen, a pantry, two maid’s rooms, and a bathroom. Neumann and his team, Jairo Camelo and Daniel Gillen, transformed this warren of tiny rooms into a spacious 700-square-foot kitchen, home office, pantry, and powder room.
Materials meld past and present. Representing the former are oak cabinets, a plaster ceiling, painted wood beams, and a backsplash of Calacatta marble. Contemporary materials include stainless-steel appliances, cabinets, and counters. Refrigeration units with bottom grilles avoid a distracting element in the wall of steel cabinets.
Other counters are surfaced with an imported crystallized glass known as Neopariés, which Neumann regards as “visually more appealing than other synthetic countertop materials and virtually impervious to stains.”
Adding to the kitchen’s efficiency are recessed ceiling lights located between the beams. The lighting system also includes hanging fixtures above the island and tiny xenon lights installed beneath the wall cabinets. Windows on two walls, a luxury in a Manhattan apartment, admit natural light.
Appearance is important, but the true test of any kitchen is its utility in terms of food-prep and storage facilities. This kitchen gets an A-plus in both departments, thanks to an efficient lineup of appliances, most as part of an appliance wall, and the 9-foot long island. A Wolf wall oven and microwave occupy the adjacent wall.
It’s no surprise that this gut-and-remodel story has a happy ending. “My clients love the kitchen because it does everything they want it to do,” says Neumann. “The greatest accomplishment is to understand clients’ needs and make them happy. It’s icing on the cake that it’s a great design as well.”