No More Bumper Cars in This Remodeled Kitchen
Ellen Adler lived with a kitchen she didn’t like for years. For starters, a corner sink split the food prep area, causing her and her husband, David, to bounce off each other like bumper cars anytime they tried cooking together. The space wasn’t vented properly either, so her “dingy, pickled white oak cabinets from the ’80s,” as she describes them, attracted grease and grime. And the pantry was in another room altogether.
Ellen, who runs a dog grooming and boarding business, knew exactly what she wanted: room for her dogs, plenty of storage and a new spot for the sink. While browsing photos of kitchens and countertops on Houzz, she and David found a few projects they really liked near their area (Long Island, New York) and put out a few calls to the designers.
Some didn’t respond — it was a Sunday, after all — and some didn’t feel like a good fit. But Ellen says she immediately connected with designer Toni Sabatino. “From the first conversation we had, Toni was personable,” she says. “I liked everything about her. You just know when you connect with somebody.” They met in person, Ellen shared her kitchen ideabook with Sabatino, and the two collaborated to create a just-right kitchen. No more bumper cars.
Ellen says her previous slide-in oven and stovetop were poorly ventilated, causing her white oak cabinets to accumulate cooking grime. Meanwhile, the corner kitchen sink split the preparation area, so Ellen and David always bumped into each other while cooking together.
AFTER: They installed a professional hood and had a contractor build and install a proper ventilation system. “You can tell a huge difference,” Ellen says.
Sabatino pushed the sink all the way to the right to free up prep space and added taller new cabinets for extra storage. Drawers under the stove hold a spice rack and pots and pans. A separate drawer holds lids.
Before, Ellen and David had to leave their kitchen to sort their recycling materials. Now a rotating shelf in a corner cabinet holds separate bins for garbage, plastic, aluminum and paper.
Photography by Rikki Snyder
In the old kitchen, a peninsula jutted into the space and the wood laminate floors just didn’t work, Ellen says.
Continue reading No More Bumper Cars in This Remodeled Kitchen
Ellen, who runs a dog grooming and boarding business, knew exactly what she wanted: room for her dogs, plenty of storage and a new spot for the sink. While browsing photos of kitchens and countertops on Houzz, she and David found a few projects they really liked near their area (Long Island, New York) and put out a few calls to the designers.
Some didn’t respond — it was a Sunday, after all — and some didn’t feel like a good fit. But Ellen says she immediately connected with designer Toni Sabatino. “From the first conversation we had, Toni was personable,” she says. “I liked everything about her. You just know when you connect with somebody.” They met in person, Ellen shared her kitchen ideabook with Sabatino, and the two collaborated to create a just-right kitchen. No more bumper cars.
Ellen says her previous slide-in oven and stovetop were poorly ventilated, causing her white oak cabinets to accumulate cooking grime. Meanwhile, the corner kitchen sink split the preparation area, so Ellen and David always bumped into each other while cooking together.
AFTER: They installed a professional hood and had a contractor build and install a proper ventilation system. “You can tell a huge difference,” Ellen says.
Sabatino pushed the sink all the way to the right to free up prep space and added taller new cabinets for extra storage. Drawers under the stove hold a spice rack and pots and pans. A separate drawer holds lids.
Before, Ellen and David had to leave their kitchen to sort their recycling materials. Now a rotating shelf in a corner cabinet holds separate bins for garbage, plastic, aluminum and paper.
Photography by Rikki Snyder
In the old kitchen, a peninsula jutted into the space and the wood laminate floors just didn’t work, Ellen says.
Continue reading No More Bumper Cars in This Remodeled Kitchen
