For this outdated kitchen in Middletown, N.J., Amy Yin, principal and owner of Short Hills, N.J.-based Amy Yin Interiors, was tasked with reinventing the room’s impractical features and dark layout with an aesthetic that more appropriately reflected the homeowners.
The kitchen floor was severely bowed, with the largest dip centrally located beneath the island. To solve this problem, extra support was added to raise the floor, and the top of the island was leveled to prevent items from rolling off. Molding was then strategically installed along the base to conceal slight height differences on either side.
Bright white now highlights the doors and drawer fronts, which feature flat-panel surfaces punctuated by cobalt glass knobs – reflecting light while making a stylistic statement.
New LED pendants were also suspended over the island at a greater height than their predecessors for wider beam spread. Glass shades also provide playful bursts of color, “for fun and function,” said Yin.
Like the knobs, white quartz counters similarly reflect light and complement the minimalist aesthetic to maintain focus on colorful accents, such as pencil and field tiles in shades of yellow and blue.
“With white cabinets and counters in place, we knew the backsplash was the place for personality,” explained Yin. “We selected the specific colors, sizes and proportion of each playful bubble to invoke the liveliness, effervescence and cheer of the homeowners.”