Before and After: A Cobble Hill Kitchen Makeover - Remodelista
Photographs by Matthew Williams for Remodelista. Earlier this week we toured Mollie Cohen and Andrew Berman’s Brooklyn duplex masterfully remodeled by Oliver Freundlich of Oliver Freundlich Design. Freundlich entirely reconceived the design, reorienting the kitchen away from the corner, lighting up the space via white cabinets and pale wood, and detailing it with a tight, visually pleasing geometry. Note to those wondering what happened to the removed kitchen elements: This was a gut remodel, but all of the parts were conscientiously put to new use. The items that could not be reused on site were donated to Build it Green, a local non-profit retail outlet in Brooklyn and Queens that salvages everything from appliances to countertops so they can be reused in other projects. The kitchen and dining area are now united in a compact but airy space in which everything has its place. The existing window and door (which leads to a small garden) were turned into dominant features; Freundlich had them trimmed and painted black; like all the windows in the apartment, this one is finished with a solid oak sill. Taking his cues from the couple’s fondness for flags, Freundlich stuck to a palette of white, black, and red throught the apartment, kitchen included. The inside of the island is fitted with two stacking pull-out freezer drawers from Sub Zero. Tucking the freezer into the island enabled Freundlich to install a 27-inch-wide, two-drawer Sub Zero refrigerator in the narrow space next to the range. The fridge is playfully concealed behind a bulletin board made of Forbo Marmoleum Furniture Bulletin Board 2182 in light gray to match the backsplash tile grout. Andrew is the one who created the parade of tomato sauce cans on top of the fridge: “He always points out how much he likes the design when we’re at the market. Now we have a little collection,” says Mollie. The stainless steel shelves were custom fabricated to continue the line of the upper cabinetry. No dog bowls to trip over–Freundlich thoughtfully inserted a niche at the end of the island and painted it Christian Louboutin red, a nod to Mollie’s “shoe thing” (to replicate the shade, Freundlich suggests color matching a pair, or photo, of Louboutin pumps). PAINT: The kitchen walls and cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore Glacier White OC-37 (Above L). TILES: The backsplash is tiled with Italian white milk glass squares, Casa 3/4 Mosaico Blanco Vetro tiles (Above R), from United Tiles, purchased from Town & Country Flooring. Moisture resistance is important for avoiding damage when moisture from spills and splashes accidentally sits on the surface. SINK AND FAUCET: A Franke KBX11028 stainless steel undermount sink, $821 from Faucet Direct, is paired with a KWC Suprimo faucet with black rubber pull-out spray (Above L), $763-$833 from eFaucets. FREEZER: Sub Zero 700 BF(I) Freezer Drawers are a compact design that consists of two stacking drawers; like the fridge, this model has been discontinued, but is available from AJ Madison. LIGHT SWITCHES: Lutron’s Ariadni/Toggle Dimmer in white metal with exposed screws–”elsewhere, we also used them in black; they keep our palette consistent and pepper the space with utilitarian touches,” says Freundlich. With its speckled granite counters, maple cabinets, and Sheetrock-enclosed fridge, the kitchen had a 1990s upscale condo look. Empty soffits at the ceiling created a division between the spaces and the kitchen island had a knee wall framed behind it with a higher counter to block the view of the countertop surface from the dining table.