The client provided the architectural design for the kitchen and the rest of the apartment. The biggest layout changes were:
- Removing the walls of the existing kitchen to create a dramatic open kitchen that runs all the way to the window on one side and an island with a waterfall countertop on the other side.
- A layout that provided space for a large conference table
- Closing off one door of the bedroom and creating a larger opening from the living room side and installing pocket doors
These changes required extensive systems work throughout the apartment, including redoing all the ductwork, modifying the sprinkler system and relocating sprinkler heads to meet fire code. We didn’t run into any surprises with the systems because our team had investigated the structure in the pre-construction stage and cut holes in the drywall to locate the plumbing pipes, columns, and wiring. We had to turn and move the existing HVAC system so we could hide it in one of the kitchen cabinets.
The apartment had metal studs, which we used to frame the new bedroom opening.
There was a pipe in the center of the new kitchen that had to remain. It was located in the long island. We wrapped with a painted wood column to minimize its design impact.
We built the structure that anchors one end of the kitchen. It hides a refrigerator (with flush panel doors), electrical panel, and writing for the flat screen television. A soffit above the kitchen hides all the ductwork, and is fitted with recessed lights and LED cove lighting above.
The client supplied the kitchen and bath cabinetry and Murphy bed and had their cabinet company install it. The countertops are quartz by Caesarstone in Haze. We installed the flooring material on the base of one side of the cabinetry.
The dramatic backsplash is made of thin sheets of porcelain. The 5 mm thick material by Fiandre comes in 5-foot by 10-foot sheets that comes in a continuous pattern or can be bookmatched. A fabricator measured the layout and cuts for the wall outlets, cut the material and installed it. Our team delivered three sheets of the material up the stairwell of the building. Though they created a template of the material out of wood to make sure it would fit, the actual material was more rigid and it took them a while to maneuver it.
