When Michael Boyle moved to Pittsburgh from New York, he knew the Lawrenceville townhome would be the perfect location for him, especially since his best friend lived on the same street.
He didn't mind the small size or the narrow dimensions, but extensive work was required to transform the home into something that was not only livable but also aesthetically appealing.
“This was the smallest and the worst house on the block but if I undertook the project, that meant it would benefit the entire block,” says Boyle. His goal for the space was something that was a fusion of “…modern, minimalistic and efficient.”
Creating an open concept design
Working with Essig Renovation and Design, Moss Architects and Don’s Appliances, Boyle now has a dream kitchen in a dream home.
The original kitchen was located in an eight-foot-wide addition at the back end of the home. “It was not a very well utilized space. It was dark, with one tiny window, and structurally it had lots of problems; it really needed to come down,” says architect Katie Seftas.
David Levin, the project lead from Essig, tore down the original kitchen and added an 18–foot addition to accommodate the new kitchen. “He wanted an open space as much as possible. If you put interior walls and break up a space, it makes it look small, so we were able to keep the entire first floor very, very open,” says Levin.
The open concept extends into the uncluttered kitchen, with custom oak open shelves that replace some of the cabinetry. “We strove to use very natural, neutral tones; one of the features was a more decorative geometric tile pattern, which was the visual focus of the space but we kept it simple in terms of color scheme,’’ says interior designer Gina Konopack.
A clean aesthetic
Perhaps one of Boyle’s favorite features is the large format kitchen tile. Similar-looking concrete tiles with seams that match those in the kitchen extend out to the back deck, lending cohesiveness to the space as well as an indoor/outdoor connection.
Boyle wanted clean, straight lines, and the resulting kitchen is flat, square and straight, with no curves. “That was why modern appliances fit in very well,” says Levin.
Indeed, the three appliances Boyle purchased from Don’s Appliances—a GE French Door Refrigerator, a Jenn-Air 30-inch Slide-In Range and a Jenn-Air 24-inch Trifecta Dishwasher—were perfect for the space; the flat fronts on the appliances and their sleek design dovetail with the contemporary kitchen.
“My intention was for that kitchen to never look cluttered, to never have too many things drawing your eye,” says Boyle, which is one reason he has liked the refrigerator with the interior water dispenser, as it has a clean-looking front. He said he conducted a lot of research on Jenn-Air products and concluded they were right for his kitchen.
APPLIANCES:
GE French Door Refrigerator (GWE19JSLSS); Jenn-Air 30” Slide-In Range (JGS1450FS); JennAir 24” Trifecta Dishwasher (JDTSS244GS)