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By Sarah Hagerty | Photography by John Coyle
It’s not the sort of kitchen you might expect to find in the home of empty-nesting senior citizens. But these particular senior citizens are full of surprises. For instance, this kitchen holds court in the middle of our town’s trendy and trending restaurant and retail renaissance, Annapolis Towne Centre. In fact, it’s perched at the very top of it.
For help with their kitchen, the couple turned to Joni Zimmerman, founder, president, and artistic director of Design Solutions in Annapolis. Zimmerman designed the kitchen in their previous home, collaborating with Catherine Belkov, senior director of residential design at Interior Concepts of Annapolis. For the penthouse, Zimmerman again turned to Belkov, her trusted colleague. The synergistic energy between the designers and the clients created a special comfort zone, ensuring clear communication and freedom, all elements of the most successful endeavors.
Zimmerman’s decades of experience in the design of both kitchens and baths brings a depth of expertise. And, as an enthusiastic cook and frequent entertainer, she brings hands-on knowledge of what works in a kitchen . . . and what doesn’t. “A good relationship between the work areas” is the simple (but not always easy to achieve) key to a successful kitchen design, according to Zimmerman. Which is why she builds a relationship of another kind with her clients, really listening to what they need. “We believe that the design process is most effective when we truly understand our clients, who they are, how they use the space, what their tastes and priorities are,” she explains.
Ease and efficiency of tasks is the goal in an ideal kitchen, and that can be accomplished with a combination of aesthetics and engineering. The U shape of this kitchen keeps prep projects just steps away from sink, cooktop, or appliances at all times. And it does it with dramatic style.
The bold alliance between wood and granite (used as countertop and backsplash) demands attention—it’s clear that this isn’t your granny’s kitchen. We’ve come a long way from avocado greens and harvest golds. Gone are the knickknacks, fridge magnets, and cutesy clocks. Today’s high-tech kitchens embrace neutral colors, stones, and stainless steel, and, in this case, some wonderful gadgetry.
There’s a built-in coffee maker straight out of Kubrick or the Jetsons just above the sleek, can’t-do-without wine cooler, cozying up to an oven and microwave.
The now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t cooktop gives new meaning to the word “unobtrusive.” But the acrylic cabinets above it may be the coolest part of the room. The doors don’t swing out: they slide up with a single touch. This is one of the marvelous mechanisms that surprise and save efforts in this kitchen. The techno trickery in European-style cabinets comes from a somewhat surprising location: an imaginative firm in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Just outside the kitchen by the entrance to the penthouse is the work of a master illusionist. Mirrors and more of that impressive walnut woodwork manage to “expand” the entrance hall while actually narrowing the area. This piece of “artwork” hides additional storage: a prosaic but necessary coat closet and kitchen pantry.
The wood and the acrylic cabinetry reappear in the adjacent family room on the fireplace surround and side storage area, also by Design Solutions.
The finished kitchen is an utterly clean, elegant, and usable space. The couple’s nest may be empty but their kitchen is full of innovation. Here you’ll find some of the finest appliances and cabinetry along with a dazzling view.
Resources
Appliances
Miele and Subzero, supplied by The Appliance Source, Annapolis, theappliancesource.com
Cabinets
Signature Custom Cabinetry, Inc., Ephrata, Pennsylvania, signaturecustomcabinetry.com
Contractor
John Del Sesto, Jeff Ryan (project lead), Del Sesto Construction J.A.C. Enterprises,
Arnold, delsestoconstruction.com
Granite Countertops
Fabricated and installed by In Home Stone, Annapolis, inhomestone.com
Interior Design
Catherine Belkov, Interior Concepts, Inc., Annapolis, interiorconceptsinc.com
Kitchen Design
Joni Zimmerman, Design Solutions, Inc., Annapolis, dsikitchens.com
From Vol. 7, No. 1 2016
Annapolis Home Magazine