Shades of Gray
Helena Peck recalls being struck by the spatial inefficiency of Kristyn and John Socknat’s Waycroft-Woodlawn kitchen. “At one end, there was a corner window facing the neighbor’s house,” says the Arlington-based interior designer. “At the other, a narrow peninsula that cut off circulation” between the kitchen and its adjoining rooms. The home had been built in 2002 with builder-grade specs and not much thought about traffic flow.
Now it was 2016, and Peck was the third leg of a team that also included architect Max Torres and Jacoby Contracting. Together, they settled on a couple of key moves: Replace that awkward corner window with a larger window oriented to capture pretty backyard views; and trade the peninsula countertop for a freestanding island. Achieving the latter required extending the kitchen’s rear wall to gain an additional 55 square feet of breathing room.
Per the owners’ request for a neutral palette, Peck specified wall cabinets in a dark gray (Crystal Cabinets’ “Gravel”) and the island base in a paler gray (“Outcast”). To keep the effect from being too subdued, she added window treatments in a complementary, fun pattern.
Throw pillows provide additional pops of color to an integrated breakfast nook with custom banquette seating.
The home’s overall architecture is traditional, and the new kitchen maintains that aesthetic with upper-cabinet crown moldings that extend to the ceiling and a glazed ceramic-tile backsplash. But it also has transitional touches like polished chrome hardware and contemporary light fixtures.
Project Credit:
Max Torres, New Tradition Home Designs, Rockville, Maryland, newtraditionshomedesign.com
Jacoby Contracting, Arlington, jacoby0203.houzz.com
Helena Pack, InDesign Home, Arlington, indesignhome.com