With a new wall of windows and ambient light created by the two-tiered ceiling, the Scallets rarely need to flick a switch or use lights, at least during the day.
A kitchen renovation was a long-time dream for the Scallets. They moved into the 1950’s-contemporary rancher in a neighborhood of “center hall” colonials in Northwest Washington, D.C. in 1983 and left the kitchen untouched. Roberta stayed at home to raise her two sons, while Edward, an attorney, worked. Years later, after the children moved out of the house, the Scallets finally had the time to renovate the kitchen„it was dark, cramped, and, says Roberta, “things were breaking down and needed to be replaced. One thing was going to lead to another anyway.”
The original kitchen was very dated, notes Wilder, with a “dingy little greenhouse window with dead plants in it” over the sink. This and one other small window were the only opportunities for natural light. Wilder more than fulfilled the Scallets’ need for a bright, heartening space by creating floor-to-ceiling windows on two walls and expansive horizontal windows above the sink.
The addition of windows, and a view, brought a discovery: “We had to do something about the backyard now that we could finally see it,” says Roberta. Inspired by their love of water and nature, Wilder designed a pond, waterfall, and plantings with a winding stone path for a lush landscape artfully planted by John Shorb Landscaping. In fact, part of WilderÍs design plan was to blur the boundaries between kitchen and backyard, creating an interior, pavilion-like eating space with glass walls. Here, the Scallets have placed a small table where they can gaze out upon their oasis. Ingeniously, a discreet black frame outlines the window, forming a seamless transition from inside to outside. “I really wanted to frame the views from the kitchen,” says Wilder.
Anthony Wilder Design/Build Inc. created this modern kitchen with clean lines, asymmetrical surprises, and an eye for the view.
Nothing in the original kitchen remains. In fact, Wilder says “we just scraped it off the face of the earth.” While itÍs typical to request a major expansion in a remodel, the Scallets’s reconfiguration grew more modestly–from about 12 by 11 foot to about 12 by 20 foot.
Wilder describes the new design as “a crisp and clean, but warm [and] contemporary.” Features such as stainless steel hardware, stovetop, and hood are juxtaposed against softer touches such as cherry cabinetry. Roberta wanted stainless steel minimized as much as possible, so even the oven-front is black enamel. At the request of Roberta, the island differs in color from the rest of the kitchen. WilderÍs interior designer chose a deep red glaze that appears almost cranberry.
Calling the home “a dialogue of modernism,” Wilder drew heavily upon the theme of vertical and horizontal lines for the remodel. In fact, there is hardly a curve in site–a linear aesthetic reoccurs in the flooring, cabinets, ceiling, and windows.
The outdoor views from the kitchen are stunning and create a connection between the indoors and a newly renovated landscape.
The outdoor views from the kitchen are stunning and create a connection between the indoors and a newly renovated landscape.
A granite countertop, housing the main sink, seamlessly transitions to the glass window, creating a sense of drama and movement. “It creates a razor’s-edge to the view,” says Wilder. The countertops are Roberta’s favorite aspect of the remodel. “Not until I had it did I realize it’s an incredible luxury to have so many horizontal surfaces.” Despite this, no appliances appear on the countertops. The family’s KitchenAid mixer and George Foreman grill are recessed inside cabinets and custom drawers partition off each gadget.
Storage is no longer an issue. “I guess when you’ve had a small kitchen that has no storage, you tend to overreact if you can,” says Roberta. A wall of floor-to-ceiling cabinets cleverly acts as a pantry and also houses dishes. Frosted glass on the upper doors “provides a nice change of surface when you look in the room,” she says.
A second sink inside the island is used for food preparation and, when entertaining, can be filled with ice and drinks. A wall of subway tiles surrounds a stainless steel range hood above the Viking dual-fuel oven. The front of the Subzero refrigerator blends in with the cabinets so the kitchen has a seamless, contemporary look. Cookbooks, displayed inside a hutch hung conveniently over the microwave, add both beauty and domesticity to a tranquil scene.
While some find that “remodel” and “headache” are synonymous, Roberta found the opposite to be true. “This is so hokey, but working with Anthony, nothing seemed like an obstacle.” As part of the process, he had her make a wish list, which she compiled over time, from books and magazine clippings. Roberta was Wilder’s chief collaborator. “I wanted it to work and Edward wanted it to look good,” she says.
One of Wilder’s more ambitious ideas was to redirect sunlight from the opposite side of the house into the kitchen. He says, “I can’t turn the house around. So I thought maybe I could get a prism of some sort to capture and shoot (the light) down onto the island.” He came up with the idea of a “transom two-tiered ceiling.” By elevating the roof and installing a transom to the kitchen below, “the tray would catch light in the morning so you can see the sunlight coming into the kitchen.” This detail not only brings in light but also “gives you a visual focal point. The facade is articulated by that raised transom light above.”
Wilder credits Frank Lloyd Wright for many of his interior styling ideas–Wright is known for his elongated, asymmetrical plans, his linear concepts, and for an architecture evolving naturally from a home’s organic site and context. Calling the home “a dialogue of modernism,” Wilder drew heavily upon the theme of vertical and horizontal lines for the remodel. In fact, there is hardly a curve in site–a linear aesthetic reoccurs in the flooring, cabinets, ceiling, and windows.
With its clean lines and new outdoor vistas, all vestiges of dinginess have been banished from the kitchen. Wilder incorporated the new architecture with the design elements the Scallets liked most about their existing home–adding a kitchen much larger in spirit than its physical dimensions and with innovations that, perhaps because of this, are a series of surprising revelations.
Tanyika N. Lewis is a regular contributor to ChesapeakeHome.Contacts:
Anthony Wilder Design/Build Inc.: anthonywilder.com or 301-907-0100
John Shorb Landscaping: johnshorblandscaping.com or 301-897-3503
