With its strong horizontal lines and clean details, the 18-foot-long kitchen in a renovated Washington, D.C., row house is minimalist without appearing ultramodern. Even a backsplash was deemed gratuitous; the aluminum window sits right on the countertop, which in turn slips between cabinetry under the microwave. “We liked the idea of the horizontal plane of counter not being stopped and connecting to the outside,” architect Janet Bloomberg says. The new plan replaces the opening between the kitchen and dining room with a sweep of floor-to-ceiling translucent pocket doors. Bloomberg centered a large window and sink on the opening to share light between the rooms. “The doors tie the two sides together,” Bloomberg says. “We also used very warm materials, which help to carry through the palette of an older house.” Stylistic differences are neutralized with cherry cabinets that complement the house’s pine floors, Italian slate flooring with rich color variations, and a concrete countertop.
A cooking area to the left as you enter the kitchen now occupies the former powder room, which was moved to the stair landing. At the far end is a square bar sink and compact computer space with a flat-screen monitor mounted beneath wall cabinets. And an existing 4-foot-by-4-foot pantry is hidden behind a full-height cabinetry door. “We wanted to keep everything very flush to make it look neat and clean, which is what the clients wanted,” Bloomberg says. The result is an unabashedly 21st-century work space, one with enough texture and warmth to span two time periods. Builder: Madden Corp., Rockville, Md.; Architect: KUBE Architecture, Washington, D.C.; Photographer: Alan Karchmer
