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When designer Shelbie Cox’s client asked her if she should get rid of the glass block windows in her 110 square foot Brooklyn kitchen, fearing they were dating the cramped area, Cox didn’t hesitate: “I was like, Hold the phone. We need to keep those!” she recalls. For her, they were the best thing going for the space. The cubes allowed light to stream in from the home office on the other side and flood the kitchen and entryway with light, plus they delivered a level of character that no sheet of drywall could ever.
Still, there was plenty she would have to change. Even though Cox was limited by the co-op building’s constraints (moving plumbing around was a no-go), the designer, along with architect Bowline Studio and contractor Victor Williams Enterprise, was able to brighten up the zig-zag kitchen and give the homeowner a space that feels far from old-fashioned.
Streamline a Quirky Layout with Shallow Storage
The kitchen’s previous configuration consisted of an L-shaped cooking area and, around the bend, a lonely peninsula. Cox wanted to bring it all together, so she wrapped new cabinetry around the peninsula and underneath the glass block window. (The doors below the open shelves are only 12 inches deep but that’s what makes them perfect for storing coffee mugs and pet supplies). To truly remedy the disjointedness, Cox continued the new porcelain tile flooring all the way up to the peninsula’s edge.
Keep Quality Cabinet Frames, Ditch the Doors
The designer’s secret to saving money? She kept the cabinet boxes that were in solid condition and had the contractor simply replace the door and drawer fronts. Once everything was coated in Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon, it all looked brand new. There were just a few exceptions, like the walnut shelving unit. “I try not to do a full wall of upper cabinets with the same facade,” she says. “I like to mix up the materiality, and this was a great place to do that because there was already a gap for the old cabinet.”
Go Extra Wide With Drawers
A huge pain point for Cox’s client was that there were so many skinny drawers in the old space that she could barely fit her silverware in one spot. Cox maximized the storage by shifting the new panel-ready dishwasher next to the range and plugging in three wide drawers where there used to be eight (!) tiny ones.
Give Other Marbles a Chance
When it became clear that her client’s dream countertop stone, Calacatta Viola, was out of her price range, the designer went on a hunt for an affordable alternative—and she didn’t have to even leave the ABC Stone store to find it. By pivoting to Calacatta Malva, a less popular, more affordable marble variety that features equally bold veining, she was able to achieve a similar look. “It had that purpley, cool undertone mixed in with the warmer pinks and creams, which is what we loved,” says Cox. This remodel was full of twists and turns (literally), but they were all worth navigating in the end.