The homeowners purchased the home in June of 2022. The wife first approached River Brook and asked us to help redesign the kitchen and furnish the entire home.
The client (a couple of wine connoisseurs) didn’t like the basic white kitchen and loved River Brook’s atypical approach to kitchen design. When they first moved in, they had more wine than they could accommodate in all of their refrigerators, so they asked the River Brook team to design and build a custom walk-in wine cellar within the home. River Brook took this opportunity to utilize an old coat closet off the entry way and build a wine cellar with custom steel doors, over 8’ tall, marble floor and marble door jambs (incorporating the same marble used in the kitchen), and wine racks to hold over 150 bottles of wine they purchased from California, special trips to Italy, and more!
In a world where white kitchens have become the norm, it is crucial to stand out from the crowd by embracing a fresh approach to color and incorporating unconventional materials. In the kitchen River Brook created an island made solely out of stone. “As stone connoisseurs, we understand that each block holds a unique story waiting to be unveiled,” the design team says. “We have meticulously selected the perfect slabs of Danby Marble, embraced its individuality, and allowing its inherent character to guide our design process.”
The result is an enchanting composition that seamlessly marries its raw beauty with our artistic vision. River Brook’s collaboration with skilled artisans and suppliers ensured that the island's design and construction was carried out well by executing the vision accurately and bringing it to a reality.
“When it comes to color, we believe in embracing bold and vibrant hues that infuse energy and personality into the kitchen,” the designers say. “By strategically incorporating rich and unexpected colors like off- black by farrow and ball, we create a captivating visual narrative that tells a story and invites the viewer to explore further. In recent years, we have witnessed a resurgence of black as a dominant force in design across various disciplines.”
Behind the range you will find a full slab of Danby Marble layered behind an unlacquered brass Waterworks pot filler. The bar stools are crafted from fiber cement, a unique material which has a rich, natural texture.
In the primary bedroom and the cozy breakfast nook, River Brook incorporated walls of drapery to create a romantic and warm ambiance in each space. The soft, flowing velvet fabric of draperies adds texture, color, and depth to each room as well as the necessary privacy.
For the den River Brook thought outside the box by incorporating table laps on top of the stunning oversized limestone mantle to bring the eye down to the honest material rather than pulling it away. The room is flooded with tons of natural light so River Brook placed a 7’ antique mirror on top of the mantle to help reflect all the natural light. On the main wall boarding the kitchen there is a 72” custom piece of art by the esteemed Joe Turner, who now has his prints available at Crate and Barrel.
Team:
Interior design, architecture and construction: River Brook
Photos: Laurey Glenn
Stylist: Mary Bett Jones
Materials Used:
Wood Flooring; Hardwood: Maranatha Stone & Floors
Custom Cabinetry: The Refinery Custom Cabinets
Kitchen Counters, Natural Stone Montclair Danby Honed: Surface One
Laundry Counters, Natural Stone Black Mist Honed: Surface One
Appliances: All South Appliance Group Inc.
Augustine Ottoman 21”: Four Hands Furniture
Camel Mohair Sofa: CB2
19” Fluted Column: Elegant Earth
Art: Carrie Pittman
Mouille Tripple Arm: INTERIOR ICONS
36" Chinese Lantern: River Brook Interiors
Cowhide Rug: River Brook Interiors
Antique Armchair: River Brook Interiors
Paint Color: Farrow & Ball No. 57 - Off Black
Ward Coffee Table: Noir Trading
Dune Slipcovered Sofa: Spectra Home Furniture
Custom Antique Mirror: Birmingham Glass Works
Rug: Custom Cut
Art: Joe Turner Art
Custom Mantle: Tracery Stone
Custom Metal Railing: Diego Iron Works
Christmas Tree Planter: Legends of Asia
Pierre Lamp: Arteriors
Morris Lantern: Visual Comfort
Paint Color- Cloud Cover: Benjamin Moore
Piper Dining Chair: Coley Home
Dunn Rectangular Black Ash Wood Dining Table 104": CB2
Custom Antique Mirror: Birmingham Glass
Art: Joe Adams Paintings
Antique Buffet: Antique
China: Spode China
Brown & White Dragon Lamp: Legends of Asia
Cosmopolitan 18" Picture Light: Visual Comfort
16 Light Chandelier: Visual Comfort
Drapery: Europatex – Casablanca 27
Cabinets: Frameless Drawers / Doors: Slab with Agnew Bead
Slab: Natural Stone Montclair Danby Honed: Surface One
Range: Monogram 48”
Wine Refrigerator: Zephyr
Refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel 36”
Wallpaper: Schumacher
Large Open Boxes: Schumacher
Natural Stone Black Mist Honed: Surface One
Ferret Bed: Noir
Bed Linens: Suite Dreams
Gabriel Daybed: Six Penny
19th Century Italian Rococo Hand Carved Wall Mirror: Chairish
Senso Large Table Lamp in Ivory with Linen Shade : Visual Comfort
Drapery: Europatex – Casablanca 27
