The biggest challenge in remodeling Brad Toll’s Capitol Hill condo was space—the 60-square-foot kitchen is just six feet across at its widest point. “We wanted to make the space feel big,” says Kube Architecture’s Janet Bloomberg, who oversaw the renovation. “The homeowner wanted to use every square inch.”
Bloomberg built a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the deck, making the space feel bigger. She also designed a curved bar that’s only eight inches wide; hidden inside is storage for wine bottles, spices, and other items. Toll says it’s one of his favorite things about the new kitchen.
Beyond the bar, a curved seating area includes a built-in bench made of stained maple—with storage space underneath—and a low gray table from the Frank Gehry Collection (partially visible in photo). Toll first saw the Gehry line at a museum in Philadelphia, then bought the table from Nova68.com. “It looked like a puzzle piece that was made for the space,” he says. He got three matching pieces for his deck, making the indoor and outdoor spaces feel cohesive.
Toll wanted a modern design with warm touches, and he loves the finished product: “I could just sit here and look at it all day.”
Where to Find It
Cabinets: East Coast Woodworks in Stevensville, Maryland.
Cabinet hardware: Ikea.
Bar and curved seating area: East Coast Woodworks.
Countertops: Custom concrete by Alexander Kitchin in Charlottesville.
Backsplash tile: Susan Jablon Mosaics (one-by-three-inch Subway Glossy in Robins Egg Blue).
Pendants over bar: Cube pendant by Tech Lighting.
Seating and dining table: Frank Gehry Collection from Nova 68.
Appliances: KitchenAid Architect Series.
Wood floor: Brothers & Justice in Vienna (prefinished Bruce Kennedale Prestige in Cinnamon).
This article first appeared in the October 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.
