A NEW KITCHEN HAD BEEN ON RACHEL SCHAPIRO’S TO-DO LIST for 15 years, but you know how it is with older homes: First they had to put in air conditioning, then replace the windows, then paint and do a few other small projects. Finally, in 2021, it was time, and Schapiro was ready with a vision. “I wanted the kitchen to be more open to the rest of the house,” she remembers. “I wanted a big island, so that when I was cooking I could still be with people. And I wanted really good appliances because I love to cook.” Schapiro also knew what she didn’t want—an all-white kitchen, a design choice she felt was overdone.
Enter Sharon Sherman of Thyme & Place Design in Wyckoff, who suggested Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore for the cabinets, which Schapiro thought would perfectly complement the eclectic style of the rest of the house, a Ridgewood colonial built in 1904. Schapiro didn’t want the typical subway tile backsplash either, so she chose an iridescent octagon ceramic tile that, depending on the light, changes color from silver to bluish. “I like how it is soothing and calm but a little bit different,” she says. Natural maple accents inside the wall cabinets, on the hood trim, in the floating shelves and on the recessed appliance cabinet were chosen to add warmth and contrast.
The kitchen’s perimeter counters are natural quartzite, while a leathered black granite tops the much-desired island. Schapiro found industrial-looking barstools from Industry West that play well with the stainless-steel KitchenAid double oven. A mix of metals adds to the kitchen’s unique vibe. The Mitzi pendants over the island are gold-toned, the hardware on the blue cabinets is honey bronze, and the hardware on the island is black.
One of Schapiro’s favorite things about the new kitchen is her upgraded appliances—a five-burner Wolf cooktop and a Sub-Zero refrigerator. “I love that when I open the refrigerator, I can see everything inside,” she says. “Some [refrigerators] are very deep and very high, and that doesn’t work for me—I’m 5 feet tall.”
Sherman was able to create an innovative recessed cabinet that keeps small appliances within easy reach for her petite client. The space was found in the wall next to a fireplace that backed up to the kitchen from the living room. The designer was also able to create a pantry for the new kitchen by closing off a closet in the living room and opening it up to the kitchen instead.
The new kitchen was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait, says Schapiro. “I love to have friends over and cook while we are hanging out,” she says. “It’s so much more fun to cook in this kitchen.”
TEXT by MARISA SANDORA CARR
DESIGN by SHARON SHERMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY by MIKE VAN TASSELL