For one Bergen County family, updating an aging kitchen was an easy decision to make—it was giving up space to do so that was difficult. But once she started the remodeling project, designer Alyson O’Hanlon, of Ridgewood-based Clive Christian Interiors, proved that bigger isn’t always better.
“There was a dead area in the kitchen that wasn’t being utilized, and I suggested that we make it into a butler’s pantry,” O’Hanlon recalls. “It was a challenge for the home owners to imagine taking space away since everyone is always trying to enlarge areas. But we convinced them that the butler’s pantry would be a welcomed addition and help to integrate the kitchen and dining room. It’s a gem of an area that is useful but also visually interesting.”
Also lending to the aesthetic are the Clive Christian cabinets in walnut with an espresso stain. The English-made cabinets, outfitted with stainless steel hardware, are used for a custom pantry wall that O’Hanlon designed to compensate for the lost kitchen space. They also flank the stove and range and are used for additional storage beneath the center island.
“I elongated the end wall cabinets so they sit on the counter, which was more interesting than wall cabinets but also provide usable space for dishes and glasses,” she says.
The same walnut paneling was used to cover appliances like the dishwasher in the butler’s pantry and the refrigerator, which was recessed into “a void space in the dining room.”
“By doing this, we were able to enlarge the island by several feet because the refrigerator no longer had to project into the room,” O’Hanlon explains.
Another unused space in the kitchen was converted into a workspace with desk, which can be hidden behind retractable doors when guests arrive.
“I wanted to create a versatile space for the homeowner,” she says. “They should be as comfortable having a cup of coffee in the morning as they are pouring champagne on New Year’s Eve.”