DESIGN by RACHEL SAVAGE, RS DESIGN MANAGEMENT
PHOTOGRAPHY by VIC WAHBY PHOTOGRAPHY
TEXT by MARISA SANDORA CARR
Few would dispute that marriage is hard—different design styles, that is. When Caseley and Abhishek Pinto hired Rachel Savage of RS Design Management to design their newly built Short Hills home, Savage knew right away what the challenge would be: marrying his preference for a contemporary style with her love of French country design. She liked warm neutrals, weathered finishes and a comfortably lived-in look, while he was all about clean lines and a minimalistic vibe. How to make them both happy? Savage set out to seamlessly blend the two styles by using traditional touches such as crown molding and vintage-looking light fixtures with lots of wide open spaces and clever ways to hide clutter.
In the kitchen, appliances are out of sight, and minimalism reigns, but the space is also warm and welcoming thanks to the use of beautiful quarter-sawn white oak. “The wall with the appliances was screaming to be different, so it made sense to make it a feature wall with the white oak,” says Savage. She also used it on the island, as a band on the hood and for the open shelving. “It can get heavy if you’re not careful, but this was just enough to tie it together,” she explains.
The high ceiling in the kitchen posed its own challenges. “Now you’re balancing functionality with aesthetics,” says Savage. “The height is great, but you need to be able to reach the cabinets.” Savage designed the cabinets to go up to the ceiling, but the very top is for long-term storage, not everyday use. The quartzite backsplash runs all the way up the wall behind the cabinets to keep the eye traveling upward. And extra attention was paid to the light fixtures, which are, in the designer’s words, “important elements because your eye is always looking up.” The antique coppered nickel pendant lights from Hudson Valley Lighting “look a little vintage,” she says, and complement the large, 10-foot island.
“They are great in the space,” Caseley says. “They command your attention. Most people comment on them.”
The countertops are the same Magnolia quartzite as the backsplash, purchased from Atlas Marble and Granite in Springfield. They feature a green veining that creates a lot of movement and color, but subtly, Savage says. “I think the success of the kitchen is the fact that the countertop just continues with the backsplash going up the wall. It all blends beautifully together. It just flows. No matter which angle you’re looking at the kitchen from, it’s the same soft look. The kitchen is pretty massive, but it still has a comfortable look to it without being overwhelming.”
Charcoal gray leather barstools with black metal frames from West Elm bring a more contemporary feel to the space, and an eating area nearby allows the family to gather at a round, pedestal table from Restoration Hardware. “I wanted to be able to see the kids outside and also in the family room and play area, so I needed the kitchen to be very open,” says Caseley. “I also wanted the view of the kitchen from elsewhere to be art unto itself—simple, clean and not cluttered.”
With things like utensil and paper towel holders hidden away, the kitchen is streamlined and serene looking but still functional. Caseley’s favorite part? The two Sub-Zero refrigerators concealed behind white oak on the feature wall. “I think having two fridges is huge—to be able to store all of the kids’ stuff and not have to compromise our own food in favor of theirs,” she observes with a laugh.
The six-bedroom, Dutch colonial, built by RTH Building Company, took two years from breaking ground to completion, but it was worth the wait, says Caseley, and she and her husband each got enough of what they wanted. There’s just one problem. “I’m now a hermit,” she says. “I never want to leave.”