Natalie by Randy Dunbar

ARMOIRE Luxurious Designs

The

Bedroom edition

New Ideas New Start!

CANTONI Creating your dream home

ARMOIRE Luxurious Designs

CONTENT

6 EditorÂ´s Message 8 The Jumble 9 Sunday Brunch Jumble

12-13 Products 15 Interior Design Issue

16-23 The Bedroom Edition

24-29 The Kitchen of your Dreams

ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

Styling your Surroundings.

“The best magazine when it comes to interior design” Welcome to ARMOIRE magazine´s premier issue. Your number one choice for fashionable, classic and elegant interior design. Find out the latest trends and what´s in for having a beautiful and comfortable surrounding.

ARMOIRE Luxurous Designs

www.armoire.com

STRIPES WILL ALWAYS BE A GOOD IDEA

SCOTCH de signs

ARMOIRE Luxurious Designs

Natalia Baston Editor in Chief

Creative Director MARIA ROBINA Fashion Director XIMENA CERVANTES Features Director ANDREA MURIEL Market Director, Interiror Fasion and Accessories ANA REGALADO Executive Fashion Editor FERNANDA PANDAL Style Director CAMILA GONZALEZ Intertantional Editor at Large LUCIA IGARTUA Designs News Director PAULA TORRADO Creative Digital Director ANA PAULA IGARTUA Creative Director at Large LORENZA BRANIFF FASHION/INTERIOR DESIGN Bookings Director MERCEDES ALVAREZ Styling MARISOL ALVERDE Editors PALOMA BARQUERA, ANDREA MURIEL, LORENZA RIVERA TORRES, MARIANA BASTON Assicuate Fashion Editors NATALIA ESPERON, MERCEDES EUGUI Associate Market Editor ESTEFANIA CASAL Interior Design Wirter PAOLA SANVICENTE Interiro Market Assitant PAULA SANVICENTE DESIGN Design Director ANA PAULA GARCIA HERRERA Senior Design Director REGIA ROMERO Design Associate FERNANDA LEMMEN FEATURES Executive Editor LORENZA BRANIFF Senior Editors FERNANDA PANDAL, ISABEL ALATORRE Entretainment Director MERCEDES EUGUI Style Editor at Large RAMIRO GONZALEZ LUNA Assistant Entretainment Director GABRIEL MIZRAHI Featurtes Associate ANA CERVANTES Features Assistants MARIA TRICIO, RENATA FERNANDEZ CREATIVE Design Director MARIANA BASTON Senior Art Director LORENZA BERNOT Art Director XIMENA CERVANTES Associate Art Director DANIELA HUERTA Visual Director, Research RENATA MULLER Senior Visual Editor REGINA GAXIOLA Visual Editor VANESSA NAME Senior Visual Editor FERNANDA ROMANO Visual Director, Armoire.com NATALIA GARCIA Visual Editor RENATA OCHOA Visual Producers MAITE AJA, ANDREA IRARRAGORRI ARMOIRE.COM General Manager SOFIA BETANZO Digital Director EMILIO AGUILAR Director of Engineering ROBERTA TORRADO Executive Director MARIANA PERALTA Interior News Director MARIEL GOMEZ Beauty Director AINARA PADULLA Style Editor EVA LONGORIA Interior News and Emerging Platforms Editor FERNANDA DE LA VEGA Interior News Editor FERNANDA CANTU Interior Features Editor ANA LUCIA RAMIREZ Senior Product Manager JIMENA PEREZTEUFFER Digital Content Manager ALEJANDRA GARCIA HERRERA Archive Editor ALMUDENA CEREZO Senior Market Editor ANA PAULA SORDO Senior Design News Writers NATALIA SAID Desisn News Writer FERNANDA NARCHI Culture Editor VIVIANA SAID Culture Writer MICHELLE BASTON PRODUCTION/COPY/REASERCH Deputy Managing Editor ANDREA ORTIZ Copy Director LUCILA ARANDA Research Director NATALIA ZUÑIGA Digital Producer Manager DANIELA SANCHEZ Production Designer DANIELA GIRAULT Production Associate MARIAN DIAZ CALVERE Copy Managers JOSE MARIA EUGUI Research Managers DIEGO BASTON, ALEJANDRO BASTON Interior Design Credits Editor JERONIMO CERVANTES SPECIAL EVENTS Director of Special Events BEGOÑA SIMON Special Events Manager REGINA CORTINA Special Events Associate ANDREA NASTA Editorial Business Director SOFIA LEBRIJA Contracts Manager ANDREA DODERO Editorial Business Coordinator LUCIA MARTIN MORENO Associate Director of Logistics ANDREA LEBRIJA Director of Communications ANDREA MANCERA Director of Brand Marketing CAMILA SERRALDE Executive Assistant to the Editor in Chief XIMENA CERVANTES Assistant to the Editor in Chief LORENZA BRANIFF, ANDREA MURIEL European Editor REGINA ECHEVERRY Head of Content Strategy and Operations TAMARA HEVIA Head Creative Director EMILIO AGUILAR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS FELIPE CHICO, JERONIMO ARRIGUNAGA, SOFIA VALDES, MARIA JOSE SALOMON, SOFIA BETANZO, MARIANA RODRIGUEZ, MARIANA BALMACEDA, WJIMENA SAID, PABLO JENKINS, FERNANDO ELIZUNDIA, JOAQUIN CESPEDES, ANA CREEL, CAMILA KANAHUATI, AILEEN BROCKMAN, ADIB CHECA, ROBERTO ABOUMRRAD, MARIA TRICIO, DANIELA GRISI,VANESSA HAJJ, GABRIELA CASILLAS, ALBERTO TORRADO, CARLOS RAMIREZ DE AGUILAR

EditorÂ´s

September 2018

MESSAGE ight at ARMOIRE Luxurious Design, we are passionate about houses, but not only the dream ones that we scout and photography for our pages. For this August 2018 issue, we have an easy, clean and creative way to decorate you bedroom, from what colors should to choose, what furniture and what accesories. We believe that every human being deserves shelter, and it is truly paniful to his theam to consider the legions of homeless all over the world, a population that only geows exponentially in this time seemingly daily natural disasters. So I take great pleasure and priide in announcing that ARMOIRE Luxurious Desing is teaming up with and innovative Los Angeles based organization that constructs locally souced, locally built homes for a very raisable $6,500 each in some of the poorest nations on Earth. ARMOIRE Luxurious Design professional are already supporting

this

important

and

urgent mission, and we hope that our readers will visit armoire.com/helping to learn more and join in. One hundred percent donations go toward creating houses, and the technology behind it makes a transparent and parcipatory process.

Natalia Baston Editor-in-Chief

ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

DINING

STYLING

CREATING

www.custom.com

CUS TOM

JUMBLE the

this that & the other

world perspective that I certainly enjoy I think.

HEADLINE I relate to these characters because aspects of their personality are like me. I think American news is pretty tragic in general. It’s nice to be around people that have a sense of the world around them, that are, in general, more conscious and conscientious. Do you understand? I was very excited. I drive. Because I was homeschooled, I didn’t have a lot of friends and I did ballet, which was always just girls. It feels like not that long ago that I was on a show called ‘Young Hercules too’. HEADLINE He said that I was going to get to rob the bank for real. I won’t eat my cereal. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down. My character seems to think that he is, so he would define it. Anything happens a minute either side of that, and you’re on your

own. There’s a hundred thousand streets in this city. I’m going to get to ride the bike up,

rob it, and ride the bank away. I’m really not good at knowing what people want, because don’t have that talent. My character seems to think that he is, so he would define it. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours. I love being Canadian. I think growing up in Canada gives you a

HEADLINE Change moves in spirals, not circles. But everytime that happens, what do you get? You get a new day. I fantasized about robbing banks for a long time, ever since I was a kid. Hey girl, I brought home a few bottles of wine since I know you needed more corks for that pinterest project. I could be pensive, uhh... smart, supersticious, brave? And I, uhh, I can be light on my feet. My character seems to think that he is, so he would define it. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours. I love being Canadian. I think growing up in Canada gives you a world perspective that I certainly enjoy. I think like a girl, I think so.

them and turn down the parts that aren’t. If ever I try to predict, I’m sure I will be instantly humbled. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me...everyday. Not to discriminate against budgets, I feel that independent films tend to ask more questions everything as the work goes by the time.

HEADLINE And I just turn up the parts of myself that are

ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

JUMBLE this that & the other

the

sunday brunch

BRUNCHING FOR THE WEEKEND

galley kitchen! But the pint-size spaces, distinguished by their narrow layout with parallel counters, are a fact of life for plenty of urban dwellers. “It’s so often that we get projects that people ask us to open up the galley kitchen,” says designer Sarah Zames, founder of the Brooklynbased firm General Assembly. “But there are cases where you can’t do that, such as in prewar buildings where lots of times you can’t move pipes the way that you would want to.” There are also instances where you might not want your kitchen to feel like a part of your living room. “It’s coming back into style to consolidate your kitchen and not necessarily have it open,” says Zames. “I’m getting more people asking me to do that. It’s not always a given that you want everything open.”

12 ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

If you’re sticking with your hallway like space, either by choice or out of necessity, there are plenty of galley kitchen ideas to make the most of your meager square footage and create a less claustrophobic feel. Zames shared her tips on how to enhance your galley kitchen, whether you’re doing a full renovation or just trying to clear a little counter space so that everything was going to fit in perfectly like the rest of the things. You don’t need to demo an entire wall to open up a galley kitchen. “The first thing that I would do is see if there’s anyway [to] create some sort of opening to the other spaces from it,” says Zames. “You could open up just the corner of it and add some open shelving to break that hallway feeling.” She recalls a project where even a small opening made a big difference, to open it up to.

CREATING NEW ADVENTURES

BELLINI creative furniture for kids

PRODUCTS BAR CART TABLE

Unique coffee tables in acrylic, woven rattan, cement and granite, and other contemporary materials lend an urban edge.

Arrange in the dining room, living room or study. stay well-stocked with spacious shelving for liquor and wine bottles, bar tools.

SOFA

Bear claw fruitcake sugar plum ice cream apple pie cake soufflé cotton candy apple pie, halvah caramels dragée icing, halvah caramels dragée

BAR CHAIR

Upgrade your living room style with our modern accent and armchairs. from mid-century to euro-styles, our contemporary chairs sit beautifully around the coffee table or in the corner for lounging.

PILLOWS

Accent pillows make it easy to refresh the living room, bedroom, entryway and patio with new patterns and color schemes. in the winter, accessorize your sofa with.

ACCESSORIES

Because the details matter. Get yourself organized with our storage accessories, then incorporate some fun pieces.

FURNITURE

With modern storage furniture, you can keep an organized home without sacrificing style. beautiful, sleek credenzas are perfect for living rooms.

CHAIR

Upgrade your living room style with our modern accent and armchairs. from mid-century to euro-styles, our contemporary chairs sit beautifully around the coffee table or

BED

Sleep soundly, comfortably and stylishly in our modern beds and bed frames. platform beds with low profiles instantly make your bedroom minimalist and modern and matching dresser.

SOFA CHAIR

Casually modern couches for warm, welcoming spaces, with cozy modern sofas that are high-quality and comfortable in chocolate caramel and some other colors to it.

HEADLINE Multi-functional style for chic storage or just kicking back. whether you top them with a serving tray or use for extra seating, our modern ottomans and accent stools are as practical

CLOSET

Design an inhome haven where you can kick back and relax with our modern bedroom furniture, the bed is the center piece of the roommake statement.

LAYING COUCH

Casually modern couches for warm, welcoming spaces, with cozy modern sofas that are high quality and comfortable in chocolate caramel and some other colors to it, to make it more unique.

SCULPTURE

Because the details matter. Get yourself organized with our storage accessories, then incorporate some fun pieces to your home to make it beautiful. ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

G A colorful and beautiful view.

The designer knows it all. Always does.

ervantes esigns

GO LD

1 #

MADE IT TO THE

INTERIOR DESIGN GOLD AWARDS MAGAZINE 2018

The

Bedroom

edition

Artcile by Jennifer Louise Erebert and Im

Create a cocoon of cosiness with the help of our cosy bedroom ideas to inspire you to create that is stylish and chic, from layers of chinky knits in neutral shades to luxurious velvet beds in rich jewel tones, there are plenty of ways to create a snuggly sleep space. Jennifer Louise Ebert

mages taken by Simon Whitmore and Serena Mckenzie

omplement a neutral palette with pastel hues. Combine delicate prints and soft colours with natural materials to create a bedroom filled with cosy comforts. Choose thick fabric for a cohesive look that’ll keep out the cold, line heavyweight curtains in a thermal fabric that coordinates with your wallpaper. Stay in touch with the great outdoors in the cooler months by displaying seasonal posies in simple ceramic vases. Don’t forget the flooring. Add a super-soft flourish with a chunky woven rug and deep pile carpet to keep your toes toasty. Make your bedroom a space of optimum indulgence. Your bedroom should be a place you can luxuriate in, so fill it with irresistible colours and textures. Pick furniture upholstered in tactile materials like velvet and silk for a sleeping area fit for a Maharaja. Choose colours inspired by precious stones like ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz. A winged bed frame is a grand statement piece and will set the tone for a whole room. Layer it up with bold printed bedding and a cosy throw boasting a pompom trim – perfect for snuggling. Add more wow with vibrant accessories. Don’t be afraid to mix and match lamp shades and bases for an eclectic look and introduce some metallic accents for ultimate opulence. Surround yourself with uplifting pastel tones. Soothe the senses with calming shades, layers of cosy quilts and a springy carpet underfoot. Serene and spring-like, pastels enliven a neutral palette and bring a fresh and tranquil feel to sleep space. Combine sugary pinks, mauves, cornflower blue and mint on a backdrop of dove grey for a sophisticated scheme. Pile up

plush cushions and quilted throws to make your bed even more inviting at the end of a long day. Create a cosy ambience with a variety of light sources. Task lamps are ideal for bedtime reading, while tea light candles in pretty votives dotted around the room give a warming glow and set a romantic mood. Create a cosy environment rooted in nature. Statement prints marry with Scandic-Inspired furniture for a bold bedroom look you’ll love. As the colours of the land and sky, it’s no wonder greens and blues make a soothing partnership. Bring the look to life with pops of yellow and plenty of white. Change up your bedding for the season with a quilted duvet cover or cosy mattress topper. Use lighting to zone areas. For bedtime reading, a quirky table lamp is just right, while a retro drum shade enhances a desk area. Create a country nest, perfect for hibernating. Revel in the comforts of the country with furniture that boasts rustic simplicity and faux fur throws for curling up in. Layer splashes of pillar box red, cool blue and white against a backdrop of ages wooden beams for a harmonious combination that offers an informal, Nordic vibe. Ideal for a cosy loft space or guest room. Choose a bed with a space for storage underneath – perfect for tucking away slippers so they’re always within reach. Pile up carved wooden bed frames with textiles in traditional Scandi colours. Traditional prints like tartan and folky motifs in coordinating colours add a homely feel. Use them on curtains, quilts and pillows to create a cosy nest to while away the dark nights in. White panelling lend simple detailing to bedroom walls, save money and time by cheating the look using it.

ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

ix sleek designs with deep blue for a bold look. Moody blues, soft white linen and oversized checks make a comforting combo. Opt for simple, design-led furniture with an Ercol influence – keep an eye out on sites like eBay and Gumtree for original pieces going for not very much. There’s nothing like clambering into soft, crinkly linen sheets at the end of the day. Pile on extra warmth with check and faux fur throws. Run translucent voiles behind black-out curtains to maintain privacy and let in light. Complement a neutral palette with pastel hues. Combine delicate prints and soft colours with natural materials to create a bedroom filled with cosy comforts. Choose thick fabric for a cohesive look that’ll keep out the cold, line heavyweight curtains in a thermal fabric that coordinates with your wallpaper. Stay in touch with the great outdoors in the cooler months by displaying seasonal posies in simple ceramic vases. Don’t forget the flooring. Add a super-soft flourish with a chunky woven rug and deep pile carpet to keep your toes toasty. Make your bedroom a space of optimum indulgence.

Your bedroom should be a place you can luxuriate in, so fill it with irresistible colours and textures. Pick furniture upholstered in tactile materials like velvet and silk for a sleeping area fit for a Maharaja. Choose colours inspired by precious stones like ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz. A winged bed frame is a grand statement piece and will set the tone for a whole room. Layer it up with bold printed bedding and a cosy throw boasting a pompom trim – perfect for snuggling. Add more wow with vibrant accessories. Don’t be afraid to mix and match lamp shades and bases for an eclectic look and introduce some metallic accents for ultimate opulence. Surround yourself with uplifting pastel tones. Soothe the senses with calming shades, layers of cosy quilts and a springy carpet underfoot. Serene and spring-like, pastels enliven a neutral palette and bring a fresh and tranquil feel to sleep space. Combine sugary pinks, mauves, cornflower blue and mint on a backdrop of dove grey for a sophisticated scheme. Create a cosy environment rooted in nature. Statement prints marry with Scandic-Inspired furniture for a bold bedroom look you’ll love, as the colours of the land and sky.

Accessories, oh accessories!

Pillows that will decorate all of your room with different sizes.

n-trend grey is fast becoming the ‘new magnolia’ and seems to be everyone’s colour of choice when it comes to decorating. High-street and designer outlets have cottoned on to this and are bursting with grey in all its multiple gradations and across every conceivable product the only difficulty will be deciding what’s right for you. Take your style into consideration when planning a grey colour scheme. If you prefer a modern bedroom, you may want deeper, more dramatic shades of grey. Team them with metal and glass for an industrial edge. In a country, vintage or traditional bedroom scheme, bring in gentle powdery tones of blue or pink to temper the grey. One of the joys of decorating with grey is its sheer versatility – it looks great in absolutely any style of room as you will see with our grey bedroom ideas below. Picking a grey for your walls is rather like choosing a white paint – there are far more to sift through than you might ever imagine. To get the best look for your space, try out plenty of samples on your walls and see how they work in different lights before committing. This soft grey sits beautifully with luxe cream furnishings and comforting textiles, creating a harmonious scheme. Grey is ideal for the colour shy, and easily creates beautiful schemes

full of wow factor. This sumptuous room has no brights in sight, but is none the less for it. In fact, with the leafy print wallpaper, Gustavian headboard and amazing sunburst mirror, it’s a masterclass in decorating with grey. Don’t feel that you have to ban bright colours from a grey room, though. With its neutral look, grey is super versatile and works well with many a block colour, as you can see in this stylish room with lime-green accents. Choose tactile fabrics and opulent furniture designs to make your scheme feel special – this chaise longue is definitely on our

“Your bedroom should tell the story of who you are and be a collection of what you love” wish lists. Grey schemes can be totally sleek, but they can also be charmingly rustic. Immaculately painted walls don’t need to be paired with glossy furniture – distressed finishes look amazing, too. This room has a beautifully Scandi-country feel, and the ‘marshmallow’-like bedding and soft-coloured accessories keep the decor natural and relaxed, so you can beel better at your bedroom so that it has the same decoration.

ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

The

Kitchen

of your dreams Few people will step into a potential apartment or house and think, oh yay! A galley kitchen! But the pint-size spaces, distinguished by their narrow layout with parallel counters, are a fact of life for plenty or urban dwellers. Article by Kayla Whyte Images by Dylan Smith

ew people will step into a potential apartment or house and think, Oh yay! A galley kitchen! But the pint-size spaces, distinguished by their narrow layout with parallel counters, are a fact of life for plenty of urban dwellers. “It’s so often that we get projects that people ask us to open up the galley kitchen,” says designer Sarah Zames, founder of the Brooklyn-based firm General Assembly. “But there are cases where you can’t do that, such as in prewar buildings where lots of times you can’t move pipes the way that you would want to.” There are also instances where you might not want your kitchen to feel like a part of your living room. “It’s coming back into style to consolidate your kitchen and not necessarily have it open,” says Zames. “I’m getting more people asking me to do that. It’s not always a given that you want everything open.” If you’re sticking with your hallway-like space, either by choice or out of necessity, there are plenty of galley kitchen ideas to make the most of your meager square footage and create a less claustrophobic feel. Zames shared her tips on how to enhance your galley kitchen, whether you’re doing a full renovation or just trying to clear a little counter space so that everything was going to fit in perfectly. You don’t need to demo an entire wall to open up a galley kitchen. “The first thing that I would

do is see if there’s anyway [to] create some sort of opening to the other spaces from it,” says Zames. “You could open up just the corner of it and add some open shelving to break that hallway feeling.” She recalls a project where even a small opening made a big difference. “We weren’t able to open it up to the living room, because there were some pipes in the way, but we opened it up partially and put shelves that hung from the ceiling,” she says. “I thought that was a nice happy medium. It kept the kitchen out of the dining area, and you kept the functional storage, but it was still visually connected to the other space”, those were the words they said.“The goal when designing a galley kitchen is to make it feel the least cavernous as possible,” Zames says. “Reduce the number of tall cabinets that you’re going to use, or consolidate your tall storage into one place. She recommends putting the refrigerator and pantry in one area and keeping storage focused in that space, then doing open shelving or limited upper cabinetry. Zames recommends using glossy tile or surfaces to brighten the space. “With materials, you can use things that are a little more reflective,” she says. “Getting as much natural light bouncing around in there as possible is pretty key.” Another option is to bring in wood to make the kitchen feel more connected to the rest of the apartment. “In that case, I would do wood-base cabinets that would feel a little more grounded and more like furniture than cabinets,”

Zames says. “For upper shelving, I would do something neutral and light and cool-toned.” Zames notes that there’s lots that can be done in addition to task lighting in a galley kitchen. “You’re not working with pendant lights over an island, but you can do some great decorative fixtures on the ceiling that bring the space together,” she says. “There’s an opportunity with a galley kitchen to be a jewel box, so doing some lighting on the ceiling that feels less utilitarian is nice.” Zames emphasizes the importance of keeping materials consistent and introducing as few lines, or breaks in materials, as possible. “I would always do a cooktop with a wall oven below itsomething that’s built into the cabinets, rather than a slide-in range,” she says. Zames recommends using glossy tile or surfaces to brighten the space. “With materials, you can use things that are a little more reflective,” she says. “Getting as much natural light bouncing around in there as possible is pretty key.” Another option is to bring in wood to make the kitchen feel more connected to the rest of the apartment. “In that case, I would do wood-base cabinets that would feel a little more grounded and more like furniture than cabinets,” Zames says. “For upper shelving, I would do something neutral and light and cool-toned.” Zames notes that there’s lots that can be done in addition to task lighting in a galley kitchen. Zames recommends using glossy tile or surfaces to brighten the space all in place always. ARMOIRE SEPTEMBER 2018

Dreams do come true...

Plunger pot strong, whipped barista viennese redeye americano organic.

A galley kitchen! But the printsize spaces, distinguished by their narrow layout with parallel counters, are a fact of life for plenty of urban dwellers. “It’s so often that we get projects that people ask us to open up the galley kitchen,” says designer Sarah Zames, founder of the Brooklyn-based firm General Assembly. “But there are cases where you can’t do that, such as in prewar buildings where lots of times you can’t move pipes the way that you would want to.” There are also instances where you might not want your kitchen to feel like a part of your living room. “It’s coming back into style to consolidate your kitchen and not necessarily have it open,” says Zames. “I’m getting more people asking me to do that. It’s not always a given that you want everything open.” If you’re sticking with your hallway-like space, either by choice or out of necessity, there are plenty of galley kitchen ideas to make the most of your meager square footage and create a less claustrophobic feel. Zames shared her tips on how to enhance your galley kitchen, whether you’re doing a full renovation or just trying to clear a little counter space so that everything was going to fit in perfectly like the rest of the things. You don’t need to demo an entire wall to open up a galley kitchen. “The first thing that I would do is see if there’s anyway [to] create some sort of opening to the other spaces from it,” says Zames. “You could open up just the corner of it and add some open shelving to break that hallway feeling.” She recalls a project where even a small opening made a big difference. “We weren’t able to open it up to the living room, because there were some pipes in the way, but we opened it up partially and put

shelves that hung from the ceiling,” she says. “I thought that was a nice happy medium. It kept the kitchen out of the dining area, and you kept the functional storage, but it was still visually connected to the other space”, those were the words they said, it was so important. “The goal when designing a galley kitchen is to make it feel the least cavernous as possible,” Zames says. “Reduce the number of tall cabinets that you’re going to use, or consolidate your tall storage into one place. She recommends putting the refrigerator and pantry in one area and keeping storage focused in that space, then doing open shelving or limited upper cabinetry. Zames recommends using glossy tile or surfaces to brighten the space. “With materials, you can use things that are a little more reflective,” she says. “Getting as much natural light bouncing around in there as possible is pretty key.” Another option is to bring in wood to make the kitchen feel more connected to the rest of the apartment. “In that case, I would do wood-base cabinets that would feel a little more grounded and more like furniture than cabinets,” Zames says. “For upper shelving, I would do something neutral and light and cool-toned.” Zames notes that there’s lots that can be done in addition to task lighting in a galley kitchen. “You’re not working with pendant lights over an island, but you can do some great decorative fixtures on the ceiling that bring the space together,” she says, some lightning and food will work. “The first thing that I would do is see if there’s anyway [to] create some sort of opening to the other spaces from it,” says Zames. “You could open up just the corner” of it and add some open shelving to break that hallway.

ut the pint-size spaces, distinguished by their narrow layout with parallel counters, are a fact of life for plenty of urban dwellers. “It’s so often that we get projects that people ask us to open up the galley kitchen,” says designer Sarah Zames, founder of the Brooklyn-based firm General Assembly. “But there are cases where you can’t do that, such as in prewar buildings where lots of times you can’t move pipes the way that you would want to.” There are also instances where you might not want your kitchen to feel like a part of your living room. “It’s coming back into style to consolidate your kitchen and not necessarily have it open,” says Zames. “I’m getting more people asking me to do that. It’s not always a given that you want everything open.” If you’re sticking with your hallway-like space, either by choice or out of necessity, there are plenty of galley kitchen ideas to make the most of your meager square footage and create a less claustrophobic feel. Zames shared her tips on how to enhance your galley kitchen, whether you’re doing a full renovation or just trying to clear a little counter space so that everything was going to fit in perfectly with the rest of the furniture as always.

You don’t need to demo an entire wall to open up a galley kitchen. “The first thing that I would do is see if there’s anyway [to] create some sort of opening to the other spaces from it,” says Zames. “You could open up just the corner of it and add some open shelving to break that hallway feeling.” She recalls a project where even a small opening made a big difference. “We weren’t able to open it up to the living room, because there were some pipes in the way, but we opened it up partially and put shelves that hung from the ceiling,” she says. “I thought that was a nice happy medium. It kept the kitchen out of the dining area, and you kept the functional storage, but

or consolidate your tall storage into one place. She recommends putting the refrigerator and pantry in one area and keeping storage focused in that space, then doing open shelving or limited upper cabinetry to the upper part. Zames recommends using glossy tile or surfaces to brighten the space. “With materials, you can use things that are a little more reflective,” she says. “Getting as much natural light bouncing around in there as possible is pretty key.” Another option is to bring in wood to make the kitchen feel more connected to the rest of the apartment. “In that case, I would do wood-base cabinets that would feel a little more grounded and

“It’s so often that we get some things that people ask us to open up the galley kitchen” it was still visually connected to the other space”, those were the words they said, and were so happy. “The goal when designing a galley kitchen is to make it feel the least cavernous as possible,” Zames says. “Reduce the number of tall cabinets that you’re going to use,

more like furniture than cabinets,” Zames says. “For upper shelving, I would do something neutral and light and cool-toned.” Zames notes that there’s lots that can be done in addition to task lighting in a galley kitchen. “You’re not working with pendant lights over an island or so”.