a home’s beating heart

a home’s beatingheart Text by Donna Rolando Design by Pam Cooper Photography by Vic Wahby Once the Somerset County kitchen had no elbow room. Now it’s the central gathering place for a family of six.

White and bright just as the homeowners envisioned, this Somerset kitchen redo says the more cooks the merrier with its family-friendly layout. Though bigger now, the new island doesn’t cramp activity. And when it’s party time, the French doors can open for the convenient deck access their previous 15-year-old kitchen design lacked.

For a blended family of six in Warren, John Denver’s song “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” has become a welcome wakeup call with its reference to “cakes on the griddle.” It tells the whole crew that Dad’s specialty—pancakes—will soon be ready to devour, hot off the new BlueStar stove’s built-in grill.

“My favorite parts of the kitchen are functional,” says homeowner John, known for cranking up the volume to gather the gang of four children, ages 13–19, to what is now their new favorite haunt.

“I say we hang out in the kitchen more than any other room in the house,” adds his wife, Marcy.

That breakfast can go like clockwork is testament to the power of design. Besides meeting the mark as a luxe gourmet atmosphere, the new kitchen has an easy flow, so there are never too many cooks. Good thing, because it’s not unusual for adults and kids to fix up a dish or snack now that a semi-circle island no longer gets in the way. This big family also functions better with a floor-to-ceiling pantry, extended counters and practical features such as Wolf warming drawers. Thanks to the design by Pam Cooper of Watchung-based Cooper Interiors, the kitchen beats as the true heart of this central hall colonial.

No longer traditional with dated cabinets, it also scores for style. The reno is an elegant mix of white-and-gray quartz countertops and soft cream cabinets by Ingrained Cabinetry juxtaposed with warm wood. Marcy’s favorites just so happen to be the wood elements—for instance, the arched French doors, which provide easy deck access for entertaining, and the matching custom range hood. Upscale design also gets a homey touch from the shiplap plank coffered ceiling, says Cooper, while the handscraped, prefinished engineered wood planks are a time-worn look in flooring.

Make way for more contrasts. The backsplash proves refined and elegant with marble subway tile, but what has folks staring in admiration is the “wow” above the stove: a glass-bordered marble arabesque tile. For the beverage center with its two Sub-Zero chillers, Cooper chose large-format porcelain tile with dramatic stone-like veining.

Completing the look are wood swivel stools covered in faux leather and polished nickel lantern-style fixtures over the island.

“We gave Pam a wish list and she took it from there,” says Marcy, thrilled that the new kitchen is now the place to be, not to avoid. And what timing: All of this was completed by July 2020, as COVID united families in cooking at home.

This page, right: Ready for a party or just family fun, the beverage center has both a wine and a beverage Sub-Zero fridge. The faux leather on these wood swivel stools by Fairfield Chair in North Carolina is an easy-wipe performance fabric. Opposite page, from left: As an added punch, the new quartztopped island has a 2-inch mitered edge—you might never know it’s not a thick slab. In the beverage center, oak-stained floating shelves are a warm accent for the large-format, marble-look tile wall.