We recently had the pleasure of completing the Aria Frenchtown Estate project. This project was in a beautiful home in a stately neighborhood. Our clients had recently moved in and loved the area, but wanted to update the home to better reflect their own style. Our goal was to take the house from dark and segmented to bright, airy, and open. We are beyond excited to share the results with you!

The original kitchen layout left the area cramped and the space hard to work around. The colors of the walls and countertops added a dark, heavy feeling to the room. Our goals for this project consisted of increasing functionality in the kitchen and updating the walls and lighting to brighten the home.

We started by replacing the patio doors with a new folding door system to create a seamless indoor-outdoor flow. Then, we tore down the butler’s pantry and opened the space by removing the walls between the entry, dining, and living room. We also installed some structural beams to support the second floor. These were finished with beautiful stained pine so they could function as focal pieces of the design.

We removed the old cabinetry in the kitchen along with some structural aspects that made the space feel choppy, like the built-out columns by the vent hood. We also minimized the structural columns between the kitchen and living room. The kitchen cabinetry was extended toward the dining room for more counter space. The plumbing and electrical was modified to accommodate the new island, range, and fridge layout. Some special features in this kitchen were the pot filler over the range and a Miele built-in coffee machine. We updated the lighting by removing the old wooden structure from the ceiling and adding new pendant lights. New custom cabinets were fabricated for the kitchen, and matching doors were made for the entertainment unit. The existing hardwood flooring was in great shape, but needed to be repaired after the structural changes. We patched in new wood and refinishing all the hardwood flooring in a lighter color.

Aria Select quartzite was selected for the countertops and bonded for a more substantial edge, and Emser Craft tile in Taupe 3×12 with Driftwood grout and Schluter Metallic Gray trim was used on the backsplash. We added MSI Tundra Gray accent tiles above the range in 1×4 polished, with Warm Gray grout and Tundra Gray pencil trim. The pendant lights are from Williston Forge, and the bar faucet is from Signature Hardware. The hardware on the cabinets is also from Signature Hardware. The composite granite sink is the Blanco Precisó Super Single Bowl sink in Truffle.

In the living room, MSI Tundra Gray in 1×4 polished with Warm Gray grout was installed on the fireplace with Schluter Greige 3/8″ trim. The patio doors are from Marvin.

The finished kitchen and living area are bright and open, with a great flow to the patio. The custom cabinets and updated lighting add a modern touch with a hint of rustic industrial style, and the refinished hardwood floors tie it all together. We hope you are as pleased with these results as we are. Be sure to check out Part II of the Aria Frenchtown Estate renovation project, where we share the results of the master bath!

Project Materials & References :

P A I N T :

Cabinet Paint – Sherwin Williams Snowbound
Walls – Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray
Trim/Doors/Ceiling – Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

T I L E :

Backsplash Main Tile – Emser Craft in Taupe 3×12 (via ProSource)
Grout – Driftwood
         Trim – Schluter Metalic Gray
Backsplash Accent Over Range – MSI Tundra Gray in 1×4 polished (via ProSource)
Grout – Warm Gray
Trim – Schluter Metallic Gray
Fireplace Tile – MSI Tundra Gray in 1×4 polished (via ProSource)
Floor – Solid red oak with 50% Dark Walnut, 50% Ebony

O T H E R  :

Cabinet Stain – Sherwin Williams Dark Walnut
Countertops – Aria Select 3cm Quartzite
Sink – Blanco Precisó Super Single Bowl sink in Truffle (via ProSource)
Pendant Lights – Williston Forge Scruggs 1 Light Single Dome
Bar Faucet – Amberly Single-Hole Bar Faucet