Photography by Vincent Lions
Kitchen styled by Beverley Binns
“It’s not every day a potential client walks into Binns Kitchen + Bath Design and says she wants her kitchen to appear in the pages of a magazine. That was precisely the case when the homeowner of a traditionally/transitionally designed abode in Scarborough introduced herself to designer Erica Sibley. In their first meeting at the preeminent kitchen-and-bath design company’s showroom, Sibley’s new client shared her desire for her dream kitchen to one day be published. ‘She knew a lot of our designs end up in magazines, and it didn’t take long for her to tell me what her hopes were for her renovated space,’ Sibley remembers. ‘They were a couple on the verge of becoming empty nesters and they decided they were ready to tear out their kitchen and do a refresh.'”
The homeowner had a specific vision for what would become her new, updated kitchen — she wanted a distinct change from the white space with black granite countertops she’d gotten used to over the years. ‘Her existing kitchen was very nice — it was a well-done builder’s kitchen — but she had her heart set on a black-and-gold aesthetic. She wanted something dramatic and modern; a design that was perhaps a bit of a change from the rest of her traditional and transitional home,’ Sibley says. The kitchen in the client’s 4,000-square-foot residence wasn’t an overly large area, and the homeowner preferred to keep the room’s current configuration in place, so Sibley was tasked with creating a more modern, striking space that fulfilled her client’s requests. ‘They wanted to maintain the basic layout, so I didn’t move the sink or the cooktop — they’re pretty much in the same location,’ she says. ‘They also wanted plenty of storage, of course, as well as a large, statement-making island with lots of working space and a streamlined look that wouldn’t be interrupted by light fixtures above it. My biggest challenge, though, was to integrate the lifestyle appliances they asked for — there were many they felt made their life easier.’ Once she determined they had space for their wish-list appliances, Sibley got to work.
The result is a stunning space — a definite, more upscale departure from the existing white kitchen. The tall black cabinets on either side of the room were the perfect place to start when it came to infusing drama. ‘I took a lot of my inspiration for this room from what’s going on in European design right now. Tall, vertical elements that accentuate ceiling height are becoming more popular, and I thought that same look would work beautifully in this space,’ she says, pointing out the black vertical-grain oak-laminate wood-like floor-to-ceiling cabinets, as well as part of the backsplash that was installed vertically to accentuate the direction.
On one side of the kitchen are the refrigerator and freezer hidden behind paneled cabinetry, plus steam, speed, and regular ovens, warming drawers, and a coffee machine. The back wall has an integrated hood with a 36-inch gas cooktop and a 15-inch teppanyaki grill — it’s also a focal point in the kitchen, with its two backsplashes (one a gold-toned subway-shaped tile and one an expressive quartz done in a matte finish that’s also used on the counters).
“THE RESULT IS A STUNNING SPACE — A DEFINITE, MORE UPSCALE DEPARTURE FROM THE EXISTING WHITE KITCHEN.”
There’s another fridge in the island, as well as the dishwasher. And there are lots of easily accessible lower cabinets — in a metal-laminate material from German kitchen manufacturer SieMatic; they have a stunning brushed champagne-gold finish — with rollouts and drawers for convenience and quick access. “This room truly has every convenience you’d ever want in a kitchen,” she says. Along the wall with the window is one of the showpieces of the space — a black metal-framed cabinet featuring vertical metal strips and a glass door. “This is my take on a traditional counter-standing cabinet. It sits six inches off the countertop and there are six inches from the ceiling. They keep their glassware in it. It really modernizes the space,” says Sibley.
The other element that adds a modern pop is the thoughtful channelled lighting integrated between the top of the cabinetry and the underside of the countertops. “There are no elaborate light fixtures in this room, but there is dramatic lighting,” she says. “The idea was that ambient light would come from the channel and just glow. This isn’t task lighting; instead, it’s a mood enhancer they can leave on when not using the room. I had initially wanted to put a statement light fixture above the island but having seen the space toward the final stages of the design, I’m glad we didn’t do that. The jewellery-like wall sconces beside the window and the channelled lighting work perfectly together.”
Sibley finished this space in late spring, so the homeowner has had a few months to get used to her brand-new kitchen. “They have a lovely home. When you walk in, there’s a grand foyer that’s open to the second floor, and they have very transitional decor and paintings on the wall. But when you walk to the back of the house and turn to the right, there’s a surprise pop of modern design. It’s a bold statement that they’re very happy with,” she says proudly. “She had faith in me as a designer, even when she wasn’t sure she could envision the full concept. It all came together, and she’s impressed.”
And since Sibley’s client hoped for a kitchen worthy of a magazine, we can’t help but think she’d be delighted to see her exceptional kitchen in the pages of Living Luxe.
