By Lisa van de Geyn
Photography by Madi Sanaei
There’s something truly luxurious about this pristine transitional space.
Thanks to the team at Luxeme Kitchens Inc., the lucky owners of this stunning abode are in for quite the treat when they move in. And it’s all about linking the elements together.
When Kam Shamohamadi, the CEO of Vaughan, Ont.- based Luxeme Kitchens Inc., is called in to do a project, you know it’s going to stand out — spaces where themes flow from one area to the next. Luxeme works with some of the finest designers, and should the clients not have one in mind, Luxeme is able to help them through the design process. It’s the personal knowledge of the Luxeme team, paired with the great partnerships they have with both designers and builders, that truly brings their projects to life.
Vicolo Construction Inc, the builder of this newly finished 5,000-square-foot home in North York, Ont., has a history with Shamohamadi, and they knew he and his team would bring professionalism, sophistication and creativity to the spaces they were asked to transform — the kitchen cabinetry, vanities, closets and bar area. “Builders look at some of the previous jobs we’ve done and they like our projects,” says Shamohamadi. “Then they tell us what they want and what their needs are, and we go from there.”
Take the kitchen. It’s more of a transitional space and designed to keep a smooth flow in the house. Shamohamadi has a very methodical way of working when it comes to building a kitchen. “We always concentrate and focus on the middle of the hood being aligned with the centre of the island, and we try to create working spaces so that the kitchen is useful for everyone, whether they’re cooking, cleaning or washing,” he says. The hood area is done in porcelain, and Shamohamadi points out the new trend is to have wall sconces on both sides of the canopy hood instead of attaching cabinetry to it. “We went with stone all around for a cleaner, sleeker look,” he explains. There’s also a huge focus on storage. In fact, they added a coffee station inside the pantry so there’s plenty of space left on countertops for food preparation and other work. The showpiece in the room, though, is undoubtedly the exquisite island. It’s done in porcelain and has the appearance of floating stone. “We had to make the whole structure to give it that floating look — there are no legs attached to it,” he says, adding it makes the perfect eating area, complete with comfortable chairs surrounding it. The staggered island is done in a super-light colour, which contrasts beautifully with the medium-grey MDF-painted and stained rift -cut white-oak veneer that Luxeme Kitchens used for the cabinetry. “Grey is very trendy these days,” says Shamohamadi. “It looks sharp with the lighter porcelain used on the island and countertop.” He points out there are almost no handles used on the cabinets. “Everything is integrated finger-edge pull. It’s sleeker and it’s a newer trend for modern cabinetry not to have handles.” Across from the kitchen is the family room, where the wall unit is done in the same combination of MDF-painted rift -cut white oak. There’s a divider separating the family room and staircase in the room that also pulls in materials from the kitchen: It’s done in MDF-painted wood (in the same grey that the kitchen cabinets are done in), glass and the same porcelain from the kitchen to connect the areas. It’s sublime.
Luxeme Kitchens was also asked to do the vanities, closet and bar area. Th e bathroom vanities have the same kind of feel as the kitchen — the porcelain countertops are light and most of the vanities are done in MDF-painted. The streamlined, sleek closets are spacious, and the one in the principal bedroom has a pretty makeup area. The gold hardware adds a grand feel. The bar is a focal point, with its built-in fireplace, wood accents (it’s done in white oak) and dark grey façade. It makes a definite statement and echoes the grey in the kitchen, which helps to tie the space together.
“This was a great project for Luxeme Kitchens — it came together just how we envisioned it,” says Shamohamadi. “The homeowner who moves into this brand-new build will enjoy the luxuriousness of the space and all the details that bring it to life.” And all those details have been designed and crafted to blend together for a look that stands out, and a look that stands together.