Design NJ Kitchen Issue 2015

WRITER MEG FOX
PHOTOGRAPHER JOHN MARTINELLI
ARCHITECT CAROLYN A. YOUNG
INTERIOR DESIGN VICTOR MOLDOVAN, ASID, & SHANNON FOX
Romancing
the Stone
A gem-like pavilion reinvents
tradition for the 21st century
Steel beams encased in distressed
wood columns provide structural
support in the open-plan design
and mark where the original
kitchen ended. Interior designer
Victor Moldovan further embraced
the home’s history with a transition
in flooring: marble basket weave
and black Belgian limestone. Breakfast bar countertops are polished
zinc. Concrete panels at the base of
the island feature fossilized
imprints and an aged patina.
Built circa 1928, a classic country
estate in New Vernon has all the charm of a bygone
era: authentic materials, grandly scaled living spaces
and elegantly appointed architectural details that
would be difficult to replicate today. These features
appealed to Christine Pearson and her family, who
purchased the property in 2002. “Old houses have
more character,” says Pearson, who was moving from
a fairly new house in town.
Constructed entirely of stone, steel and concrete —
a fireproofing measure in its day — the estate was
“The challenge of adding
onto an imposing formal
mansion inspired the
notion of a gem-like
pavilion full of light and
connected to the
outdoors,” architect
Carolyn Young says.
“Oversized windows,
copper roofing and rich
exterior trims create a
foil to the stone and
slate of the original
structure.”
In the new kitchen, stateof-the-art appliances
blend with the period
flair of Shaker-style
cabinets, a white
farmhouse sink and a
subway tile backsplash.
Thick charcoal gray
concrete countertops,
stone flooring, and tin
and timber elements pay
homage to the home’s
solid construction.
built by New York financier Howard Bayne (for
whom Bayne Park in Harding was named) after his
previous house burned to the ground. With 18 inches
of poured concrete between floors and 28-inch-thick
masonry walls, “The house was built so solid that you
can’t hear a thing,” Pearson says, which makes for a
very quiet home even with four active boys.
Still, some parts were in serious need of upgrading.
The master bathroom, for instance, “was horrible,”
Pearson says. So was the tiny service kitchen in the
original servants’ wing. Cut off from the main living
areas with no connection to the outdoors, it was
dark, stuck in time and dysfunctional. “No one had
wanted to tackle that job,” Pearson says. “We knew
the kitchen would be a major project.”
MATTER OF COURSE
Interior designer Victor Moldovan and associate
designer Shannon Fox undertook the renovation of
the master bathroom first and then redecorated the
house room by room. As for the kitchen, “As large as
the home was, there was no way to carve a kitchen
out of the existing space” without building out,
recalls Moldovan, a professional member of the
American Society of Interior Designers and owner of
Moldovan Interior Design in Toms River and Atlanta.
In 2008, ready to approach a kitchen renovation
in earnest and armed with photos of inspiration,
Pearson consulted with a few architects on a general
concept. Nothing too new or modern that wouldn’t
honor the integrity of the house, she told them: “I
don’t like additions that look like they are plucked
from the sky.” A friend who had recently renovated
a home referred her to architect Carolyn Young,
principal of C.A. Young Architecture in Morristown.
“When I met Carolyn, I knew she understood what
I was looking for,” Pearson says. What followed was
a close collaboration among homeowner, designer
and architect.
CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
Faced with the thick masonry walls and original building materials that couldn’t be matched, Young says she
felt the challenge. However, she also felt the intrigue
of “how to create something new that would complement and enhance the home yet be able to stand on
its own as a special gem of architectural design.”
The solution? A glass-enclosed addition, “similar to
a conservatory or an orangery from an earlier era,” a
garden pavilion linked to the past but repurposed as
a modern kitchen and gathering space, Young says.
“That became the general notion we all followed.”
Construction began in 2010. Once the wall to the
existing kitchen came down — a formidable task that
took three weeks — the formerly closed-in service
quarters were opened up and seamlessly integrated
into the new addition, space that encompasses about
1,300 square feet.
Filled with light and views from the soaring breakfast room, the modern kitchen is equipped with a generous cooking zone, an abundance of seating, storage
Functional features
include a warming
drawer and double ovens
(not shown) a vegetable
steamer, dual
dishwashers and a
separate Sub-Zero
refrigerator and freezer
(at left in photo).
Opposite this space is a
convenient breakfast
station for the boys with
a second sink, microwave
and fridge.
The ceiling in the new walkin pantry exposes the home’s
original poured-concrete
floor structure above. Every
time you look up, “You see a
tidbit of history” and a
playful juxtaposition of the
concrete against a glowing
chandelier, architect Carolyn
Young says. A niche
accommodates a vintage
French shopping cart.
Stainless steel countertops,
open shelving and metal
inset panels — leftover
“filler” material from the
kitchen’s tin ceiling —
reinforce the industrial vibe.
Former hemmed-in
servants’ quarters were
opened up into an
informal but elegant side
entry with radiant heat
flooring, well-appointed
architectural features
and a mudroom with
built-in storage. Owner
Christine Pearson found
the hand-painted
chandelier in Canada and
commissioned the
sconces to match. The
design, which “reminds
me of falling leaves,”
inspired the coppery
finish on the walls and
ceiling, she says.
and start-of-the-art appliances. “It’s functional and a
joy to cook in,” Pearson says. “I’m so happy with it.”
CHARACTER TRAITS
Durable natural materials and vintage-inspired touches reinforce the organic and enduring character of the
space, from the combination of concrete and zinc
countertops to the mix of stone flooring and
reclaimed ceiling beams. The design, Moldovan and
Young say, is heavily influenced also by the homeowner’s unique personal style, which infused the project with a fun and spirited originality.
Keeping the history of the house alive was another
key design factor. “We wanted to respect the line
between old and new,” Young says. Steel beams encased
in distressed wood columns tell the story of where the
original kitchen ended and where the addition took
shape. So does a transition in flooring from a black-
and-white marble mosaic to black Belgian limestone.
Other links to an earlier era are expressed in the
new walk-in pantry, where the ceiling detail exposes
the home’s original poured concrete floor structure
from above. Every time you walk in and look up,
“You see a tidbit of history” and a playful juxtaposition of concrete against a glowing chandelier,
Young says.
Any vestiges of the former servants’ quarters — such
as a small pantry and narrow doorway — were reconfigured into an informal but elegant side entry.
Defined architectural features such as a curved wall
and tall wainscoting help “create a gesture of welcome
and announce this is a special home,” Young says. DNJ
SOURCES Overall: architect, Carolyn A. Young of C.A. Young
Architecture in Morristown; interior design, Victor Moldovan,
ASID, and Shannon Fox of Moldovan Interior Design in Toms
River and Atlanta; carpenter, Ed vonAmlen of von Construction
in Morristown. Landscape: terrace/patio stone installation and
water feature: Bravo General Construction in Morristown. Foyer and Mudroom: design, Carolyn
Young; custom built-in cabinetry, von Construction with crackle finish by Fred Morra of Paint Works
Plus LLC in Bernardsville; custom chandelier and sconces, artist Yan-Eric Côté in Mont-Tremblant,
Quebec; metallic wall finish, Simply Splendid in Hillsborough. Kitchen: cabinetry, Bischoff Cabinetmaking LLC in Whippany; range hood and zinc countertop, RangeCraft Inc. in Fair Lawn; concrete
countertops and concrete panels at base of island, J.M. Lifestyles LLC in Randolph; appliances: Wolf
six-burner range and double oven, Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, KitchenAid dishwashers; farmhouse sink, Michael S. Smith Collection for Kallista; tin ceiling, Shanker Industries Inc. in Deer Park,
New York; reclaimed wood ceiling beams, Olde World Timbersmith LLC in Chatham; stone flooring
and ceramic subway wall tile, Anne Sacks; island pendants, Arteriors; lanterns, Currey & Co.; industrial-style light fixtures, customized through Go Home in Flushing, New York; sconces, Hudson Valley
Lighting. Breakfast Room: decorative Venetian plaster wall finish, Simply Splendid. Pantry: cabinetry,
von Construction; metal shelving, Decorative Iron Works in Hibernia; chandelier, ABC Carpet & Home;
French shopping cart, vintage.
As Featured in February/March 2015 Issue of