Success Story: Let There Be Light

Amazing Spaces, LLC brightens up a 20-year old kitchen and brings a little beauty to utilitarian spaces in a 20-year-old Colonial.

It was all about the light. When Jason Landau of Amazing Spaces, LLC met with his new clients, Maude & Don Delaski, the couple knew that parts of their 20-year old Colonial home need remodeling. Though they would eventually have a ground floor Powder Room and Laundry room redone, it was the dark kitchen that was the catalyst for the whole project.

“The kitchen abutted a covered deck which made the whole space very dark,” recalls Maude. “Everything was outdated and worn out.”

The home was certainly well-used as the family once numbered five. As the kids grew and left home, the number of residents dropped to three (and two canine family members) but on holidays that number could swell to 22 or more. The Delaskis needed room for all and space for more than just one person to do the cooking.

A realtor friend recommended Jason Landau of Amazing Spaces, LLC who met with the Delaskis, took some measurements and immediately began seeing in his mind how more light could be let into the kitchen, as well as ways it could become much more user-friendly for the cooks and helpers.

"Where there was once more cabinetry, I opened the space to a wall of windows and vaulted the ceiling of the 12-foot-deep covered porch,” says Landau. The family likes to grill out and eat in nice weather, so I added more light by installing skylights in the porch's roof”.

“Jason hit the nail right on the head,” says Maude. “He had a vision right away about how to improve the kitchen. He went back to his office, drew up the layout, and off we went. We changed virtually nothing from his original plans.”

“In the original layout, one-third of the kitchen was wasted,” Landau says. “I decided to separate the kitchen into two very functional sides-- one with everything the cook would need (the range, ovens, prep sink and part of the island ) and the other for everyone not doing the cooking (with a main sink, small appliances, Miele paneled dishwasher, and lots of counter space). The two areas would meet in the middle with both sharing access to the 42-inch paneled SubZero refrigerator.

The Delaskis chose a 48-inch Wolf range with six burners and a griddle (which they use much more often than they thought they would, with grilled chicken being a particular favorite).

“I refer to my former stove the 'play stove' after I saw my new one,” says Maude.

The Delaskis also chose beaded inset paint and glazed maple cabinetry named Yellow Flicker from Levant, complete with mesh doors beneath the sink to add an upscale country feel.

“We looked at lots of styles and colors in kitchen magazine,” says Maude, they found Jason a very reassuring presence. They largely followed his lead and only had one wrong choice that was quickly corrected after Maude sat straight up in bed one night and realized she couldn't live with the metal- accented tile she had picked when Landau took her tile shopping. “I chose something more toned down and now love the backsplash of Crema Marfil tumbled marble set in both subway and herringbone patterns.”

Another change came about when the finish on the island's Bronzite granite didn't suit the piece of granite they selected, so Landau suggested changing from a leathering finish to a polished surface and the resultant surface is stunning.

Recessed lights add extra wattage to the alabaster lights provided by the shaded pendants above the countertops and islands. The countertops elsewhere in the kitchen are Yellow River granite and the rich oak flooring gives the whole space an even warmer feel.

“The kitchen is a huge upgrade,” says Maude. “Now the kitchen is elegant and professional. It not only makes cooking more fun, it makes the whole house more desirable for when we decide to sell.”

“The Delaski's kitchen project came out great, in my opinion,” says Landau. “It is now the perfect example of how a good kitchen design can accommodate multiple people all making use of the space simultaneously.”

But Landau wasn't done yet. Amazing Spaces, LLC redesigned the existing Powder Room. Landau had installed a marble counter, an antiqued ivory buffet-style vanity (to complement the wood molding), a lovely blush patterned wall covering and hanging from the darkly-accented ceiling, a jewel-like chandelier.

“Amazing Spaces, LLC created a beautiful little room,”says Maude, who also particularly appreciated that Landau moved the room's door out of the center of the sight-line of the home's front door.

“It makes for more privacy and a nicer view when you enter the home,” explains Landau. 

The new laundry room replaced the previous one's builder cabinets, slop sink and an old washer and dryer with a stackable washer and dryer, washed blue cabinetry, a light marble counter (over which hang very useful clothing rods) and multi-tonal tile which reflects all the room's colors, making the room gorgeous as well as useful.

To complete all the projects took six months, but not only was all the dust contained, with the floors washed every night, but an entire mini-kitchen was created for the family's use during the renovation.

“It was worth every penny and every minute,” says Maude. “We had a crowd over at Thanksgiving and my husband Don and I worked side-by-side in the new kitchen. Even the guest sitting at the table just off the kitchen pitched in to help. It was fun and everyone admired all the changes.”

“The work Amazing Spaces, LLC did for the Delaskis was a true pleasure,” says Landau. “They were very open to making changes and I'm very glad they are delighted with the outcome.”


Let Amazing Spaces, LLC help remake your kitchen or bath. Please call Jason or Susie today at 914- 239-3725 or visit us at www.amazingspacesllc.com. We look forward to working with you.

Is A Contemporary Kitchen The Design For You?

For everyone who loves carved cabinetry, multi-colored mosaic tiles decorating every surface, dramatic window coverings and lots of nooks and crannies in their kitchen, there is another type of person who likes things, modern, geometric and uncluttered. This client might be called a minimalist and for them, the perfect kitchen style may be Contemporary.

Less is more

Contemporary kitchens purposefully strip down a kitchen to its function. Gone are moldings and unnecessary ornamentation. Lines are horizontal or asymmetrical and sleek is the order of the day. Appliances (sometimes industrial strength) are often stainless steel and other materials used in the kitchen are mostly man-made like chrome, laminate, frosted glass, polished concrete or even linoleum. Surfaces are often reflective.

Cabinetry may have minimal or no visible hardware and cabinet surfaces are often flat (sliding cabinets sometimes play a big part in Contemporary design.) Spaces are open and every part of the design is clean. Even window coverings are often reduced just to functional blinds to keep the sun's glare down or the window glass itself treated to shade the room without the need of window coverings all together. This bare bones approach has been perfected by European designers, particularly those in Scandinavia, Germany and Italy, who have been in the vanguard of Contemporary design.

Design follows function

Everything in a Contemporary kitchen design is about functionality—Whatever makes the cook's life easier. From the layout of the appliances (usually the classic triangle of refrigerator, sink and stove is used to increase efficiency) to where and what type of cabinetry is used. The idea is for everything to have a place and for that place to be exactly where the cook needs it to speed up and make the cooking process easier. Such lack of clutter and smooth surfaces also make cleaning a Contemporary kitchen a whole lot easier.

Different use of light and color

Contemporary kitchens often make use of recessed lighting (even using miniature spotlights in cabinet interiors if the cabinets are glass-faced.) Halogen lights are used to radiate on the countertop or workspace to give the cook the light they need. Pendant lights can light a kitchen island. What you rarely see in a contemporary kitchen is a chandelier.

Color in a Contemporary kitchen design can go either way—Perhaps walls painted in some hot shade can add the pop of color needed to keep all that stainless steel from becoming too industrial or you may go Italian and get tomato red cabinetry, making it the focal point of your new design scheme.

“Contemporary design allows for the use of more unique and interesting materials, such as exotic wood veneers and specialty metals,” says Jason Landau, kitchen designer and CEO of Amazing Spaces, LLC. “Since such design offers the opportunity to mix several different materials like wood and high gloss lacquer, multiple countertop thickness and more diverse materials, I find designing a contemporary kitchen to be a very creative outlet.”

Creating a Contemporary kitchen, using subtle geometric curves to soften the straight lines and the right materials to appear sleek and modern without being too dehumanizing, requires a kitchen designer with great creativity, years of experience and an architectural education. Just such a designer is the one quoted above--Jason Landau of Amazing Spaces, LLC. From the initial project drawings through picking the exact fixtures and best cabinets to bring life to the space, right through to appliance installation, Jason and his crack team can help develop and hone your vision of your perfect Contemporary kitchen and then implement the plan flawlessly. Call him today at 914-239-3725 or visit www.amazingspacesllc.com.5