HouzzTV “Small Kitchen Gets Big Kitchen Style” featuring Toni Sabatino
Creating dream kitchens for single family palaces is a good portion of my work. Giving that expansive feel to a smaller footprint is a challenge I enjoy as well. To do that I really need to feel how you function. I want to feel how you live and interact. I want to create a space that has room for kids’ art, pet bowls, Costco runs, phone chargers, PTA calendars and still suits all your entertaining needs. I want to know who is cooking what and when so we have a tv for the morning news or easy access to the outdoor bar-b-q. I want to know if wine storage is important or if a built-in coffee system would really make your kitchen special and keep you from running out to Starbucks in your yellow fuzzy robe! Feeding our family and friends really feeds our soul and makes us happy. I want to help you outfit your kitchen to make the most of home celebrations and everyday living.
So, here I am with Ellen, talking about how we made her kitchen function for her specific needs.
My great appreciation for the work of Rick Spence and deepest thanks to the team at Houzz.com for featuring me in this promotional video.
Thanks to K+BB for recognizing my work!
I am thrilled to be on page 72 of the K+BB Magazine April 2013 KBIS editiion! The recognition means so much after designing over a thousand kitchens over the years, in everything from local firehouse to some single family palaces. I love kitchens! The kitchen is where the action is. Friends are celebrated with food and drink. Firemen share stories over a pot of spaghetti and meatballs. Intimate news of love, life and true confessions are all shared at the sink during cleanup after a holiday meal. Interior Design is truly my passion and I love to start with the kitchen to transform a shelter dwelling to a stylish, comfortable home. Thanks again to Janet Groeber at K+BB Magazine for giving me the platform to share my love for design. http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/kbb_201304/index.php#/74
TONI SABATINO toni@tonisabatinostyle.com 516-972-5455
Magic, mayhem and my love of appliances…….
Thursday I had the pleasure of attending The Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier94 in the city. For me, center stage and the stars of the show, were the appliances. Among the items displayed by American Range was my favorite 60″ range with the 22″ gridlle perfect for making those big Sunday breakfasts I adore. Fhiaba takes refrigeration to a new level in my opinion, by allowing the user to change certain segments from refrigeration to freezer or vice versa in a matter of 2 hours–ordinary magic, indeed.
Then there was Thermador , whose design and price point make it my standard for discerning clients. The Thermador booth is picturedat 6:30 pm, wine flowing and people packing themselves in. On display, the new 48″ Pro Grand Range with built in steam oven and the versatile refrigeration columns displayed with wine storage and wood panelled faces that really show off the superior hinge design.
I love appliances!
TONI SABATINO toni@tonisabatinostyle.com 516-972-5455
Inspiration….. when to go custom……..
I love texture and I love shine…….I am looking forward to posting about this kitchen renovation project when it is done but just had to offer a peek of what is in store……
This custom waterjet glass tile created by Ray Bernard of Finishing Touches in Huntington, NY, is just what we needed to put this kitchen over the top. Sure there are all sorts of inlays and herringbones to do in a backsplash but this art deco inspired glass pattern is clean, shiny and truly out of the ordinary….
JUST LOVE!
TONI SABATINO toni@tonisabatinostyle.com 516-972-5455
New Traditional….. Toni Sabatino Style
New Traditional is my way of giving traditional an up-to-date vibe without trying to hide it’s conventional nature. In this Connecticut kitchen remodel, I gave a nod to time honored crystal lighting by using a pendant that displays the crystals in a new way. We also took that tradtional classic of crackled subway tile and made that new by adding a contemporary linear strip of stone and glass. The result?
New Traditional that honors the past but brings the present into view….
TONI SABATINO toni@tonisabatinostyle.com 516-972-5455
HOUZZ.COM ……SLIDE SHOW
In an earlier post, I noted that HOUZZ.COM is not just a website, but an interactive community dedicated to decorating, design and remodeling. I am thrilled to share this slide show widget. I created my first HOUZZ "ideabook" of ventilation ideas as the area above the range is often a kitchen focal point. It is a collection of kitchens I have done featuring various ideas for what we commonly call hoods. Use the arrow tab to see each of my ideabooks. Some are my work and one is photos I enjoyed so much, I saved them in an idea book I called "FUN STUFF", followed by other groups of products for future reference. I hope you enjoy it and are inspired to create your own idea books. Happy HOUZZING!!!! It is truly addicting.
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
Subtle Sparkle…..Kitchen Addition
Working with this client was wonderful. She came to me through an architect friend to create her dream kitchen. My client has wonderful taste, preferring soft subtle hues and rich texture and detail. She wanted a pallette of soft greys with dark wood and white for contrast. An addition would give us the space we needed but marrying ceiling heights and choosing and locating windows to create something truly special was the challenge. I created a kitchen “L” as a work triangle, a large island and a window wall incorporating a table height counter and long glass cabinets to showcase the windows and frame the view to the yard. The creation of a contemporary “mantle hood” with sheetrock structure and stainless and tile detail give an up to date but unique feel. The glass backsplash and hood detail add that “subtle sparkle” that makes the room really special. Dream kitchen…….and dream client!
516-972-5455
Westhampton Beach Kitchen for the “19th Hole”
This remodel is of an old Westhampton house that has had many additions over the years. The kitchen had some character from original rustic beams at the entrance but the cabinets, formica counters and painted tile backsplash had a dated feel. The owner had a wish list of appliances including a 48″ commercial range, big refrigerator, ice maker, warming drawer, built in microwave and two dishwashers. We rearranged the floorplan to accomodate all of the appliances and also allow for a breakfast bar with 5 stools, a tv for the cook to watch “Food Network”, and a spot for the phone and a water cooler. A shade of buttermilk yellow with espresso glaze and beautiful Ayers Green granite give the room a unique updated feel. Owl glass pendants from tech lighting and a fun mosaic tile splash finish off the look.
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
Dreaming of Delft…………
Delft, with stunning cobalt blue and white, was the dream of my client whenever she thought about remodeling her kitchen. The crisp, blue and white motif were in every photo she showed me during our initial consultation. We put together a set of sample materials that came together beautifully with rich, dark, cherry cabinetry, carrera marble counters, terra cotta floor tiles with cobalt blue accents and……….yes, her beloved Delft accenting the blue and white ceramic tile backsplash. Our plan included providing generous space for the family kitchen table and a place for TV and electronics, as well as built in microwave, wood hood for the ventilation system and an appliance garage for those everyday must have kitchen items that generally clutter up the counter. Our complete project has a homey but crisp, sophistocated look in keeping with the center hall colonial style of the architecture and suits the lifestyle and kitchen dreams of my lovely client.
Renovation alterations and installation by CUMMINGS AND SONS.
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
His and Hers…( or house therapy for the therapists…)
Working for a couple that have quite different visions of their kitchen needs is always a challenge but can be a pleasure! In this case, a lovely women wanted a “pretty, country French feel” and her counterpart was looking for something “industrious and manly…..you know, for serious cooking”…(Oddly enough, they are both therapists and have a major impact in helping people make sense of their lives…Could I help them make sense of their kitchen?)…. Here, we have certainly accomplished all goals. The integration of a French patterned golden travertine floor, stunning Blue Bahia counters, stainless appliances (including a “real” commercial range), whimsical pendants and creamy wood tones create a warm, lovely environment that satisfies both “Him and Her”.
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
Another Suburban Remodel Lives Happily Ever After…….
Updating a home can become very expensive, and the ability to make reasonable dreams come true within a reasonable budget is one of my best “Fairy Houzz Mother” tricks…..Dark cabinets don’t have to make the kitchen look smaller. This kitchen was a 1980’s white formica laminate with radius ends and a truly dated look. This alder wood cabinetry in a rich dark finish mixed with sunny golden tones creates warmth without giving the kitchen a “closed in” feel. Reworking the plan within the existing footprint created more storage and a better work flow without the expense of an addition….and so both the budget and
the kitchen lived happily ever after……
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
Installation by Ross Portenoy,
Touch of Class Home Improvements, Long Island, NY
Richly Remodeled………
Everything about this Long Island, New York, kitchen is indeed Lovely! As part of a design team including A.B. Lake Construction, Bruce Spenadel AIA (architect for project including kitchen addition and other remodeling enhancements), Introspect Interiors (tile, granite, paint, lighting and fabric selection), I was responsible for space planning, window placement, cabinetry design, banquette and bookcase design, molding design and implementation of all. I wanted the cabinetry to have a sense of importance, a feeling of richness as the room was to have high ceilings and tall windows. Working with an existing commercial hood, commercial grade range and subzero refrigerator, I decided to forgo reuse of the stainless hood and instead used a wood hood and devised a way to panel the refrigerator to add warmth. With the hood as a center focal point, I used large scale cabinet doors and trims to create balance. The room also incorporates a table area that includes a wall of cabinetry with a banquette bench and bookshelves that not only allow for additional seating and storage but also add rich personality with cookbooks and personal momentos. Finished room…………..yes, rich and lovely…..
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
Long Island, NY…….”Linda Cookin’ Good”
This kitchen remodel comprises elements of rustic finishes, antiques and contemporary architecture with the vaulted ceiling. The owners wanted an open airy space complementing the adjoining family room with a rustic theme, soft beigy rose tones and rustic knotty alder wood cabinetry. Cookin’ good!
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
Dining In……….
When designing a spatially challenged suburban kitchen, I often have a conversation that starts something like this, “I want to eat in my kitchen but I have no room. I don’t want to just stick a table against the wall and I don’t like the idea of a breakfast bar where we are all line up…….it isn’t conversational. What can I do?” My favorite solution is some variation of what I like to call a “dine in peninsula”. This solution provides a conversational place to have a meal while adding off meal time working counter and additional storage. This home in Garden City, New York is an example of a simple, but decorative and functional “dine in” space. The use of glass cabinetry gives it personality and the “chandette” adds warmth and intimacy.
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
Kitchen Cohesiveness
I like to think of decorating as creating an outfit for a room. Of course, it does have to be an outfit you will not mind wearing for a good, long while. Seriously, though, the care one takes to coordinate an outfit is quite similar to room decorating. Just because you “like it” doesn’t means it works! Too many accessories, more than one large bold pattern and colors that are not complimentary will take down even the best of the individual items being used. Cohesive design where each item has not only a purpose but is in proper scale and has a good relationship with the other items in the room, will make a room inviting no matter what the style. The selection of flooring, cabinetry, counters, backsplash, and wall color can really be done in any order as long as each element builds upon the last. Take into account colors and themes from adjoining rooms as well. This will help to create a flow in the home that really shows off a sense of style. Kitchens require special attention as plumbing and electric codes as well as appliance clearances all have to be taken into account while creating a visually pleasing, functional space. It is my opinion that a good ” kitchen designer” will guide you to find your style and showcase your unique treasures while creating that cohesion that makes a room really special.
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
The pallette to the left incorporates soothing neutral tones of cream for walls, tile flooring and cabinetry, while adding color and texture with the gold stone for the counters and stone and glass linear mosiac for the backsplash.
Butler’s Pantry
You can almost hear him pouring the champagne and slicing the strawberries……this butler’s pantry is used to store wine, glassware and serving pieces, as well as preparing canapes and hors d’oeuvres and all the luscious bits of “tipple and snack” that make for truly opulent living…….. ah,salut……la bonne vie!
TONI SABATINO tonisab@optonline.net 516-972-5455
tonisab 