Remember red linoleum floors and yellow Formica countertops? Seventies flashbacks are fun on throwback Thursdays, but not so amusing to live with every day.
After a year of research, interviews with construction and remodeling agencies, then drafting a 20-page document, Beth and Marc Cutler of Greenwich hired Matt Giardana of Front Row Kitchens in Norwalk to design and execute the gut renovation of their dated ’70s kitchen. Upon completion, Beth (a longtime reader of this magazine) contacted us about the project… and, boy, were we impressed.
What was your first step?
Marc and I visited showrooms in Westchester and Fairfield County. I must have looked at hundreds of photographs on Houzz website. I also pored over magazines like yours.
How did you select Front Row Kitchens?
I am a financial advisor, and I’m often invited to clients’ homes. I see a lot of kitchens. I fell in love with two over the years. One was in New Canaan belonging to a young family. Another had a wonderful nautical theme in Old Greenwich belonging to empty nesters. Both were designed by Matt Giardana of Front Row Kitchens.
What were your top must-haves?
The overriding concept was to create a tailored, elegant, clean-lined kitchen. Marc’s dream was to create a kitchen where every item could be stored and nothing would ever sit on a countertop. I love collecting French crystal and English bone china. I wanted a kitchen where I could showcase and easily use my collection. Finally, I needed to find a kitchen designer who could completely rethink our space and needs—natural light, traffic flow, work flow and space utilization.
How do you use the space?
The kitchen is divided into four quadrants, each with a different functionality. The first is the cooking and prep area. We moved the stove, preparation island and refrigerator together for easy access. Spice trays, hidden paper towel holders, extra garbage cans, cutting boards and special knives are all in this section. The second is the tabletop quadrant with the crystal cabinet, china collection, a closet filled with crystal vases and candlesticks located next to the dining groom. A large sink was put in the prep island for easily handwashing the crystal. This area also has a second Miele dishwasher. Then, the breakfast quadrant has Matt’s garage design, which houses a microwave, a toaster, a coffee maker, the breakfast china and the beverage refrigerator, as well as its own garbage receptacle. The fourth quadrant is my “home office” island, where I can watch Bloomberg news, pull out a drawer with my laptop inside, all kinds of electrical plugs as well as file storage beneath.
Is there an eat-in area?
Matt took down the wall between the family room and the kitchen. We have a beautiful antique farmer’s table in the family room. By moving the eat-in area into the family room, we gained additional space in the kitchen.
Any special accommodations for pets?
Matt designed a drawer that pulls out which houses a bowl for dog food and water.
Tell me more about the process.
In business, I am a planner. I know that the more time I put in upfront, the better the outcome will be. Matt, Marc and I discussed the functionality of the kitchen in various meetings from June 2013 until December 2013. Matt hand-drew detailed drawings of layouts, elevations and moldings. He also drew multiple versions of the kitchen until we were completely satisfied. The final “lightbulb” moment came when Matt decided that he would break through the dining room wall and add French doors between the kitchen and the dining room. This allowed the light to pass through from the dining room into the kitchen as well as create a much better traffic flow for parties. This was the pièce de résistance. It was completed in June 2014.
