PURE KITCHEN

CHRISTINE PITTEL: This is a big space in a new house, yet the details suggest an old-fashioned kitchen. What look were you going for?

DESIGNER CAROLINE DECESARE: You know that Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson movie, Something's Gotta Give? The kitchen in that movie was our starting point—a clean white traditional kitchen with subway tiles and glass-fronted cabinets, updated with stainless-steel appliances. We even did the same kind of brackets under the upper cabinets.

DESIGNER BERKLEY VALLONE: The client wanted big, clean work surfaces. Originally, we did soapstone countertops like they had in the movie, but we replaced them with honed black granite after a year, because of the maintenance. Soapstone has to be oiled, and when you oil it, some areas absorb more and get darker. Others stay lighter. It's very inconsistent, and that bothers some people. Indian Premium black granite gives a similar look, with less maintenance. We sealed it with a color-enhancing sealer.
Why did you do two separate islands?

VALLONE: Originally there was only one, as the wife wanted. But it was so big that you couldn't even reach the center.

DECESARE: You could have parked a car on it. So we redid it. Now husband and wife each have their own sink and their own work space. Both sinks are big, with garbage disposals, trash on one side and a dishwasher on the other. The days of those little round bar sinks on an island are over—they're too dysfunctional.

VALLONE: We did two dishwashers and two refrigerators, side by side, each with the refrigerator on top and freezer drawers below. There's also a beverage refrigerator, under the counter where the glasses are kept.
How come you didn't match the sinks and faucets on the islands?

DECESARE: The husband is Italian and he wanted a stainless-steel single-compartment sink that could handle big pasta pots. We wanted the farmhouse look. He went online and found Franke's stainless-steel farmhouse sink. He's very particular about his space. Which is why they have separate sinks, because she might leave a stray sippy cup around.

VALLONE: The double islands work really well when you're having a party. The inner one becomes the prep area and the outer one becomes a buffet. People can circulate all around the food.
Is that the dining room, through the archway?

VALLONE: The breakfast room, and it gets used all the time. It has killer light, with French doors on either side and then that big window behind the table. The table is new but made to look old. Super-casual black wicker chairs, with an indoor/outdoor fabric on the seats, so they can take the covers off and wash them. Important, with four young children. And then a banquette in back, with a leather seat they can wipe down.

DECESARE: With a banquette, it's essential to be able to slide in and out, and that's easier if it's covered in leather instead of fabric. The kids love the sliding, and you can fit a bunch of little bums back there.

VALLONE: With the two French doors to the barbecue and the pool, there's a lot of traffic here, and we wanted the table to be out of the way. With a banquette, you can push the table closer to the wall.
What's on the floor?

VALLONE: Seven-inch-wide walnut planks. A wider plank feels older, more casual. It's a little country, just like the coffered ceiling, which we made with drywall, stock moldings, and beadboard. Then the industrial light fixtures and the stainless-steel appliances add a modern edge.

KITCHEN BY BERKLEY VALLONE AND CAROLINE DECESARE
INTERVIEW BY CHRISTINE PITTEL
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOE SCHMELZER
PRODUCED BY SAMANTHA EMMERLING