This Glam Kitchen Remodel Solidified Our Obsession with Calacatta Marble

While some construction-heavy projects may be intimidating, designer Tina Rich was more than ready to take on a Midtown New York kitchen renovation from start to finish. "I grew up on construction sites, so that's one area of interior design I really love," she says. "Small, isolated spaces where you can get into the details like cabinetry and millwork are really fun for me."

The clients, who have lived in their apartment since the late '80s, were looking for a full transformation of their drab kitchen, which featured lackluster laminate cabinetry and a dysfunctional layout. Today, they love how bright and open the kitchen feels and are obsessed with the stone shelf under the window.

Kitchen location: Midtown, New York City

The "before": The cabinets were "well-loved and needed a functional and aesthetic upgrade," Tina says. Some cabinets hung from the ceiling and blocked the view into the dining room. The clients also had dated appliances and not enough storage.

The inspiration: "We wanted everything to be clean, simple, bright, and beautiful," Tina says. In lieu of white cabinets, she landed on a taupe-gray hue, Benjamin Moore's Shale, which gives the space a sophisticated touch. Furthermore, she wanted to keep materials minimal with blonde oak flooring, hidden appliances, and Calacatta marble.

Square footage: 144 square feet

Budget: "A lot of the time with kitchens, clients don't know what to budget for, and that's where I come in, helping them pull together a budget," Tina says. "We didn't come to a set number but looked at different lighting, appliances, and construction estimates to get the final budget."

Main ingredients:

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