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NYC Landmark Building Kitchen Transformation
Our apartment is in an elegant landmark building on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Prior to construction,... read moreNYC Landmark Building Kitchen Transformation
Our apartment is in an elegant landmark building on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Prior to construction, the small kitchen consisted of an adjoining pantry and laundry area, and a "maids room" with an accompanying bathroom. The maids room was being used as a home office. Our interest at that point was in replacing and adding cabinetry to the existing layout while modernizing the overall appearance of our very vintage 40-year old kitchen. Towards that end, based on a recommendation from a friend, we contacted Leslie Rolnick of WCW Kitchens for her guidance - we are very happy that we did!
After spending considerable time listening to our desires and preferences, inspecting the space, taking detailed measurements and photos, Leslie proposed several well thought out, creative redesign options to consider. She worked closely with us to settle on a plan that added a huge amount of additional storage while keeping the aesthetics consistent with our taste. It's important to note that at no time during the process did we ever feel that a particular design element was being imposed on us. Rather when questioned as to any suggestions, Leslie consistently and with great sensitivity to our concerns, provided ample rationale for the recommendations she made.
More specifically, the final design we settled on led to the partial removal of two walls, incorporating the home office to create a dining area with additional pantry storage. We replaced old cabinetry, countertops, appliances, and flooring, introducing modern, attractive elements in a way that assures the kitchen will work on many levels. Further contributing to the upgrade are the dropped ceilings that streamlined our electrical service, allowing for markedly improved lighting, plus tv and computer service in the dining area, and the installation of a vented stove hood and ceiling fan. The laundry area was previously open in plain sight and is now framed in with doors that match the new decor. Leslie guided us in the selection of cabinetry, flooring, lighting, countertops etc., coordinating colors, pattern, and style. Additionally, she upgraded the small bathroom with new components and fixtures that transformed it from a well worn "vintage" space into a little gem.
Needless to say, projects of this magnitude require considerable and on-going coordination. Leslie was consistently available and would return calls or emails quickly. It is important to not that she had to be closely involved with our contractor, Charles Segal (her stellar recommendation!). She coordinated submission of professionally prepared plans for approval by the building engineer, the coop board, the expediter, the Landmark Preservation Board, and the NYC Dept. of Buildings. The cost of the project noted includes all materials and labor costs.
Friends who have seen the kitchen have all been in awe of the results and described it as being of "magazine" quality, and suggested we submit it for publication. The transformation has simply been amazing! Fundamentally, we found Leslie Rolnick to be a highly competent designer with a great aesthetic and organizational sensibility. She is someone of utmost integrity who was responsive to our ongoing needs. Given those qualities and her personal warmth, she, and WCW Kitchens, were a pleasure to work with. We recommend them heartily! read less
4/10/2016
