The cost of day care must be less than or equal to the monthly rent, according to the the fail-safe formula most parents swear by—and Genevieve and Amin Tehrani were no exception. But when the Manhattan-based couple had their second child a few years ago, they found that formula fast failing. They took it as a sign to move, and the suburbs seemed like the next best alternative. “We fell in love with this house pretty quickly,” says Amin of their current home in Rockville Centre, Long Island. “It had such great light, amazing character, and, [though] it needed work, it just felt right. Its proximity to schools, parks, family, and the train station sold us.”
As it is a 100-year-old building that hadn’t been renovated in decades, the interior wasn’t in great shape, and the kitchen in particular needed close attention. Unsure about where to begin, the couple decided to call in the professionals and soon tapped architect Adam Wiesehan of Brooklyn-based Rekstur Architecture to lead the kitchen redesign. They didn’t necessarily want an open concept, but they did want it to feel open. Adam focused on keeping things simple by way of a natural material palette, subtle details, and functional elements. As for the aesthetic, he skewed midcentury modern to balance the home’s original details with contemporary overlays.
Genevieve and Amin imagined the kitchen as a gathering place for themselves and their two boys—aged five and seven—but without an island or a physical heart, this was a challenge. Fortunately, it was nothing Adam couldn’t tackle. The solution, he found, lay in carving out multiple focal points in the way of nooks and niches, opening shelving, wall-mounted fixtures, soft lighting, pops of color, and warm wooden undertones.
“We regularly have baking extravaganzas and the boys enjoy doing homework at the table in the nook while we make dinner,” Genevieve says. “We love the history of our house, but [we] also love that we were able to make it ours through the kitchen.”
Location: Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York
The before: The previous kitchen was a patchwork of decisions taken over the decades. It had counters made of particle board, vinyl tile floors, and leaky windows. Plus the finishes, fixtures, appliances, and cabinetry were desperately outdated.
The inspiration: Genevieve and Amin wanted a cheerful, light, and bright kitchen in which they could host gatherings and raise their kids. “The custom millwork really drives the room,” says Adam, who specified oak for the cabinetry.
Budget: $65,000
Square footage: The kitchen and breakfast nook measure 350 square feet combined.
Main ingredients:
Cabinetry and shelving unit: Custom oak built-ins by H & H Architectural Woodwork, a local fabricator in Queens.
Hood: A custom hood with a Vent-A-Hood liner insert.
Flooring: Montauk Blue slate tiles by MSI. “They make me want to take off my shoes and walk barefoot every visit,” Adam jokes.
Breakfast table and chairs: Both West Elm finds, sourced and selected by the couple.
Green backsplash tiles: Sorrento Rhombus ceramic wall tiles in the color Verde.
Lights: Adam and the couple aligned on the idea of globe lights early on. They chose Cedar & Moss’s Alto Compass Opal chandelier and Alto sconces to play into the home’s midcentury-modern look and feel.
Appliances: The silver range is by Ilve, the main faucet is by Kohler, and the sink is from Kraus’s Kore Workstation Series.
Wall paint: “We often suggest an off-white paint over a pure white for added warmth,” shares Adam, whose choice of off-white was Benjamin Moore’s Classic Gray OC-23.
Most insane splurge: “Genevieve and Amin did a really great job of keeping all the selections in a mid-tier price range to optimize their budget. The closest thing to a splurge were the wall and floor tile. Both were shy of $5K each,” Adam says.
Sneakiest save: The custom cabinetry. “It cost us the same as the semicustom alternative and we got it in less than half the time,” Adam reveals.
Favorite part: The coffee-slash-cocktail bar. “It’s just the right size to whip up refreshments.”
What we’d never do again: “I’ve learned the value of highly skilled artisans and fabricators. I’ll never go into another project without having a few shortlisted. Reliable and authentic craftsmanship can make a good project great,” Adam shares.
Final bill: Roughly $80,000
