CAN PRACTICAL BE FUN? A Closter kitchen, redeemed from a clumsy design and a sea of sterile white, proves the answer is yes. Design by Aparna Vijayan/Ulrich Inc. Photography by Dove Photography Text by Nayda Rondon
A large and gregarious family needed a better kitchen. There were the homeowner couple and their three school-age kids and two Boxers in the main house, and the wife’s parents in the guest house of the one-acre property, and they all required a kitchen that would keep pace with their multifaceted lifestyle and active social life. Before the project, the kitchen of their 4,267-square-foot Closter colonial, built in 1949, was a typical, large ’90s space with little warmth, a less-than-ideal layout and no visual focus or balance. Working with Aparna Vijayan of Ulrich Inc. in Ridgewood, the homeowners set about changing all that. Their collaborative mission: turn the mostly white, generic-looking space into practical work stations with personality plus. The design team was also tasked with refashioning For their kitchen in a Closter colonial “the homeowners requested a fun, entertaining space with lots of interesting design details,” says designer Aparna Vijayan. The wife’s verdict when the work was done? “Aparna nailed it.”
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APRIL 2025
3/19/25 12:41 PM