TOO MANY COOKS? A West Milford family’s overpopulated kitchen threatened culinary chaos— till a redesign made the room more efficient and capacious. TEXT by MARISA SANDORA CARR DESIGN by SHARON SHERMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY by MIKE VAN TASSELL
A 15-year-old son. So when it came time to update their ’90s-era kitchen, making it functional for multiple
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DAM AND MEREDITH APPS LOVE TO COOK, AS DOES THEIR
cooks was the priority. “Being home during COVID, we were tripping over each other,” remembers Adam. “We wanted lots of space to cook, and we wanted everything to have a place, so that all the small appliances could be tucked away and it would look clean and modern.” The West Milford couple searched for “the best kitchen designer in northern New Jersey” and found Sharon Sherman of Thyme & Place Design in Wyckoff to make their dream kitchen a reality. “The client trusted me completely, even though Adam told me how difficult he was going to be, as he was looking for perfection,” says Sherman. The footprint of the kitchen remained largely unchanged, but Sherman suggested relocating the kitchen doorway closer to the living room to achieve two goals: easier access from the living area, and a tall wall to accommodate the refrigerator, pantry storage and a wine bar. The designer visually connected the adjacent living room with the kitchen by creating a passthrough above the bar. The Apps had requested some rustic touches, and Sherman found reclaimed barnwood to cover the drop ceiling and support the brackets for the suspended
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