As we move into the New Year, we are looking toward more intentional design trends, from style to function these trends are steeped in celebrating personal style and comforts, stylishly. There were some trends and mindsets that we adapted into our design work in 2021 that we know will continue into the year, while others will fade to make room for new styles to shine. These are our favorite trends that we are loving for 2022!
Green with Envy
TCDS Flat Lay Inspiration
We know that it isn’t the color of the year, but we couldn’t be more happy to see that green is continuing to win the hearts of design clients and Mercantile customers alike. From deep rich greens to bright or muted hues we have loved incorporating this color that is universally associated with nature and growth.
Books
With minimalistic style and the ever growing digital world, books seem to have fallen out of fashion in recent years. We agree with trendwatchers that there is a resurgence in attraction to cultivate beautiful and interesting books to adorn coffee tables, home libraries, and offer inspiration.
Check out our beautifully curated collection of books at T&C Mercantile.
White and Warm Woods
#triplelfarmsproject
We are happy to see that, although white is still on trend for obvious reasons, a heavier exploration of colors integrated with this bright basic creating for more personality and warmth in homes. White is a classic neutral offering a light and brightness that is highly desirable, but can feel sterile if not balanced well. Woods in particular have been making a big come back in fresh hues for updated feels. As shown above in our #triplelfarmsproject kitchen a warm white creates a clean backdrop for a furniture style stained rustic alder island. We love this trend, there is a depth with a stained wood that you can’t get with a painted finish.
Want to see more of our Triple L Farms Project? We are thrilled to have this project featured in the 2022 Kitchen Issue of Design NJ, check out the article here!
From styling and color to entertaining and responsible design practices, we are inspired and excited to incorporate these trends into our work this year! If you are looking to start a renovation, new build, or interior design project this year, we would love to speak with you. Complete our contact form to get started.
As we welcome the start of summer at “The Shore,” we knew it was the perfect time to spotlight our Ocean Avenue Outdoor Project. The clients for this project are all about family and enjoying the coastal locale of this home. Located across the street from the ocean, this beach home is the hub for three generations to enjoy the sun and sand.
The overall scope of this project was a two story great room addition and an ultimate outdoor entertaining space. To achieve this, the client’s long time Interior Designer, Robert Wilson, came to us to help create the outdoor kitchen that would serve as the center of this new indoor/outdoor oasis.
A Chef’s Dream
The main outdoor kitchen is any chef’s dream featuring a ton of storage and just about every appliance possible. Stunning slabs of Jet Mist Granite top the main kitchen and bar, offering the perfect surface to work on.
Built for Elements
The cabinetry used is marine grade stainless-steel with a powder coated finish, a great outdoor material . We chose a subtle white washed wood looking finish in a classic shaker style for all the base cabinetry.
Taking the opportunity to mix it up, the louvered doors on the upper cabinets over the sink complement the shake siding beautifully.
The client really wanted a farm sink for the main kitchen sink and a dishwasher for easy clean up. Knowing the harsh environment that the salty ocean air provides, with Robert Wilson, we guided the client to materials that would be hard working against the elements and lower maintenance.
The Asko dishwasher, along with all of the appliances used are specifically built for outdoor use featuring high-grade stainless-steel interior components.
Taking Care
Something we run into is the assumption that, because products are considered outdoor friendly and even “marine-grade,” these products are indestructible. Understanding and, more importantly, executing proper care and maintenance is crucial for protecting the investment of these superior products. Regular cleaning and covering the cabinetry and appliances during off seasons or when not in use is so important. When properly maintained, your investment will be safe for years to come.
Easy Breezy
Large Nana Doors on the backyard and ocean side of the new addition open for a true indoor/outdoor living experience. When open, they allow for a beautiful cross breeze from the water to flow through the spaces. A classic white pergola frames the upper patio with integrated lighting and a retractable awning. This stunning addition makes for effortless day to night, rain or shine entertaining.
Bottom’s Up
The bar features a kegerator, refrigerator/freezer drawers, ice maker, and a prep sink.
There is a designated “workspace” and a raised bar top which offers plenty of room for everyone to pull up a stool and watch the game on the large tv behind the bar while enjoying a signature brew fresh from the tap!
Fringe Benefits
We all know the benefits of spending time outdoors, therefore it is nothing new to state that having a haven right out your door will improve your wellbeing. In addition to health benefits, investing in quality materials for a usable outdoor space will also improve your home’s value. Who doesn’t love that benefit?
Like indoor spaces, outdoor living is such an important part of enjoying your home, especially during favorable seasons. A well-designed patio or yard can offer significant square footage to a home. The added space is always a welcome opportunity for gatherings and entertaining!
Regardless of the size or function of your outdoor living, we encourage everyone to explore ways to enjoy and beautify not only the inside, but also the outside of their homes!
Ocean Avenue Outdoor Project Spotlight Sourcing
Kitchen Design, Cabinetry and Countertops: Town & Country Design Studio
Our clients purchased a rundown Victorian home, built in a shore town’s glory days of the early 20th century. The home would become their weekend haven to escape the busy city. A place to welcome friends and family, and enjoy the coastal area’s evolving cultural and culinary scene.
The house, although beautiful in its character, was in need of a top to bottom renovation. The client’s goal was to keep as much of the original charm and infuse their own, more urban, style to create a home that felt effortlessly stylish and chic.
They came to Town & Country to help with the kitchen and master bathroom, two important rooms in the project.
Kitchen
The clients wanted the kitchen to feel bright and open. We chose crisp white painted cabinets with warm accents to balance the classic home’s architecture and infuse some of the couple’s more modern style. Traditional inset type cabinet construction with a modern stepped detail on the door and drawers continue the mission of marrying styles in the home.
The high ceilings on the first floor allow this modestly sized kitchen to feel larger. We maximized this height with stacked wall cabinets and lit glass sections for displaying special pieces.
The original kitchen layout had a small addition that served as a breakfast nook. The patio french doors, a main access point for the home, made flow to the door, table sizing and placement awkward. A formal dining, adjacent to the kitchen, eliminated the couples need for another dining table, however the clients wanted some seating for casual meals and entertaining. The kitchen’s overall size did not allow for a center island, instead we designed a peninsula that would offer some seating, additional countertop space and create a nice separate entry space at the french doors.
Sleek Brushed Stainless Steel hardware pulls offer a modern detail to the classic space. The Stainless Steel farm sink and a contemporary pull down faucet nicely accent the appliances.
*See farm sink in the peninsula image above.
Master Bathroom
The Master Suite was created on the third floor, originally unfinished storage space for the home. True to Victorian style architecture, this space fills various steeply pitched roof lines, creating unique ceiling heights and angles for the space inside.
The master bathroom sits in a cluster of the dormer alcoves, which created some interesting design challenges.
The only place in the room that the vanity could go was a dormer that provided the only natural light in the room.
The windows made it so the countertop would have to be shorter than typically specified. This challenge created the opportunity for added interest with these drum vessel sinks and tall goose neck faucets.
*Kitchen bridge faucets were used in order to accommodate the vessel sink height and create a more prominent focal feature.
We had to work around another obstacle in the room. A main piece of ductwork that ran along the wall under the window. We needed to hide the ductwork, and still provide a fair amount of storage. This vanity is a perfect example of making custom crafted cabinetry work to it’s full advantage. From the outside you would never now what this furniture looking vanity is hiding.
*Check out the next picture for a peak inside the vanity.
Old homes can often present a fair share of challenges, but with some creativity and the right resources can be highly rewarding. We loved working on this project and helping our client’s bring new life into this old treasure!
We hope you enjoyed this spotlight into our Sunset Avenue Project.
Sunset Avenue Project Spotlight Sources
Design: Town & Country Kitchen and Bath
Custom Cabinetry: Town & Country Kitchen and Bath Bespoke Cabinetry
Cabinetry, Countertop and Hardware: Specified, sourced and supplied by TCKB Designs
We are kicking off this year’s project spotlight with one that was over a year in the making, finally debuted in the fall of 2020. Our Elm Road Project was a new construction home with the initial intention to be featured as a Designer Showhouse through Aspire Magazine. Then the house would become the new home of the young family having it built.
In this spotlight, we are focusing on some of the behind the scenes planning parts of the project that took place well before it was furnished and open the the public.
The furnishing and Showhouse is a part of the story that will come later.
A Different Approach
This project was unique in many ways, mostly because it wasn’t just a Showhouse and it wasn’t just a new construction home for a client. Typically, the approach to these two types of projects is very different.
When working with a client, designing their home, we are working directly with the end user of the project. Therefore, we focus on making decisions that will serve their needs and ideal lifestyle specifically.
Alternatively, when we participate in a Showhouse project, there are typically many different designers involved in a single homem each completing an individual space. The focus for each space is to provide inspiration and highlight their work in a unique way to be enjoyed by many people. This usually results in a wide variety of styles throughout.
We were brought into the project very early, hired by the clients to make the hard surface design and decisions for the entire home. Since the homeowners would eventually be calling this their home, it was important that the permanent materials and building elements would create a cohesive flow for the home beyond the Designer’s Showhouse debut.
The client wanted a fusion of California modern with Asian influences for their home. Our goal was to incorporate these desired styles of the client with fresh perspectives to help set the the tone for a truly special showhouse.
Starting from Scratch
With new construction projects specifically, it is our job to bring life to the flat nature of architectural plans. We add dimension to these drawings by planning the spaces as they will be used and feel when you are in them.
it all starts with a plan
Set the mood
We use mood boards when designing spaces and homes to help set the overall focus for the house. This is a snapshot of one of the mood boards for this project.
Modern made to be More
Special detailing can often be lost with the abundance of clean lines and simplicity that is generally associated with modern design. We don’t think that has to the be case, we believe that modern design can be an perfect base for highlighting exceptional details. Each space we touched, including the kitchen, butler’s pantry, laundry room, walk-in pantry, 8 bathrooms, mudroom, and wet bar all have some element of uniqueness.
Thinking inside the box
A very big part of what we are known for is our cabinetry. We strive to create more functional and interesting spaces. We achieve this by pushing the limits of basic cabinet design in every project we do.
All of the cabinetry throughout the home is our custom Town & Country Bespoke Cabinetry. We took special care to be sure that every room was a modern reflection of the possibilities that can be achieved when working with quality craftsmanship and products.
sketches of some of the custom door detailing for the project
Many of the cabinet door styles started as rough sketches like this from the design studio. These sketches became reality through the fine work of our cabinet makers as seen below.
child’s bathroom with custom floating vanity and tile with hexagon detail
Beyond the Box
In addition to the cabinetry, we were in charge of selecting and designing all of the hard surfaces for the project. This included the tile, countertops, plumbing fixtures, and bathroom accessories for this home.
Product Sponsors for the Showhouse part of the project meant that we had manufacturer restraints on the selections. Working with limited brands we were able to explore the versatility throughout the home that can be achieved when playing with finish and styles.
We wanted the individual rooms in the house to be unique, yet flow from one to the next. Our approach was to stick with a neutral color palette for all selections to create the desired continuity. Clean lines for all styling selections kept things sleek. While sourcing layers of natural and organic feeling materials offers a earthy feel throughout.
collection of finish samples for the project in the planning process
Highlights on products and fixtures will come at a later time.
When a Plan Comes Together
Although it takes time to plan and execute a project like this, it is always rewarding to look back at the process a project and how it all comes together.
We selected a few of our favorite completed spaces in the house. Below are the planning sketches and images of the final room.
master bathroom design sketch
completed master bathroom
butler’s pantry cabinetry sketchcompleted butler’s pantry and dining room beyond
kitchen and breakfast nook sketch
completed kitchen and breakfast nook
We are excited to share more of the details and finished images of the house once the Aspire Showhouse Issue coming soon.
Mike Van Tassel was the photographer who took the professional images of the finishes spaces of the Showhouse.
This year’s Bingham Avenue Project, holiday edition project spotlight, is one that is near and dear to our hearts. This new construction project was the home of Town & Country Kitchen and Bath owner, Ginny Padula. Ginny and her husband Lou, owner of Padula Builders, designed and built this home with a heavy emphasis on family in mind.
There is no better time than the holidays to celebrate family and enjoy the comforts of home. This may be one of the reasons that Ginny pulls out all the stops when decorating her home for the season. We had the pleasure of capturing the house during one of the ‘most wonderful times of the year’ and chatting with Ginny about her holiday traditions and decorating inspiration.
We will spotlight details on this full home design project at another time. For this edition, we are going to focus on spreading the holiday cheer.
Style Profile
A welcome holiday entrance with boxwood greens and wintery décor
We started out by asking Ginny the obvious question, what is it about Christmas that makes her give full measure to decorating her home? “I have always loved holiday decorations and everything that goes with this time of year, like getting to spend extra time with my family.”
Ginny describes her holiday decorating style as being similar to her personal design style; classic and natural with hints of rustic elements. Evident in these images, the home features deep wood tones paired with warm neutrals. The traditional styling makes it feel tailored yet welcoming. When adding holiday décor she enhances these elements by layering lots of natural greens, which pair so naturally with the wood throughout the home.
Holiday Traditions
The heart of the Padula Home
Ginny is an excellent cook, this time of year the kitchen is especially busy with baking and extra people filling the home for meals. The décor is kept simple in this space to allow for ease of use during meal prep and baking. A small tree or two, some boxwood wreaths over the windows, strategic greens, and of course the highly aromatic and useful rosemary plant. She confides that her favorite holiday tradition is, being in the kitchen, baking cookies with her two sons.
Dining Room is set and ready for holiday guests .
Once the meal is made, it’s time to gather and enjoy! The Padula’s host a family dinner each year on Christmas Eve with the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes theme. “We both grew up celebrating this way. When we got married we took over hosting to continue the custom for our family and friends and pass onto the next generation.” Ginny explains when asked how long they have have hosted these feasts.
This is a meal that requires that the entire family pitch in and takes days to prepare. Lou is the ring leader and head chef of this meal though and he starts planning for the feast weeks in advance. Everything from the homemade manicotti shells that are prepared the Sunday prior until the last salad hits the table is steeped in family tradition.
When asked if the menu varies each year, “Oh no,” Ginny explains, “everything is prepared using Lou’s grandmothers recipes and the menu is just the way she always did it.”
House of Trees
The family room is so cozy with one of the decorated Christmas trees and fireplace.
The most prominent decorative element that Ginny incorporates are trees. Large and small, real and artificial, there is a tree in each room of the home. Each tree is decorated with it’s own thoughtfully unique theme. “Last year there were 11, this year we are adding 5 or 6 more” admits Padula.
“They are all my favorite,” Ginny laughs when asked to pick, “but the family tree is probably my favorite” she decides, of the tree that the whole family decorates together. They fill the tree with ornaments either made by or collected by the group.
Even Bentley, the family’s Brittney Spaniel gets a specially decorated tree.
As in all design, an important element is to be true to your taste and comfort. When decorating for the holidays make it feel personal and purposeful. Small accents in well placed locations can make a big impact. We hope you have enjoyed this special holiday edition project spotlight and have gathered some inspiration for your own home this season.
Happy Holidays from the TCKB Design Team!
Shop The Project Spotlight Look
We rounded up a few items from the shop to help you create your own winter wonderland at home. Our shop is open in Red Bank daily, visit our Shop page for store hours. Please visit us to shop in person, email us: [email protected] , or call: 732-345-1441, we offer curbside pickup, local drop offs, and shipping.
Faux Seedling trees, various sizes and styles available, starting at $40.Red Stripes Kitchen Linen Dish Cloths $11 and Giant Tin Snowflake Ornaments $12
Our Crescent Parkway Project was a complete kitchen renovation; including everything from the floors to the lighting in the ceiling. Town & Country was hired to design a custom kitchen and manage all aspects of the project. We brought in Eric Seebald, of Seebald Construction, to execute the project with us.
This month we thought it would be fun to not only share the finished product, but show you where we began as well. We are going to share some before and after shots and details behind this fully custom kitchen design project.
Design Considerations
Let’s start with before…
Kitchen Before
The size and overall layout of the kitchen were good but the client’s preference for more modern styling, didn’t like the dark stained – traditional styling of the kitchen.
The Crescent Parkway house is considered to be Shingle Style Architecture, a style aptly named for it’s iconic shake siding and irregular rooflines, among other features. The beauty of this architectural style is that it naturally exudes a more relaxed, informal lifestyle. The original kitchen design did not reflect the effortless luxury that the house deserved and the client’s desired.
Our goal was clear…We had to give the space new life with elevated details.
Early in the design process the client’s gravitated toward a door style, Exeter from Rutt Handcrafted Cabinetry, shown on one of the Showroom displays. The Exeter door is pretty special. It is simple at first glance but extremely unique upon closer examination. There is a real architectural element to the door and details in the collection. It’s no wonder the client, an engineer by trade, would be so taken with it.
Kitchen After
The cabinetry set the tone for the space. We selected a pale grey paint for the cabinetry surround and natural walnut for the center island.
We replaced the original rustic travertine pattern floor with a heated floor system then topped with a large format porcelain tile. The new floor, with subtle etched design and texture, offers a clean pallet for the base of the room.
Blending traditional and modern is a delicate dance in a space. To do this we used brushed stainless finishes for the hardware, plumbing, and lighting fixtures offering a utilitarian touch throughout the room. Then we incorporated more traditional elements like Calcutta marble countertops and marble tile with a decorative screen printed design backsplash.
All in the details
Let’s Talk Custom Storage
The joy of working with custom cabinetry means that the design options in a kitchen are nearly limitless, therefore optimizing every inch of storage in the room.
Before – Pantry and Refrigerator
After – Pantry and Refrigerator
The Pantry Storage wasn’t ideal for the client’s needs. Working with a set amount of space meant we couldn’t necessarily increase the storage square footage. Reworking the space would mean it could be better utilized making it much more functional. By shifting the refrigerator to the center, and flanking it with narrow pantry units created a nice balance on the wall. Fully adjustable, they not only pull out but twist open, these narrow pantry units are a significantly more useful solution.
Before – Unused Desk
After – Pantry and Storage
The existing corridor between the kitchen and formal dining room held a built in desk. The clients found they didn’t use it as intended and ended up always being a messy catch-all. This space with the perfect opportunity to gain substantial storage for overflow pantry items and serving pieces. Being a main pass-through in the space, we wanted it to feel special. We used a deep signature Town & Country paint color for drama. A built-in library light and a touch of the same natural walnut used in the kitchen island offer purposeful accents to the piece.
Other storage features in the room include a lift up mixer unit for easier use and hidden storage in the island with touch latch entry. The majority of the base storage feature walnut drawers boxes, many with organization inserts making sure everything has a place.
Light it up
We took careful consideration with lighting for the Crescent Parkway Project. For this kitchen, we wanted lighting to play a less glamorous, but still very important, role. We designed the lighting to highlight and accentuate all of the other elements in the room.
We removed the hanging chandelier over the island and reworked the recessed ceiling lights. All interior and under cabinets lighting was pre-specified and integrated in the cabinetry. This was an extra step in the engineering process that was well worth the effort, resulting in a beautifully seamless applications once installed.
The few decorative fixtures we chose were deliberate. Accent sconces next to the window and the aforementioned library light in the pantry/storage hutch offer light sources that showcase the details on cabinetry they adorn.
As with all of our work, we strive to create beautiful spaces that are highly functional, elegant and luxurious, yet unassuming. We believe this kitchen has all of those elements and we loved creating this space for our clients.
Want more….
Monmouth Health and Life is chose this project for the cover feature in their Oct./Nov. 2020 issue.
Our First Avenue Project Spotlight is a design collaborative we completed with local interior design firm Salt Design Co. and we just love the way it turned out.
Salt brought us in to design the kitchen layout and provide the custom cabinetry for the open concept space. It was important that the finishes and design were highly functional yet beautifully subtle to balance the planned furnishings and overall house design vision. We worked closely with the clients and Salt to ensure that their vision for a relaxed, yet chic space would flow perfectly with the custom designed cabinetry in the kitchen and bathrooms.
The Kitchen…
We used Rutt Handcrafted Cabinetry in the kitchen. The selection of a simple, yet architecturally interesting, door style was the natural choice for this open living and entertaining space on the main floor of the home. The surrounding wall cabinetry provides a clean white backdrop in the room. Finished in Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, the color is a continuation from the walls throughout the home. The island and accent floating shelves are a custom stained walnut wood. This finish is the perfect tone of warm driftwood and pairs beautifully with the wood flooring throughout the house.
Tucked in an alcove of the kitchen is an ultra functional pantry space, featuring the microwave drawer, two appliance garages, and ample storage. Everything in this nook is tucked behind closed doors to keep it tidy looking at all times, but also making sure everything is close at hand when needed.
Floating Shelving with integrated lighting flank the vertical ship lap range hood and black framed windows. Unlacquered Brass hardware in a sleek yet substantial style pull was selected for the kitchen.
The Galley Workstation is one of our favorite products to incorporate in our kitchen projects. These sinks are multi-functional, made for everything from prep to entertaining through cleanup. We used the 4′ size with coordinating Tap collection in the center island facing the main living space. Also, not a bad view of the ocean outside!
The Bathrooms…
Each bathroom vanity is a custom design, created specifically for this project. These one of a kind pieces boast special features including custom finishes, doors, and construction elements.
The 3rd floor master suite has ocean views. The master bathroom is ultra luxurious featuring a soaking tub, roomy shower, and his and hers dark painted cabinetry which frame the door to the sun deck.
This project is featured in the Oct./Nov. 2020 issue of Design NJ.
Click the cover image to read more about the full project.
Images for this project by Raquel Lang Worthy
Town & Country Kitchen and Bath designed and/or supplied all products specified in this article. Salt Design Co sourced/coordinated all design elements for this project that were not specified.
This month we are sharing the kitchen from a full house design project we completed a few years ago, but have yet to give it it’s rightful place in the spotlight, until now.
Brought in by builder, Padula Builders, to make finish selections for the interior and exterior of this home.
Along with making the selections, we provided the hard surface materials; cabinetry, countertops, plumbing and lighting fixtures, and tile, to furnish the custom spec home that would go on the market when complete.
Typically, when designing for a particular client we take inspiration for the project design from the client’s lifestyle, design preferences, and specific needs. This project differed in that our objective was to create a home that was uniquely special, reflecting the custom nature and quality workmanship of the home, but also would appeal to styles and requirements for an array of potential buyers.
Designing to sell
We were careful to select details and finishes that were not only clean and classic but would seamlessly lend themselves to a variety of styles allowing the new homeowner to personalize it, making the home their own.
Let’s get to the details…
For the kitchen, we went with the popular style of white shaker, but added special details like the stacked glass wall cabinets and decorative base detailing at the sink. The bright white plays a bold contrast to the stained center island which is a beautiful extension to the hardwood floors that are throughout the home.
Not only are the cabinets two-toned but we chose a leathered granite for the surround to serve as a hardworking surface for cooking and cleaning and accented the island with Carrara Marble to balance the white cabinets that surround. Polished Nickel Cabinetry hardware, pendants, and Rohl Plumbing fixtures give the perfect shine to the space.
Wolf Rangetop and Integrated Subzero Refrigerator
Built-in Microwave in Stained Center Island
Double Oven
Integrating the custom cabinetry with high end Wolf and Subzero appliances was a must to complete this welcoming and functional kitchen.
This project was unique in that we did not have a single client, we had many, to be sure that we did our job in aiding the house find new owners that would make it their home. Classic design principles and finishes never go out of style and that was proven here.
Thank you Monmouth Heath & Life for featuring our #conoverlaneproject on your April/May 2020 Cover. Check out pages 32-37 to see more and learn about this fun design collaborate with local interior designer, Joan Norkus.
You can find more images of this project in our Gallery
