Photography: Nicole Larson
When a client with a large family, including many children in their 20s, wanted a kitchen renovated and designed for entertaining, she went straight to Long Island-based Fresh Design Group. A two division design firm, the company not only specializes in kitchen design and operates as a dealer—carrying multiple lines of kitchen cabinets and counters—but is also a full-service interior design firm with a penchant for high-end residential renovations, remodels, and room revamping. Sharon Gunther, the principal and founder, dedicated herself to bringing the client’s vision to life.
“Everyone is always swimming in and out of the house. They cook all day long for mountains and mountains of people—so they needed tons of storage, cooking surfaces, and prepping areas,” says Gunther. To give them the space they needed, the designer added in a dazzling, wide countertop in two different colors of quartzite with soft veining that showcase subtle hints of taupe and grey. Striking cabinetry in a classic grey, with an off-white tone softens the space and adds functionality to an oft-used kitchen while getting away from the stark whites and battleship greys. Wood-like floors in porcelain add layers of warmth and play off the grain of the walnut stool backs while elegant wagon wheel chandeliers from Savoy House bring the eye upwards. Calacatta marble hexagonal tiles form the backsplash, allowing the black and stainless steel antique Garland range to shine.
To create a beautiful counterpoint to all the shades of white and grey while complementing the black range, the designer and the client headed over to Appliance World in Huntington to search for the perfect refrigeration. There, the two fell in love with our 36” Refrigerator and our Clear Ice Machine in our tactile, Ultra Matte Black finish and stainless steel hardware. “It’s not expected but it’s classic,” says Gunther. “It’s not a crazy color like bright blue or purple, yet it’s still beautiful and timeless—and it’s not everyone’s kitchen.” On top of that, they served the client’s needs, especially the 36” unit with its large capacity interior space—with 25.1 cubic feet of interior space, our refrigerator can accommodate items as large as an 18” by 26” commercial-sized sheet pan. “True’s refrigerator feels like it belongs in a substantial house, and when you pull up to the client’s 100-year-old home, it has a presence,” says Gunther. “I wanted something that commemorated that feeling, and that felt weighty and substantial. Just grabbing the handle of True’s refrigerators, it feels like ‘wow,’ this is super high quality. They add an element of cool.”
The mix of metals throughout adds balance that combined with the Ultra Matte Black finish on the refrigerators, gives the space an updated, current, yet fashionable appeal. As Gunther says, “I think of it as a Chanel suit: Always gorgeous, timeless, with incredible quality and which never goes out of style—yet it’s not the same thing everyone else is wearing.”
