Kitchens - Pittsburgh PA The Ultimate Bachelor's Kitchen

Tom Trzcinski designed this kitchen for a client's new condo. The top priority for this bachelor was style. Tom worked together with the condo owner's Interior Designer, Catherine Montague, who looked after the colors in this space.

When a Pittsburgh bachelor was looking to add style to his condo's kitchen he turned to Tom Trzcinski, CKD from Kitchen & Bath Concepts of Pittsburgh.

Tom and his team have won more than 30 awards for submissions into the National Kitchen & Bath Association's annual design competition, which are like the Emmys of kitchen and bath design. In fact, they have won the most first place NKBA awards - ten in all. Their designs have also ranked high with Sub-Zero's Design Competition.

We asked Tom about kitchen trends in Pittsburgh:

Tom Trzcinski: I've noticed a polarization in the kitchen design styles that homeowners are requesting.

First, traditional: Pittsburgh is a pretty traditional area. Clients that are looking for a traditional kitchen are after designs that are true to a motif, whether it is Country Cottage, Country French, Prairie Style or Wrightian. They want the design theme to be less eclectic and more pure.

Secondly, contemporary: More and more Pittsburgh homeowners are interested in contemporary kitchens. Many, for example, are drawn to plain slab doors in exotic wood veneers. There is no attention to particular motif; the design is an eclectic mix of styles.

Renovation Experts: Tell us about the contemporary kitchen design that you did for a bachelor living in Pittsburgh. What was this condominium owner looking for in his new kitchen?

Tom Trzcinski: Well, our client was very open to color. He was looking for style in his bachelor kitchen - that was his number one concern. He wanted stainless steel commercial appliances, but didn't want his kitchen to be too utilitarian. We balanced off the appliances with the warmth of wood by using European Shaker doors in maple with a soft "autumn stain".

Renovation Experts: How would you describe the style of this kitchen? And were there any challenges with this project?

Tom Trzcinski: It is a "Transitional Contemporary" kitchen. Dramatic contrasts made a big impact on the space. You do have to be careful in a small space that dramatic colors don't become too strong. I worked along with Catherine Montague, the interior designer for the entire condo, on this kitchen. We were able to bring in striking style and color to this kitchen without overpowering it.

It was a challenge to bring a lot of style into the kitchen because it was a small space. We did a structural design that incorporated the Jennair wall oven and microwave. The lit, open shelf above the ovens counteracts the heavy "closed in" quality.

We built the Sub-Zero refrigerator into the cabinetry. The upper cabinets beside the fridge were designed with ribbed glass doors and have floating glass shelves coming out of the left side. These floating shelves were anchored into the granite on the back side and into the wood on the right side. Hidden neon lighting, where the shelves are attached to the wood of the cabinetry, illuminates the floating glass, adding style. This design, on the kitchen's feature wall, takes your eye away from the heaviness of the fridge, towards the lightness of the glass doors, and on to the even lighter glass shelving, creating a open grandiose feeling.

Renovation Experts: What cabinets did you install? What finishes did you use?

Ambient and task lighting give this Pittsburgh kitchen dramatic flare. An open cutout above the Jennair wall oven and microwave lightens an otherwise imposing wall.

Tom Trzcinski:

• Cabinetry:
  • Cabico
  • Frameless coreboard
  • Maple
  • Shaker Door
  • Autumn Stain
• Biedermeir columns back of island
• Granite:
  • Irish Blue
• Sink & Faucet:
  • Both are Franke

Renovation Experts: What appliances did you use in this Pittsburgh kitchen?

Tom Trzcinski:

• Hood: Vent-a-hood
• Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
• Wine Cooler: Marvel
• Cooktop: Jennair
• Wall oven: Jennair
• Microwave: Jennair
• Dishwasher: Bosch

Renovation Experts: How did lighting contribute to the design of this kitchen?

Tom Trzcinski: Catherine's choice of decorative pedant lights offer a vivid color focal point and add flair.

The arch lighting above the cabinetry does two things:

• 1) It allows the ceiling to recede.
• 2) It takes your eye all the way back to the wall.

Thus, you gain the space above the cabinets and the room appears larger.

Get more great ideas for your kitchen from our other kitchen articles.

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