{"id":2398,"date":"2025-05-06T16:19:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T08:19:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2025\/05\/06\/kitchen-of-the-week-a-closeup-of-jess-thomass-crowd-pleasing-brooklyn-kitchen\/"},"modified":"2025-05-06T16:19:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T08:19:52","slug":"kitchen-of-the-week-a-closeup-of-jess-thomass-crowd-pleasing-brooklyn-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/kitchen-of-the-week-a-closeup-of-jess-thomass-crowd-pleasing-brooklyn-kitchen\/","title":{"rendered":"La cocina de la semana: La multitudinaria cocina de Jess Thomas en Brooklyn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As we try to fathom the fact that it\u2019s already November, we\u2019re revisiting our most popular post of last month, architect Jess Thomas and director-producer Hagan Hinshaw\u2019s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, townhouse redo\u2014see The Sentimental Minimalist. Today\u2019s focus: the kitchen, which Thomas, the co-principal at Shapeless Studio, slotted into what had been a long, narrow bath on the first floor. To make the space work, she opened it up to the adjacent dining room and positioned her grandfather\u2019s worktable as an island that artfully bridges the two territories.<\/p>\n

With the view from the dining table in mind, Thomas designed cabinetry that is the kitchen equivalent of the perfect everyday bespoke suit. Its simple look belies deep thinking and a lot of back and forth between Thomas and her esteemed millworker, James Harmon of Workshop Brooklyn. \u201cWorking with James is a very collaborative and rewarding process,\u201d she tells us. \u201cAs he translates my drawings into mockups, he really thinks about how things function and how they could be made better.\u201d \u201cI try to put myself in everyone\u2019s shoes to make sure all the elements are usable,\u201d explains Harmon. Here\u2019s what they both had to say about the making of the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Photography by Kate Sears, unless noted; styling by Kate S. Jordan.<\/p>\n


Above: A wide archway connects the approximately 90-square-foot kitchen and the twice-that-size dining room. \u201cWe wanted to create a warm gathering space that is very social,\u201d says Thomas. <\/p>\n

In response to a reader\u2019s query about what where everything in the compact setup is kept, Thomas explained, \u201cAbove the fridge (Bosch\u2019s custom-panel Benchmark), we store our blender, slow cooker, Soda Stream, and vases. We only use a French press and don\u2019t have a microwave. The drawers hold a mixture of mixing bowls, silverware, and cooking pans: To be honest, we don\u2019t have many pots and pans.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n


Above: The cabinet fronts are made of rift-sawn white oaks in Benjamin Moore\u2019s Midnight Dream, a color selected after Thomas and Hinshaw tried out at least 10 other shades: \u201cWe painted 12-by-12-inch plywood samples and held them up in different lights. We love this color because it changes throughout the day\u2014sometimes it looks nearly black and other times it is so blue.\u201d For durability and to allow the grain to show through, Harmon stained the cupboards using Arborcoat, a matte finish available in the full range of Benjamin Moore colors and made for exterior use. The workbench, which Thomas\u2019s artist grandfather used to make frames, is by Lachappelle; sadly the German company discontinued the line in 2000, but similar designs can be found, including on eBay (search \u201chardwood workbenches\u201c). <\/p>\n

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Above: For a seamless look, the cabinets have capsule-shaped cutout handles (see the evolution of the design below). The 0.7-inch-wide countertop and six-inch-high backsplash are Bianco Carrara marble. The stainless steel sink is the Blanco Quatrus and the pullout faucet is Kohler\u2019s Purist in matte black. The wall lights are Bernard Schottlander\u2019s Mantis Sconces. Note the floating wood shelf that stretches from the fridge enclosure to the \u201chood shroud.\u201d Harmon counts it as one of the most challenging details in the townhouse: \u201cTo incorporate halogen puck lights on the underside, I had to create pathways for wires and transformers into the thin wood, and they had to be accessible for repair and replacement. The shelf is supported by custom steel brackets. The whole thing was no small feat.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Above: The design gets even more interesting on close inspection. \u201cFrom afar, the cabinets appear to be simply monolithic,\u201d says Harmon, \u201cbut in fact the vertically oriented grain was carefully arranged in a running sequence, meaning the pattern in the veneer carries through from one door or drawer to the next.\u201d
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Above: \u201cMatching the graining may seem like a lost effort since it\u2019s stained black,\u201d adds Harmon, \u201cbut that\u2019s not the case: The veneer was wire brushed prior to staining, which lifts out the softer wood fibers and leaves the more hard, dense grain lines visible. White oak takes this wire brush process better than most woods. The subtly of its character steps forward as one enters into the kitchen zone.\u201d,<\/p>\n

Thomas wanted to preserve the chalky, matte finish of the Arborcoat but wondered if a wax finish was necessary for durability. Harmon went with an unobtrusive waterborne flat clear coat applied with a brush: \u201cIt\u2019s a tricky process because it dries quickly, so reworking strokes can cause problems\u2014but the results are what we were after.\u201d<\/p>\n


Above: The range is a Bertazzoni Professional Series 30 Inch with a Bertazzoni four-burner cooktop. The custom hood shroud is made of MDF inset with a Prestige Pro Line liner.
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Above: \u201cIt can be tough to find pleasing hoods,\u201d says Thomas. \u201cA nice, clean box that recedes helps to direct the focus to other elements, such as what\u2019s on the shelf; it also guides the eye upward to the crown molding that traces the perimeter of the room.\u201d (Explore the options in our Range Hood series.) <\/p>\n

The flooring is the pine subfloor that had been hidden under battered tiles. It\u2019s sealed with water-based Bona Naturale.<\/p>\n

The Evolution of the Cutout Handle Design<\/h3>\n


Above: As drawn, the design was a simple U shape.,<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I initially scanned the drawings,\u201d Harmon tells us, \u201cI figured it would be easy enough to create the pull. However, things often occur to me when the material is in hand. My concern for the pull was how tactile the response would be. Working with a three-quarter-inch-thick drawer front would mean one\u2019s fingertip would have to reach quite far to pull the drawer or door open.\u201d Photograph by James Harmon.<\/p>\n


Above: \u201cI think it would easier to use if it had a steeped condition, so your finger would sense a little ridge,\u201d Harmon emailed Thomas. After a technical discussion of rabbets and jigs, a doughnut shape was the next possibility he tried. Photograph by James Harmon.
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Above: The third approach, a rounded section with good grab, was the answer. \u201cRouting a cove shape into the backside of the splice gives it a more comfy hold for fingers to grip,\u201d says Harmon, noting it took six steps to fabricate each pull. Thomas was delighted with the refinement and the results. Photograph by James Harmon.
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Above: The open sink doors display the otherwise hidden sculpture . Photograph by James Harmon.
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Above: Harmon completely fabricated the lower cabinet run in his Brooklyn studio. The carcass is made of prefinished maple veneer plywood. \u201cIt may seem like a lot of extra steps went into the construction,\u201d he says \u201cbut they all add up to a more intriguing design and a more interesting and high-functioning kitchen.\u201d Photograph by James Harmon. <\/p>\n

Explore the rest of the townhouse and see Before photos here.<\/p>\n

Take a look at three more of our favorite kitchens with dark cabinetry:<\/p>\n