During their careers, Jim and Eileen Barna, owners of TrueLeaf Kitchens in Basking Ridge, have renovated more than 1,200 kitchens, including five of their own.
In their latest, for the 1930s Basking Ridge house they share with their two sons and Winnie the Westie, they created an open-plan space for effortless cooking and entertaining.
When they moved into the house five years ago, they knew that they were going to renovate the 19-foot by 14-foot kitchen, a 2000s remodel in a 1960s addition.
“We loved the house but not the kitchen,” Eileen says. “It was dated: It had maple cabinets, green granite countertops and, worst of all, no island.”
Although they didn’t raze any walls, the Barnas opened the space to the dining room by removing and widening the swinging door and cutting an opening into the family room, which is appointed with a fireplace.
The design process started with the color scheme: The linen/beige cabinets and caviar/eggplant island cabinetry are derived from their Denby dinnerware, a wedding gift from Jim’s parents that is now showcased in easy-to-reach-up-and-grab-a-plate oak shelves that bookend the kitchen window.
The soft hue of the cabinets and the mix of brushed nickel and brushed gold hardware and fixtures “make the kitchen timeless,” he says.
“Because of the white quartz Calacatta Mirragio countertops, the kitchen doesn’t feel dark,” Eileen says.
The island’s subtle Blue Dunes granite countertop has a matt-leathered finish that doesn’t reflect light and is easy to keep clean. “Everyone who walks by rubs their hands on it,” she says.
The backsplash is tiled in a gray herringbone pattern that has a wide grout space to add drama. “It has the look of a mosaic, but it’s not nearly as expensive,” Eileen says. “The grout makes the tile pattern pop.”
The biggest change—and the one the Barnas love the most—is the island.
“We both love to cook,” Eileen says. “Generally, we trade off—one of us cooks and the other cleans up—so it was important to have separate food-prep and clean-up stations with sinks.”
Using the kitchen table as extra counter space, which is what they had been forced to do, was cumbersome and inconvenient.
“It’s a joy not to get in each other’s way,” Jim says. “We were always working around things.”
And, Eileen adds, having two sinks means there are no dishes on the counter, an important feature because the kitchen is visible from the home’s front door.
The Barnas also placed a priority on storage, creating an appliance garage for bottles of vitamins and a pull-out drawer for spices that allows the bottles to be placed on their sides with the labels visible at first glance and reach.
One of their more innovative decisions was to separate the refrigerator and freezer, covering them with cabinetry doors so they blend in.
“We didn’t compromise on their size,” Jim says. “The refrigerator, which is to the left of the range, is 30 inches, and the freezer, which is 18 inches wide, is by the coffee bar. But they don’t look that large because they are not side-by-side.”
Although the Barnas didn’t encounter any surprises during their kitchen renovation—they are, after all, pros—they did come up with ideas to recommend to future clients.
“We’ve done this five times for ourselves and each time we learn a little bit,” Jim says. “But this time we nailed everything. It functions to perfection.”
Find more design inspiration at TrueLeafKitchens.com.
One of their innovative decisions was to separate the refrigerator and freezer.
We nailed everything. It functions to perfection.