Before & After
August 26, 2024
Inside A Warm, Organic Condo Kitchen Where A Young Doctor Spends His Downtime
It took Rohit Pai a few years of living in his downtown Victoria condo before he was ready to tackle a kitchen remodel. The gastroenterologist moved in to his place in 2017, and began decorating and DIYing each room with sunny, warm tones and soft materials to contrast the abundant concrete and glass. When it was time to update the early 2000s dark wood kitchen, Rohit had to call in reinforcements. Kyla Bidgood and Jess Allerton, creative director and interior designer at Bidgood, respectively, were introduced to Rohit through Instagram and they clicked immediately.
He was looking for a space that would be calm and zen to come home to after busy days at the hospital — a space where everything had a place and he could entertain friends with a glass of natural wine. Kyla and Jess were able to strike the perfect chord, a harmonious balance of functionality and style. Now, at the end of a long shift, Rohit is able to crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy it in his zen space, where everything has a place.
Keep reading to see this condo kitchen remodel!
Before: The kitchen had dark cabinets, granite counters and silver hardware.
Rohit wanted to keep his yellow, speckled granite counters, bamboo floors and the electrical and plumbing in the existing locations to avoid needing sign-off from his condo board. Slowly, issues started to crop up. “It was one of those projects where, if something could go wrong, it did,” says Jess. The reno, unfortunately, coincided with multiple pandemic-related lockdowns, trade labor shortages, a flood from a neighboring unit and news from the contractor during demo that the counters would likely break on-site and wouldn’t be salvageable.
Homeowner Rohit Pai
“These concrete-look counters are a small nod to the architecture of the building,” says Kyla. “They’re a bit more uniform than the previous counters and they really let your eye go to accents like the colored metal and backsplash.” They also have the same warm tone as the old counters, but feel more contemporary, adds Jess.
To honor Rohit’s love of natural wine and address his need for storage, the island plays double duty. The interior side has deep cabinets housing kitchenware and even a “root cellar.” But on the other side, the designers put in storage for glassware and wine racks, which are now filled with his collection. The island was also raised up and set inside an open metal box that’s powder-coated, serendipitously, in Wine Red. “Lifting the island off the floor and giving it a frame with legs creates a division between the kitchen, living and dining spaces and makes the island a furniture piece,” says Jess. Hidden next to the panel-ready fridge is an appliance garage that opens up to reveal all of the gear for his other love, coffee, including a grinder, coffee machine, mugs and beans.
Working with the condo’s bamboo floors, white oak cabinets were chosen for the lowers and island as a more durable and complementary option.
The unique red metal continues above the sink on the white oak open shelves, which have perforated-metal surfaces so Rohit can dry and display wineglasses.
Having a separate cooktop and wall oven means the counter is a long, uninterrupted line from end to end. “Visually, it appears more tailored,” says Kyla.
“The small-scale pattern of the tile is a nostalgic nod to the past and a feel-good uplifting element,” says Kyla. Part of the Bidgood design process early on is to create a checklist for every item in the kitchen and then make sure that everything has a dedicated place in the newly designed space. “Especially in a small space that’s open to your living room, the kitchen can look messy quickly,” says Kyla. “If a kitchen looks great and doesn’t function well, then it’s a failure, and if it works well but doesn’t look good, it’s also a failure.”
Mary McNeill Knowles
Kitchens & Baths