A Bold Black & White Palette Wows In This Modern Kitchen

When real-estate agent Sarah Firestone and her tech sales leader husband, Josh Rotman, can host dinner parties again, it’s safe to say their kitchen makeover will be the talk of the table. “The peninsula is such a conversation starter — it feels like a beautiful piece of art or furniture,” says designer Jordy Fagan of Collective Studio, who worked alongside partner Alana Firestone to combine the former kitchen and dining room into a single gathering place where the couple can entertain and keep an eye on their one-year-old son, Yale.

Sasha originally called on her cousin Alana to help choose paint and furniture for their newly purchased 1940s-era home in Toronto, but the scope of the project quickly escalated. “The kitchen was closed off and had an awkward layout, so we showed them that if we opened up the space, they could gain a generous peninsula and a banquette with tons of storage below,” says Alana. Sasha knew these upgrades would be a major selling point down the road, so the designers got to work, gutting everything but the existing red oak hardwood flooring, which was sanded and restained.

The 10-foot-long peninsula was built with touch-latch cabinets on both sides and houses big appliances like the couple’s Vitamix. To inject drama, the peninsula, a new vent hood and the floor-length pantry were all clad in a reeded oak treatment so new that the millworker was caught off guard. “He said, ‘I don’t know how to do that, but I’ll play around,’ ” recalls Alana, who later approved the samples on the first try. The final result is casual yet pulled together, perfect for the owners’ laid-back lifestyle.

These days, the family gathers at the banquette and enjoys their own company, but the occasion platters stored beneath the seat will be pressed into service again very soon.

Scroll down to tour this modern graphic kitchen!