Holloway Home Improvement Center designs and installs new kitchen for the 2007 Cape May Show House

            Warm, Victorian elegance combined with thoroughly modern convenience—that is what Holloway Home Improvement Center, of Marmora, New Jersey, designed into the kitchen of the 2007 Cape May Show House.

            The overall ambience of luxury is created by custom walnut cabinetry, stone countertops, hand-dipped tile backsplashes, a tin ceiling and a tumbled travertine floor, all in rich shades of brown, caramel and gold.

            But the working heart of the kitchen—the appliances—are all professional grade: A five-foot-long Wolf range and two Wolf warming drawers. Subzero refrigerator and freezer. Dual ASKO dishwashers. A Miele coffee station.

            The result is a cooking room that serves any need. "One person could make a cup of coffee, sit at the counter, read the newspaper, and enjoy the view of the gardens in the side yard," says Jeffrey Holloway, who owns Holloway Home Improvement Center along with his wife, Karen. "The kitchen also lends itself to large gatherings. A dozen people could be in the room comfortably. Or a caterer could come in and use the kitchen to prepare a professional gourmet meal."

The show house, located at 608 Hughes Street in Cape May, N.J., was originally built in 1847, and turning the existing structure into the inviting yet functional kitchen posed significant design challenges. The space was originally two rooms, a kitchen and laundry room/home office. The Holloways suggested removing the wall between the rooms, relocating windows—which required the approval of the Cape May Historical Society—and even moving a staircase to the basement.

            Then they used the larger space to implement the newest trend in kitchen design—multiple workstations. The kitchen has a cooking center, refrigeration zone, independent coffee station and a dish center. A large central island includes a food preparation area with a secondary sink and microwave, with an extended counter to create casual seating for four people.

            Holloway Home Improvement Center selected furniture-grade custom cabinetry, including a standalone pantry. The doors on all of the cabinets are one inch thick, which allows for more sculptured profiles. Three sets of cabinets have glass doors with intricate mullions, glass shelving and interior lights, adding to the openness of the room. To give the sense of fitted furniture, the designers used multiple moldings above the cabinets—sometimes as many as six separate elements.

            Jeffrey and Karen Holloway worked closely with Bill Saponaro, the owner of the home. "Bill is an incredibly gifted individual who has a clear perspective of what he wants," Jeffrey Holloway says. "We collaborated with him, as we do with all our clients, to bring together the kitchen of his dreams."

Credits

Designer: Jeffrey Holloway, CKD, CBD.

Flooring: 18 x 24-inch tumbled travertine by Orlandini Tile Supplies.

Lighting: Billows Electric.

Chandelier: Tracy Porter.

Cabinetry: Heritage Custom Cabinetry, English Walnut Matte finish.

Hardware: Top Knobs.

Countertops: Travertine Navone by Stonetops.

Sinks and Faucets: KWC Faucets.

Backsplash: Hand dipped Sonoma tiles by Avalon Carpet, Tile & Flooring.

Ceiling: Gold fire mist metallic/gold bronze by Valley Tinworks.

Appliances: Johnson's Appliances, Wildwood, N.J. Dishwasher by Asko; refrigerator and freezer by Subzero 700 series; range, exhaust and warming drawers by Wolf; coffee station by Miele; microwave by KitchenAid.