This Minimalistic Kitchen Is Sleek and Spunky

A kitchen is usually the heart of a home, but for a long time the opposite was true in Leslie and Jermaine Hall’s place in New Providence, NJ. “It was just a room you’d pass through to get something to drink,” Leslie says. “No one wanted to spend time in it!” Blame the mauve laminate counters, rust-color clay tile floors, and beige cabinets.

To channel their contemporary-yet-fun-loving style, the couple hired designer Fawn Galli, who kept the room’s size but scrapped the rest. She started with a simple base (light pine floors, bright white cabinets, and marble countertops) before piling on the playful (graphic wallpaper, multicolor cactus-print fabric, and one wowza light fixture).

“I joke that our kitchen looks like it belongs in a Miami condo, not a suburban New Jersey house,” says Leslie. “It’s become the only place where we hang out.”

Kitchen Details

Island

“We’re minimalists, so we didn’t want something that overpowered the room,” Leslie says. Gray-veined statuary marble on top and flat-front drawers with glossy white pulls from Top Knobs make it feel clean and state-of-the-art.

Wallpaper

The Eskayel paper’s delicate pattern in gray and lavender is Leslie’s idea of zen. “It’s the perfect backdrop for sitting at
the banquette with the morning paper,” she says. It’s also a good counterpoint to the bold yellow print by Curtis Kulig.

Light Fixture

Call it the sputnik’s funkier cousin: This starburst light, made by U.K. brand Item, features dozens of bone china “rays” that glow softly when it’s on. “The white color fits in, but the shape makes it a standout,” says Leslie.

Banquette

A custom-made table with a marble top (it’s the same as the countertops) and acrylic legs, paired with tulip chairs from Organic Modernism, may be très glam, but the spot is practical, too—it fits 12, perfect for pizza parties with friends. Leslie instantly adored the cactus-print Missoni Home fabric. “I would have put it everywhere if Fawn hadn’t stopped me,” she says. The prints are by Craig Redman.