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The new kitchen cabinets are constructed of 'Sapele,' a type of wood in the mahogany family. All of the upper cabinets frames are beveled with unique pulls, a design concept inspired by an existing teak sideboard in the dining room.
Another special feature was incorporated in the upper cabinet doors, where wooden pulls are combined with fingerpulls made of turquoise laminate. "Some people see the ovals as a pair of lips," Karimi says. "They kind of speak to each other."
A Thermador refrigerator was installed within the Sapele cabinetry panels. "Our fridge is only 30 inches wide, as the space was tight," Karimi says, "but since we buy a lot of fresh produce, we really don't have a need for an extra-capacity model.
"A craftsman at my office made heavier versions of the original hardware, upgrading the design on the appliance doors that will get the most wear and tear, allowing us to keep the original design."
Extending the sleek lines of the new kitchen are gleaming white-glass countertops provided by a new product called Stoneglass, which is made in Italy and touted as non-absorbent, easy to clean, and environmentally friendly.
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In order to mirror the pale-blue color of the 1960 tile counter and backsplash, the new design retains the original tone and 4-inch by 4-inch size, a custom tile backsplash made at Mission Tile West in South Pasadena. "The tiles turned out great with perfect color and design against our vintage 'Blue Heaven' dishes," Karimi says.
Pulling the whole look together is a sea of pale-blue Marmoleum flooring—"a refreshing tone against the warm Sapele wood kitchen cabinets," she says—a popular, non-toxic product that is constructed out of 97 percent natural raw materials.
"I love everything about the way our kitchen turned out," says Karimi. "Plus my new Miele dishwasher is like my new best friend—and so quiet you can't even tell it's on."