It was a classic home saddled with thirty years of neglect, and lucky to have acquired Lynne Dujmovich, Principal of SilentJ Design, and her husband as owners and residents.

Their mission: to carry forward and convey the character of the particular time and place into a home well-suited for modern living. And, to revive vibrant pieces of its character that had been lost over its long life.

“For the kitchen, I had always wanted to work with Henrybuilt - the quality, the thoughtful interior functionality, and sophistication,” says Dujmovich. “But I didn't want a kitchen that looked like it belonged in Soho. With Henrybuilt I was able to achieve something that is modern and sophisticated but nods to the traditional.”

Call it in with the old and in with the new. That’s the new way and that’s where the real challenge to the norm rests. We’re not talking about just layering looks like the popularized term ‘transitional’.

We’re talking about the how the surface integrates with the architecture and what is underneath. That’s where the ‘sub’ in ‘subversive’ resides.

Let’s first talk language. Green dominates the conversation. Not only does it vanquish the mundane, the color acts as one of the key connectors between the new performance kitchen and the traditional bones of the home and its verdant setting.

And, it feels good. Dujmovich isn’t afraid of color. “Many people respond to color and don't use it. That's a mistake,” she says. “It can create a great emotional response to your space.”

The frame-and-panel cabinet fronts and other details pay further homage to the traditional bones and root the kitchen into the architecture, so it feels of the house.

When people think of updating a traditional kitchen, they might not think of Henrybuilt. “Think again,” says Henrybuilt Design Director Lisa Tanno. “This is within our arsenal. It’s about being aware of what details – like crown molding – make an impact on what we are trying to achieve. It’s about proportion and ensuring the language of what we design harkens to the references of the architecture.”

Henrybuilt's knobs take a traditional form and reduce it to a modern shape.

“The system has far more flexibility than you think,” says Dujmovich. “It is super customizable, not only dimensionally, but aesthetically.”

The island gives a nod to traditional kitchen worktables by applying a contrasting top and thick wood legs on each end.

Restomod. It’s a term in the collector-car world. Classic cars updated with new automotive technology under the hood, bringing together classic styling with modern comfort, performance and reliability. And, it’s a term that applies here.

Beneath Dujmovich’s traditional shaker cabinet fronts, lives Henrybuit’s experience-driven innovations that weave-in high-performance function. Specialized products designed for specific purposes. Tools that make the routine things we do everyday – even the mundane ones (like juggling pot lid storage) - feel simple, natural, and artful.

The beauty of the Henrybuilt system is that these specialized functions do not have to drive the aesthetic of the space. The kitchen can be anonymous (instead, reflecting the signature of the home) on the exterior, while holding all its special tools within.

Small moves with bit impact. Walnut-lined niches are like little jewel boxes - pockets of visual relief.

They provide moments of natural tactility within the abundance of applied color.

Dujmovich took advantage of a useful coffee niche to add a small touch of industrial feel with an unexpected powder coat steel shelf. A moment of contrast to the wood and color.