Behind The Scenes
A Colonial Kitchen, Mudroom, and Primary Bath Remodel.
Mid 2020, a few months into COVID, I was introduced to a couple who wanted to embark on a whole house remodel. Part of the project involved the Kitchen and the Primary Bath plus Mudroom. I had been called in to assist with design and finish selection processes for these areas.
In order to improve the kitchen footprint, we had to eliminate a structural wall between the kitchen and family room. A steel beam had to be installed to provide proper point load support. We were then able to introduce an L-Shaped kitchen footprint with island. The most important point I emphasized to my clients was that the island should center on the hood and two flanking wall cabinets. Thankfully they understood this design logic, we were able to create a properly weighted and focused feel to the long wall parallel to the island.
The shorter wall housed Miele appliances to include a panel ready refrigerator/freezer, plumbed coffee maker, steam oven, a “daily needs” pantry, and appliance garage for a small microwave.
Floating shelves matching the walnut hood and island, along with clever lighting behind them, provided a meaningful transition into the wall cabinet flanking the left side of the hood.
The island provided the clean up and prep function with Kohler stainless steel farm sink.
Luckily for me, both homeowners were very specific about their wants aesthetically for the kitchen finishes. Many inspiration pictures were shared with me. A “washed” walnut stain was at the top of their list. Why? Because this particular stain on the walnut introduced a gray tone in the wood–softening the redness of the walnut. The other color for the cabinetry was Ben Moore’s “Decorators White”. These two match perfectly with one another.
Chrome accents were a key ingredient for the mix as well–to include 3rd party fabricated pieces for the hood made by Hickory Creek Cabinetry. We continued this chrome finish theme for the pulls, the faucet, and pendant lights.
A truly magnificent kitchen–with homeowners who were bold enough to shake it up a little bit with edginess and class.
We kept the Master Bathroom understated and simple. 36″ wide vanity sink drawer bases –with plumbing access cutouts in each drawer, were butted side by side for a streamlined minimal look . The wood was a select poplar with a grayish blue stain called Cadet.
