In February 2016, I received a phone call from a lovely lady who had recently moved into her home in Clifton, Virginia with her husband and teenage son.
She said she called me because she reviewed my work and client reviews online, and could tell that I was not a “cookie cutter” type designer.
We met on a February day in her outdated kitchen (see “before” photo above.) She immediately began showing me her collage of inspirational photos. “Wow”, I thought: this is definitely not our standard all-white typical kitchen project.
Aesthetic elements that inspired my client included:
an old wood beam that she and her husband had purchased on a “whim” because of its beauty;
copper elements — a collection of copper mugs that she wanted to display;
multicolored ledgerstone, which was the surround of her fireplace in the Great Room;
blackish steel beams — an industrial element that would provide the structural support required.
We had a clear starting point for the aesthetic elements. But what to do with the awkward kitchen layout?
Directly behind the kitchen was the laundry room, which awkwardly shared the kitchen sink run as you turned the corner to come into the kitchen.
If you look at the before photo below (the sink is not in view because it is on the other side of the room!), you can see that if you were cooking and needed to visit the sink (or vice versa), you would have to cross the room to the other side.
The other element that bothered my client was a single column dividing the Great Room from the kitchen. She wanted to eliminate it. She also wanted to convert the laundry room into a pantry and mudroom.
I examined the rooms’ existing configuration and proposed the following changes. (Any structural or other changes were confirmed and fine tuned by our structural engineer, Rob Fling, and Guy Brannock, Brannock Enterprises.)
Relocated the sink to the island;
Elongated the shared laundry/kitchen room wall and simultaneously pushed it back away from the kitchen
Because my client wanted many appliance conveniences in the kitchen — including a 48″ refrigerator/freezer — we had to shift our thinking. There was not enough room for a 48″ built-in refrigerator/freezer along with the tall micro/single oven cabinet. So I proposed the idea, which appears to be trending nowadays, of substituting a GE 36″ refrigerator in the kitchen and an 18″ Thermador freezer to be located in the pantry.
Elongated the main gas range top wall by eliminating the wing-wall on the right and reducing the doorway width into the Keeping Room.
The key aesthetic elements, which involved collaboration with and inspiration from my client included:
Incorporating the wood beam into the hood over the GE Monogram 48″ gas range-top;
Mirroring over the pantry and 18″ Thermador Freezer;
Continuing with the fireplace existing multi-colored ledgerstone theme throughout the kitchen, pantry/mud/laundry mudroom and powder room;
The structural beam would also serve as an aesthetic dividing the Great Room and Dining Room from the kitchen yet still allowing for an open layout concept
Floating shelves and wood countertop in a similar (Oak) wood specie as the wood beam;
LED lighting–strip for wall cabinets and puck for floating shelves;
Copper sink, faucet, pendants, and cabinet hardware;
Engineered quartz for all countertops (except for wood top area).
T18ID900LP – Innovation A touch-screen TFT display panel allows intuitive control over your entire refrigeration system. Performance SoftClose® Drawers and Product.
A shining example of copper’s natural beauty, this farmhouse style sink features smooth texture, earthy tones, and a beautiful living finish. Made with quality craftsmanship and from solid copper, it is sure to lend both aesthetic value and functionality
Light Silt CQ 3CM Quartz is SLAB available at Cosmos Granite and Marble, Washington. Light Silt CQ 3CM is a China origin and lies in Quartz group, in Multi pattern.
For cleanup and prep, the Steyn Kitchen Faucet moves with you, thanks to its flexible coil feature and pull-down spray. This well-designed faucet features a ceramic disc cartridge.
Sandra Brannock, Owner, Expert Kitchen Designs, Virginia
If you are tired of your current kitchen and looking to upgrade it to suit your current lifestyle and design preferences, give me a call.
I can save you time, money and stress by helping you define and refine your kitchen renovation ideas and your remodeling budget, assisting with the selection of cabinetry, countertops, appliances and all the other fixtures and finishes that go into a new kitchen, and coordinating the delivery and installation of your new kitchen with your contractor or builder.
You can reach me by phone or text at: (703) 801-6402; or by email at: sandra@expertkitchendesigns.com.
My monthly perusal of kitchen remodeling and kitchen design trade magazines gives me new ideas for items and processes I can incorporate in my clients’ kitchen designs. Here are four kitchen design trends, randomly picked, that I want to share with you:
Sliding Cabinet Doors
The continuing trend in American kitchen design continues to be “sleekness”. Sliding cabinet doors in lieu of doors that swing open offer one way to achieve that sleek look while maximizing available space.
Sliding Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Watch the video below to see how sliding cabinet doors work on Hafele’s Frontino unit:
Kitchen Workspace / Function Hidden Behind Retractable Doors
In smaller living spaces such as loft apartments and the like, the kitchen is often part of the overall living space. This open concept is appealing, yet for those who wish at times the kitchen looked more like furniture, the Orgavital by Mobalco offers a beautifully-designed and highly functional solution:
Orgavital Kitchen Storage Cabinet
Deep Drawers for Storage
Deep kitchen storage drawers are becoming ever more popular. Deep drawers can be designed to store trays, dishes, glasses, liquor bottles and taller small appliances.
Deep kitchen storage drawers
Frameless or Full Access Cabinetry
Frameless Cabinets
American and traditional European cabinetry typically incorporates 1 ½ face frame construction.
In contrast, frameless, or rather, full access cabinetry uses ¾ “box” construction which maximizes interior cabinet space utilization. Drawer boxes and pullouts can be wider thereby increasing actual storage space in a kitchen.
Along with the trend for a more seamless look, this type of construction therefore offers dual benefits.
Sandra Brannock, Owner, Expert Kitchen Designs, Virginia
Sandra Brannock designs beautiful, timeless, functional kitchens that reflect your personal style, within your budget. She helps discerning homeowners throughout Northern and Central Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC get the kitchen of their dreams and select the perfect cabinetry, fixtures, flooring, lighting, and appliances to make their dream kitchen a reality.
Call Sandra today at (703) 801-6402 to schedule a kitchen remodeling consultation. Sandra will help you get the most value out of your kitchen remodeling budget.
As promised, here is the second part of my blog about 2016 kitchen design trends. Today’s topic is the evolving nature of the kitchen pantry.
Pantries: Becoming More Beautiful Without The Laundry Room!
Old Style Pantry Combined With Laundry Room
Decades ago, the typical kitchen, if space permitted, allowed for a nearby “closet” that served as a pantry. It was not uncommon for part of this pantry space to be dedicated to the washer and dryer. In an era when women were solely in charge of preparing family meals and doing the family laundry, it made sense to place the laundry room near the kitchen to make it easier for women to cook and do laundry at the same time.
In those days, no one thought it odd or ridiculous to be dragging dirty laundry through or near the kitchen on a regular basis.
Thank goodness times have changed. With our busy overscheduled lives, men’s and women’s roles have evolved. Men are as likely to cook as women. Husbands and wives often share cleaning responsibilities or hire a cleaning service to handle cleaning chores.
To accommodate modern lifestyles, today’s homes are likely to be designed so that the laundry center is positioned near the bedrooms, where most of the family’s dirty clothes and linens are generated. In today’s families, where all family members are often expected to be responsible for washing their own clothes and dirty bed linens, it no longer makes sense to be lugging large laundry baskets up and down stairs and through the kitchen.
Modern Day Floor Plan with Laundry Room Near Bedrooms
Cluttered Dining Room Table
The kitchen in modern homes has become a central living and gathering space. Formal living rooms and formal dining rooms are disappearing. (I personally cannot count the number of times I have seen formal dining room tables cluttered with stuff related to the family’s everyday activities — a testament to their essential function and purpose!) The trend towards eliminating formal living and dining rooms frees up more interior space that can be allocated to the modern kitchen — which leads me back to the topic of the pantry.
Today’s homeowners view walk-in pantries as a big plus and a new trend is appearing. The pantry is becoming more luxurious and more integral to kitchen design.
Over the last four or five years, and more frequently over the past year, if it is economically and logistically possible, my clients have been requesting a separate but visible open pantry space adjoining the kitchen.
In a few kitchen remodeling projects, I have designed pantry spaces that include high end appliances such as beverage centers, icemakers, and refrigerators. Floor to ceiling cabinetry matches that of the kitchen, and countertops are installed to house counter-type appliances. (See illustration below.)
Open Kitchen Pantry Design
Other trends on the rise: depending upon the space, the kitchen will house only a fresh food refrigerator, while the freezer is located inside the pantry since frozen items are not needed quite as often if the cook prepares from everyday fresh non-frozen ingredients.
So if you are wondering if it is time to reconsider your pantry’s storage needs and aesthetic, it is. This is truly a trend that is here to stay.
Sandra Brannock, Owner, Expert Kitchen Designs, Virginia
Sandra Brannock designs beautiful, timeless, functional kitchens that reflect your personal style, within your budget. She helps discerning homeowners throughout Northern and Central Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC get the kitchen of their dreams and select the perfect cabinetry, fixtures, flooring, lighting, and appliances to make their dream kitchen a reality.
Call Sandra today at (703) 801-6402 to schedule a kitchen remodeling consultation. Sandra will help you get the most value out of your kitchen remodeling budget.
