Eclectic Kitchen Renovation
After a natural disaster, these homeowners took the opportunity to renovate their kitchen from top to bottom. This particular client - who also doubles as my mother 😊 - is a pretty eclectic lady who gravitates towards reds and dark colors. Together we created a transitional style kitchen that looks to the future, while also speaking to her past.
At her request, we worked hard to reuse her existing floors, sink/faucet, mustard yellow sliding door pantry, and cook-top hood. We incorporated them into a warm pallet with rich detailing she expects in her home. It only took one conversation to know that this was not a place for recommending white carrara marble. So we went the opposite direction and led mom to black granite for the rich contrast she was after. The grey-blue subway tile bridges the gap between the classic undertones I try to input into every design project, while also giving the client the color she wanted.
With this renovation, we took the opportunity to extend the cased opening that connects the living room and kitchen spaces another 6 feet. Storage space was vital and we utilized a portion of the new opening with a furniture-style storage cabinet and butcher block top. This solution also gives her additional guest seating on the living room side. Small changes such drawers in the pantry, a pot pullout, upper cabinets to the ceiling, and a built-in microwave shelf made this kitchen more efficient .
This solution was perfect for these homeowners (aka my mom and dad). It speaks to the way they entertain and to the characters that they are.
Here are some before photos:
Check out the detail photos. They show some of the fun tidbits that my mom incorporated into this space to make it hers:
Because this renovation happened after a natural disaster some products were very hard to come by and/or lead times were unreasonably long. We found that the majority of the mill workers in our area had also been devastated. We opted for pre-manufactured cabinets that could be sourced outside the affected area. This was one of the first projects that the contractor and myself had incorporated pre-manufactured cabinets. While I do love the overall continuity of the manufactured finish and enjoy the warranties that come with the product even to this day the customization that comes with shop fabricated millwork is my preference.
Want to recreate this look? Mood board coming soon here!