All those questions and more that so many clients consider before taking the leap. They were committed to making this home for a while, so they decided to take the plunge with a full remodel.

The kitchen, though large and spacious was not living up to its potential both visually and functionally. The dark cabinets and dark countertop made the room feel dark. And the major drawback, a large corner pantry that was eating into the room, make it appear smaller than it was. Sue was concerned because the pantry was where the majority of the food was stored, including some bulk products, so we planned to address those needs as part of the re-design.

We started by ditching the corner pantry which took some convincing but wow, what a difference! Trust your designers people, we really do know what we are doing! Joking aside, I think we were all surprised at what a huge difference this made. It created a perfectly centered spot for the new professional range and made room for a much larger island that now houses a beverage center, microwave drawer, seating for three and tons of storage.

The new built-in Subzero stayed in the existing fridge location but is now much larger and better-suited to the family. The fun angled wine storage above creates some visual interest and breaks up all the closed cabinetry. A pantry to the right is a spot for dry goods previously stored in the corner pantry.

Since the kitchen is used daily for home-cooked meals and gets a lot of traffic, the wood floor was replaced with a large format porcelain tile that looks and feels just like limestone but has none of the maintenance. We added a decorative border around the island for some fun detail. I just love how this part came out!

Cabinetry is red oak with a custom stain on the perimeter and a lighter washed, textured laminate on the island. Perimeter countertops are a mushroom Caesarstone with contrasting white quartz on the island that carries up the wall at the range. The rest of the backsplash is the perfect bone colored ceramic herringbone tile that adds subtle texture.

The multi-generational family does a ton of cooking, so this kitchen gets used! We spent lots of time fine tuning the storage devices and planning where critical items would be stored. This included the new pantry area across from the refrigerator that houses small appliances and food staples. Pocket doors hide away the mess but can open up for another small work station as needed.