You won’t believe this is the same kitchen
This post has been a long time coming, as the renovation process took the better part of a year. Also it’s a reminder that A.) good things come to those who wait and B.) planning every detail before a demo hammer is lifted is crucial to success.
The kitchen is situated in a 1990’s built French Normandy style home on a mountaintop setting. So the bar is already set pretty high. We’ve had the privilege of working with these trusting clients on several projects over the years as they work their way through the home room by room with updates and changes that support how they wish to live in the home.
We had discussed redoing the kitchen on a few occasions but the time just wasn’t right.
Until it was. Let the fun begin - and when I say “fun”, I mean a little bit of misery before decades of enjoyment is realized.
When you see the before pictures, you’ll understand why it took a lot of planning and a lot of time to turn this kitchen from underserving our clients to overdelivering in every way.
Here’s what we had to work with:
The important ‘before” photo
How many problems do you see here? I’ll go first..
The only access points to the work area of the kitchen are the door from the dining room and this narrow passageway between the island and the refrigerator. When the refrigerator door is open, this is no longer a valid passageway.
Here’s a better perspective on the refrigerator/access point conundrum
2. See below. What in the insufficient countertop is happening around that cooktop that was plopped into an islet (tiny island for those not familiar with the term)
The islet with cooktop. No counter space for food prep or anything else.
3. See above. What was the thought process on the random recessed light placement?
Peninsula
4. This peninsula. It’s way too big and way too intrusive. It feels like a barrier to entering the kitchen and every trip to the kitchen for a quick snack requires a taking lap around the peninsula.
So we had our work cut out for us. You should also know that there would be no removal or relocation of existing walls. The new kitchen would be re-created within the existing footprint.
No pressure.
Is everyone familiar with the “form follows function” term? In case you’re not, it just means we have to get the space to function and flow properly before we look at the pretty tile options, although personally I have no control over where my brain goes and I’m constantly thinking about the layers of pretty.
First look at the Design Intention - approved!!
And here’s the list of non-negotiables as communicated by our wonderful clients as well as our ideas for making the kitchen everything they had ever dreamed of.
That peninsula - make it go away
Reconfigure the lighting
Incorporate an island with seating
Incorporate a LaCornue induction range (it was a must-have)
Improve the overall flow and make the kitchen more user friendly to cooks and guests alike
Provide lots of storage
Improve the dining area and provide a solution for controlling the blazing afternoon sun
Forgot to include a ‘before’ of the dining area. It functions, but we can do better. (We did.)
Also the view out of the window that’s just out of camera range is absolutely breathtaking.
Something that occurred to me is that the existing kitchen had no focal point, and so we fixed that by moving placing the hood/gorgeous range on the wall opposite the main entry point to the kitchen. It’s the first thing you see when entering the kitchen! The other win is that now the range has adequate counter space on either side of the range to make meal prep a breeze.
New range , venetian plaster hood, acorn sconces, and glass fronted cabinets all work together in harmony to create a much more functional and beautiful focal point to this kitchen.
We removed the peninsula and replaced it with an island that offers seating for 3 - exquisite details included. Originally the clients resisted the asymmetrical design of the island, but eventually came around to how the seating arrangement encourages conversation and provides better access to the pantry cabinets.
So much better! And look - easy flow in and out of the kitchen with wide and multiple access points. Extra points if you noticed the new and improved lighting layout. Also of note is the new location for the sub-zero refrigerator.
Did I mention wallpaper? We fell in love with this forest themed wallpaper that feels magical in this space!
In the newly improved breakfast nook, we opted for a pair of pendants over the table for a bit of the unexpected. New traverse rod mounted drapery panels give the option of full privacy and light control or an unobstructed view of the Tennessee River gorge outside the windows.
The antique china cabinet seen in the background is a family heirloom and holds an impressive collection of fine china.
Speaking of family heirlooms and china, we creatively displayed part of this very treasured collection on the wall of the seating area. The properly scaled new furniture is casual, easily maintained and a great style fit for the overall design direction. Plenty of detail and texture but not overly stylized.
Absolutely love this shot! All design elements are working together within a functional space. This is what personalized design is all about!
More of the clients’ heirloom china is displayed in the glass fronted wood cabinets.
There’s at ton of storage in the pantry cabinets, including a microwave, coffee maker, and stand mixer (among other things). Pocket doors provide easy access. Cabinets are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Stony Ground, as is all crown and trim in the kitchen.
The kitchen island offers a cast iron undermounted sink, plenty of storage and a charging station.
One more look at that gorgeous range. Countertops and backsplash are Taj Mahal quartzite. It’s a natural stone workhorse.
This project presented many challenges. Renovating within an existing footprint usually includes a few unexpected surprises and this one was no different. We stayed the course, did some creative problem solving that included the expertise of and skills of Lindsay and a handful of trusted subs, and ended with a project we’re all so proud of!
The attached sunroom was included as part of this project as well as a newly created mud room from 2 closets.
We’ll look at those areas in my next post!