“I was tired of the wallpaper,” stated the owner of this West Carmel home when asked why she decided to remodel her kitchen. Of course, there was a lot more to that answer. Built in 1989, the kitchen had its original appliances, a small island, dark brown cabinetry and tile flooring. “We had been thinking about remodeling for years but were waiting for me to finish my PhD. In 2012 I finished school, and then the dishwasher broke, so we decided it was time.”
Design Phase:
The homeowner knew what she wanted when it came to the overall look of the kitchen. “I like light and bright, and the old kitchen felt dark with the stained cabinetry,” she stated. “Lightening the cabinets by painting them white immediately brightened up everything. Also, the rest of my house is filled with family heirlooms, and I wanted more of a balance. So, many of our design choices were based around a more modern look.”
“I love the color blue,” stated the homeowner. “I had a blue kitchen in a previous house and I knew I wanted to bring it into this kitchen but in a way that would not be hard for the next homeowner to change. We went with a neutral palette with the major things and when we designed the new island, we had it painted blue!”
According to the homeowner, “The countertop overhang on our previous island was not really usable because once we put stools up to it, the space became too narrow to pass though. It is just the two of us in this house now, and we never used the kitchen table. Our designer came up with the idea of the round seating area and we loved it immediately.”
Material choices for the new kitchen included Luna grey pearl granite countertops, complimented by Hampton Carrara Polished Amalfi marble backsplash in a running obnd horizontal pattern. A Kohler cast iron undermount sink with and offset bowl and low divide replaced the original stainless steel sink. Stainless steel appliances and brushed nickel fixtures tie the modern feel together.
The original pantry was not working for the homeowners either. “It was a small, dark closet that seemed to swallow everything up,” said the homeowner. A wall between the original pantry and a coat closet was removed, combining the two spaces into a large pantry. Doors with frosted glass inserts help keep it lit. “Our next project is going to be remodeling the laundry room,” stated the homeowner, “so we did not care about losing the coat closet.”
Final Result: According to the homeowner, “The flow of the kitchen is so much better now that we took the dining area out of it. We use the seating area at the island everyday!” Replacing the unused kitchen desk with cabinetry offered more storage options as well as counterspace. The hand-scraped hickory floors in Smoked Chestnut and the medium blue island ground the light and airy feel provided by the soft greys and whites in the rest of the space. “Over the holidays, we had room in the kitchen for everyone,” stated the homeowner. “Guests were able to help cook, and we ended up playing cards at the island. The new kitchen is perfect for us.”
Interested in creating a beautiful kitchen that suits your needs for function too? Schedule a free, in-home consultation with one of our designers! Send us an email, or give us a call at 846-2600.
