Photo Credit: Thinkstill

Photo Credit: Thinkstill

Photo Credit: Thinkstill

Requests/Challenges

1.   Maximize storage while retaining the exact footprint of the original kitchen.

Solution: Double stacked wall cabinets that extend to the 10’ ceiling and a rolling ladder for easy accessibility.  This significantly increased the amount of storage without increasing the footprint of the kitchen.

2.   Maximize the amount of natural light entering the kitchen (especially in the morning).

Solution: A triple window replaced the original single window on the exterior side elevation and a northwest facing skylight (hidden from view) added to the center of the kitchen allows the maximum amount of light to enter the space

3.   Create visual and audio connectivity between the kitchen, dining, and living rooms while still having the ability to isolate the kitchen in the event of formal dinners.

Solution: Added a 4’ opening with pocket doors above the sink and between the kitchen and dining room allowing light, sight, and sound to travel to and from the kitchen.  These doors can also be closed to create a more formal setting.

Photo Credit: Neffworks

Custom Cabinetry
They needed a functional layout finished with the right materials to achieve their goal.
Holiday Kitchens Cabinetry
-  Traditional Framed and Full Overlay
-  Petersburg Square door with 850 edge profile
-  Snowdrift paint and Suede Brushed glaze
-  Custom trim, decorative feet and hutch brackets

Photo Credit: Neffworks

Additional Products
-  Reclaimed pine hardwoods, finished to match the original wood flooring throughout the home
-  Natural John Boos maple butcher block countertops, brushed nickel hardware by Top Knobs, and Viking stainless appliances help to create the utilitarian feeling that a 1916 kitchen may have had
-  Viking appliances including a 42” built-in refrigerator and a 36” gas range with griddle provides “professional style”   cooking capabilities
-  Rohl faucet in satin nickel and Kohler Smart Divide sink in white


Kaity Slaughter is a lead designer and project manager for DCI Home Resource and has been with the company for eight years.  She received her undergraduate degree in architectural design and her MBA.

Mutual Respect…Partnership…Design expertise…Kitchen Design Partners (KDP) was founded on these principles. For over ten years, Nancy Jacobson has demonstrated her specialty in space planning and cabinetry design with clients throughout the North Shore and Chicago. KDP helps you create the home of your dreams while balancing practical considerations. We look forward to becoming and integral member of your team by working with your contractor or by gladly referring you to one of our preferred contractors.

CLASSIC CONTEMPORARY

The homeowners sought  a classic contemporary style for their new kitchen.  So we did white inset cabinets with concealed hinges and recessed panel doors.  The homeowner had a passionate desire to incorporate X-shaped mullion glass cabinet doors that she had seen in a magazine.  I worked directly with the staff at the Holiday Kitchens’ factory to design the perfect height and width of the cabinet so the X mullions would be perfectly square (not rectangular).

The dark stained island and bar add a furniture look that adds contrast to the white cabinets and the lovely soapstone countertops.  Lighting, stainless appliances and tile complete the classic look.

Other features of the kitchen cabinetry:

• The perimeter cabinets are Nordic paint.
• Island cabinets are Truffle stain on Alder.
• Door style is Petersburg inset.

REMARKABLE RENOVATION

My client’s goal was to improve the flow and function of his kitchen and how it relates to adjacent rooms. So this remodel included redesigning the entire layout of the kitchen, moving appliances, door openings and walls. The homeowner is an avid wine connoisseur and entertains frequently. Since the kitchen has no windows, the goal was to keep it light and inviting, while conveying a sophisticated style that would anchor the entire first floor.

As part of the remodel we:

• Added a wide door opening to the living room
• Squared off angled walls to add a wine bar to existing bar

• Changed the dining room into an office
• Enlarged the “pass through” to the family room
• Added a large custom hood that provides focus for the 60” range

• Enhanced the look with appliance panels that match the cabinets
• Backsplash tile (on order) will add color and texture to compliment the cabinets and beautiful Yellow Wood countertops.

The result is a kitchen now open to the entire first floor, achieving the homeowner’s vision.  It provides functional cooking space, comfortable island seating, separate bars for wine and mixed drinks, and many decorative elements that complement the homeowner’s style.

Watching a design come to life—and seeing the smiles on my clients’ faces—is one of my greatest rewards! A seasoned veteran of the kitchen and bath industry, Lori began her career in 1986 and earned her accreditation with the National Kitchen and Bath Association in 1996. Lori enjoys creating beautiful dream kitchens that are also truly functional. Striving daily to exceed her clients’ expectations with outstanding design and service has earned her many repeat customers and referrals.

My client’s kitchen was only 10 years old, but the cabinet doors were falling off the hinges.  The kitchen was dark, even on sunny days, as there was a wall separating the four-season sunroom and the great room.  The homeowner wanted to open the area up to one open living space.  By doing so, the dining room table would be moved out to the four- season room and the kitchen would be expanded with a large island at bar height to hide the kitchen.  She also wanted to add large appliances and more counter space, as she enjoys cooking and baking.  With two children in middle school and sports, and her own volunteering, she also needed a place to house the calendar (her family bible), her cell phone and purse, out of site, but not out of mind.

The family consists of the father, mother and two children. Since the father is a doctor, and does not have a 9 to 5 day, they wanted a warming drawer to keep his dinner warm until he made it home.   They are also very active, running, biking, boating, they wanted an ice maker so they didn’t have to get bagged ice every time they went out in the boat, instant hot and cold water and beverage area out of the work triangle.  I achieved their needs with:

• A small sink between the refrigerator and ovens and created a hutch look above.  The sink has an instant hot and cold water tap as well as a standard faucet.
• An ice maker to the right of the sink with a door on it to conceal the look.
• A Sub Zero drawer refrigerator in the island with paneled drawer fronts to conceal the appliance.

The homeowner’s are 6’2” and 5’2”, so another challenge was to get storage and accessibility for both.  I achieved this by:

• Lowering the wall cabinets to 16 1/4” above the counter which still allowed for the 14” high mixer to be stored in the appliance garage, but made the upper cabinets more accessible to the bottom two shelves in the wall cabinets.
• Moving the microwave from above the stove into the island using Wolf’s drawer microwave, making it more accessible.
• Adding a tall pull-out pantry to keep the storage of the homeowner’s spices close at hand.

Because they wanted as much cabinet space possible, Holiday Kitchens’ Robin Wilson Home (RWH) custom cabinetry frameless line was selected for this project.

• Perimeter selections were Georgian door style; 3” stiles and rails in cameo with mocha glaze to have the space appear brighter and look larger.
• The islands and hutch cabinetry selections are Embassy door-style with splits and wormholes in a custom color on maple with glaze to anchor them in the room and tie in with the wood flooring.

Ultimate Goal Achieved

We opened the wall up and with using a large beam and pillars, kept the traditional look that the homeowner was looking for.  The original floor in the kitchen was refinished and the hickory floor was extended into the great room area for continuity making the space feel like it was one.  I took out the lowered seating around the island and made it one big work surface, putting cabinets back to back and finished with wainscot end panels.  But rather than just having a standard 1 ½” overhang on the center island tops, we repeated the radius on the ends as on the raised bar top for additional interest.    By using the cameo painted cabinets with glaze on the perimeter and darker accent cabinets for the island, it tied in the darker colors in the hickory floor, it made the space seem larger.

In order to stay organized “Mom” needed a place for a calendar to record all the activities. I designed a raised counter where the top drawer houses her calendar while allowing it to be in a comfortable standing position.  This area also houses her purse and cell phone when arriving home – a spot out of the way of food prep, but easily accessible.  The family also needed a place for the computer, so we placed a small desk in the corner of the four –season room and we used entertainment hardware to conceal it when not in use.  There are also cubbies for the envelopes, stapler, etc, behind the right side door.

Finally – A place for everything and everything in its place.

Additional products featured in this kitchen project:

Flooring: Natural hickory
Countertops/Vanity Tops: Golden beach granite
Sinks:  Elkay ELGULB3322
Faucets: Delta 980T-RB
Instant hot/ cold faucet:  Insink Erator Indulge™ Contemporary (F-HC1100
Dishwasher: Bosch stainless steel
Cooktop:  Wolf SRT364C-LP
Refrigerator: Sub Zero BI-48S/S/TH
Beverage refrigerator:  700BR refg in island (with matching wood panels)
Oven: Wolf DO30U/S
Wolf MWD24 microwave drawer
Wolf warming drawer WWD30, (with matching wood panels)
Uline ice maker BI2115B (with matching wood panels)

Of course we would like to start with the Holiday Kitchens web site, which offers a Product Gallery that features design portfolios, design collections, finished rooms with all the details, as well as a wealth of information on all the different materials, finishes and glazes you may want to consider.

Home improvement programs can help inspire what you are hoping to accomplish in your new kitchen.  The challenge may be that you saw it on TV for a couple seconds but want more information and additional ideas.  A great place to look is on HGTV’s website – they often list products and instructions on how they achieved the final kitchen featured in the programs.

Want to know about new products as soon as they are introduced?  Learn about them from the same resources the experts do  – Signature Kitchens & Baths and K+BB are kitchen trade publications that keep the industry informed.

Local home publications are also a great resource, as they often feature projects by local kitchen designers.  HOMETECH Renovations, Inc in Fort Washington, PA recently had one of their projects featured in the  Montco Mainline House & Home magazine on page 40 & 41.  This is a great opportunity to get a sneak peak at the designer’s final projects and learn more on the challenges they are able to address.  Don’t forget to visit their web site, as you will be able to see lots of examples of their work.

This is a very exciting time and their are lots of decisions to be made.  While all the above are great resources to start – nothing will be as important as finding a trusted kitchen designer that understands you, your family and can deliver your dream kitchen.  Good luck!

STORAGE

Use every inch you’ve got to ensure your countertops remain uncluttered and your floors too!

ELECTRONICS

Electronics are commonplace in most kitchens today – the problem is they can consumer valuable counterspace.    Hang televisions and music players whenever possible.

BUILT-IN APPLIANCES

Integrating your oven, fridge freezer, dishwasher into your cabinetry creates a streamlined look – appliances can take up valuable space and look untidy.

LIGHTING, COLOR & FINISH

Pale colors on walls and glossy finishes on cabinetry open up a room, creating the illusion of space. Glass backsplashes and high polished countertops can also be used to bounce light around a kitchen.

By Gary Bell

When most people think of Schwalbach Kitchens and Holiday Kitchens, well they think kitchens.  What they don’t realize is that both can do so much more!

I started working with our clients Greg and Deb Lafayette in 2004 on a small kitchen upgrade that included new granite counter tops and Viking appliances. They were so pleased with us that every year since I have done one or two projects with them – from adding cabinets to the kitchen and other rooms in the house including all the closets, with all the materials and cabinets from Holiday Kitchens.

For the last couple of years Greg has been collecting ideas from magazines for window and door trim, and ceiling crown, in which I was able to duplicate using Holiday Kitchens. The latest project was wainscot panels for the main floor stairway with great help from Holiday we were able to duplicate the look. Greg and Deb were so impressed with the finish product we did the same for the basement stairway.

So when you are thinking of projects outside of the kitchen and need a helping hand – think of your local kitchen designer and Holiday Kitchens!

By Joe Dhamer*

Our client came into showroom looking to change her faucet, drop in sink and cooktop.  Sounds like the beginning of a good joke doesn’t it?  Being a full service company, I offered to come out to take a look at her house in order to get a better idea of what she was looking to accomplish.  After pulling up to her upscale Chicago north suburban residence and sitting down to discuss what the ultimate look and feel she was hoping to achieve in the kitchen, we came to the conclusion that her kitchen was not up to snuff and needed more than a just sink, etc.

We played with some different options and ultimately decided the entire space would be better off with the cooktop out of the island.

We entertained refacing with a few replacement cabinets but ultimately decided to go all new with inset cabinetry from Holiday Kitchens.  We removed the soffits around the outer edge of the kitchen in order for the new cabinets to remain open above with crown – this really helped open up the space.

The Holiday Kitchens custom cabinetry is Regency inset briarwood cherry on the perimiter of the kitchen and island features Newcastle inset ebony cherry with distressed splits and rub thru corners and a Spekva sipo mahogany countertop.

Other features in the kitchen inlcude:

• Antique copper farm sink by Native Trails

• Integrated Liebherr refrigerator

• Integrated Dacor warming drawer

• Microwave drawer above

• Dimmable Led lighting above and below the cabinets

We wanted to update the design and create a space that could be easily organized.  Additionally, create a high-end appearance that reflects the community in where the house is located.

Oh, and by the way, the client loves her new cooktop, sink & faucet!

*Joseph Dhamer, a graduate of Drake University, has grown up in the remodeling business and is now the co-owner and vice president of Kitchen and Bath mart.  Being a 2nd generation firm with showroom locations in Niles & Palatine Illinois, the Dhamer’s take on every project with pride.

Cabinet Masters offers full design and remodeling services, refacing, cabinetry, countertops, and custom cabinetry and millwork. We make life kitchens.

The following Q&A was completed by Walter Riddle, CKBR, of Cabinet Masters Inc.
1. What were the homeowners needs/requests

The homeowner had one of the smallest kitchens I had seen for a home that size. This home is located on prime lakefront property on a large bay overlooking the city skyline. She loves to entertain and found the dining room small and not reflective of her personality. She wanted an open kitchen that was inviting and fun.

2. Were there any requests that were challenging or unusual?

Considering the size of the kitchen/dining room an open space that maximized entertaining was a challenge due to a couple quirks of the home. The home is on a boiler system and the radiator was positioned on the interior wall. We had to find a way to turn it and also continue to feed the upstairs room above. Once we figured out what had to be done with the plumbing, we had to make it look good with a cabinet surround.

Another task that was unusual was the arched doorway into the kitchen that would mimic the dining room arch.

3. Any background on the family – i.e. # of kids, pets, how they planned on utilizing their new space

The homeowners are a professional family. The husband is a surgeon and the wife is an accomplished artist. They have one teen age child and two dogs that weigh over 100 lbs each. She wanted a huge island, which was another challenge in a 12’ wide room, to entertain more informally. She wanted a cook top and oven cabinet with microwave because of the size limitations, we had to make the island move in certain angles to meet code.

4. Specific products that went into the kitchen – are there reasons why you or the homeowner choose those products?

The owners wanted to be green as much as possible so we used Vetrazzo and granite, Mesabi Black, from MN. She also wanted a display cabinet to put her bottle collection in. She wanted to introduce color and give the home more of her personality which I think we did a good job of.

5. Specific Holiday products i.e. cabinetry line, finishes, etc…

Holiday Kitchens cabinets Seattle in Cherry Fireside was used to reduce the Oak influence and give the kitchen a warm feel.

6. Ultimately what were the goals of the end result?

To match the existing trims, gain more space and update the look and modernize this 1926 Sears kit home. We did it as an entry to the Contractor of the Year for 2010 – it was the winner of the $40-$80K category.

Cabinet Masters offers full design and remodeling services, refacing, cabinetry, countertops, and custom cabinetry and millwork. We make life kitchens.

Our clients had several goals in mind when they came to us – but ultimately they hoped to update their kitchen from “Uncle Larry’s Kitchen” to a functional contemporary kitchen that incorporated Frank Lloyd Wright design elements.  This included making the space feel inviting and enjoyable, as they liked to host dinner parties; adding function and beauty to the space; and increasing the lighting and ventilation. The color scheme the homeowners choose was lime green, which came from the entry door mat outside; cobalt blue and turquoise that came from ceramic mixing bowls the owner loves; and – yellow her favorite color.

We encountered some challenging design issues in this kitchen.   The space had several different pipes located in visible places, as well as hidden in cabinets. We wanted to either eliminate the ugly black cast iron pipe or conceal it from sight and kitchen items. The walls of this home are only 2 ¾” thick. This provided us with unusual electrical problems – standard remodel boxes would not fit properly in the wall and having surface mount exposed boxes was out of the question. To resolve this challenge, we added a layer of drywall to most of the walls. This helped in the majority of the spots, but between the windows we had to use special extra shallow boxes. We also added custom shaped soffits to allow for wires to be run to the fixtures and additional switches/outlets.

Another challenge was the windows in the kitchen were lower than cabinet height. If we were to run lower cabinets under the windows, that space would become unusable, and since the windows run almost the entire length of the kitchen, a solution needed to be found to utilize that space. The solution was to pull the cabinets approximately four inches away from the windows. Then a trough was created level with the window sill made of the countertops. This trough enables a view of the entire window, allows the cabinets and countertop spaces to be useful, and creates a space for the owner to place flowers or herb garden pots. This also made the view from the exterior pleasant instead of looking at a piece of plywood.

This kitchen features Holiday Kitchens Custom Cabinetry. We used the Robin Wilson Home Collection Full-Access Cabinetry with Elegante Steel Gloss for base and tall cabinets; Munich Natural Cherry for the wall cabinets and Custom Natural Cherry Crown Moldings.

Originally the homeowner was hoping to install Cobalt Blue Viking appliances and a Zephyr hood – but ended up going with stainless steel when she then decided on moving forward with a landscaping project. Oceanside Glasstile was used for the backsplash, which is a recycled glass tile that can be custom designed in layout and color scheme; it contains yellow, cobalt blue, turquoise, and a light green which are all of the colors in the color scheme.

Other products used to help achieve the remodel were:

• Silestone Satori was used for the countertops (originally the countertops were going to be Green Fun, but that was the only thing the husband said no to). We stayed with Silestone because they have a wide range of solid colors and offered what we were looking for in the contemporary feel. Satori was chosen for being neutral but still having some color as well.
• Forbo Marmoleum was chosen because it is a green product as well as for the color offering. It allowed us to have the turquoise floor, and because there would be two seams, we decided to do a second color to help camouflage the seams. This helped us introduce the lime green – chartreuse color.
• Sherwin Williams paint Harmony Interior Acrylic Latex in Eg-shel Model #SW6687 Lantern Light – for the low VOC green characteristics.
• Top Knobs Model #M396 pulls for the sleek design.
• Alfa pendant lights for the color and design.
• Brizo 63052LF-SS Belo Faucet for the design.

Cabinet Masters recently received “Contractor of the Year 2010 Award” by the local Madison NARI Chapter in the Residential Kitchen $40,000 – $80,000 category.

Team Members Include:

Tony Trapp Repairs

American TV Kennedy Hahn

Benjamin Plumbing

ProSource of Madison

R&D Drywall, Inc.

Click here to watch video of this amazing renovation HomeTech award winning project featuring Holiday Kitchens cabinetry

The Contractor of the Year (COTY) AWARDS IS WIDELY CONSIDERED THE PREMIER COMPETITION OF ITS KIND THROUGHOUT THE REMODELING INDUSTRY.  Preliminary judging took place  in Montgomery County in January 2011, and included a panel of seven distinguished judges with extensive knowledge of design and construction.  To be considered, a company must be a NARI member and adhere to the NARI strict code of ethics.

Locally, contractors throughout the entire Delaware Valley vie for the awards on an annual basis.  All projects submitted for judging must be an improvement or an addition to an existing structure in order to be considered.  New construction projects are not eligible.  In addition, competing projects must have been completed between July 1 of the previous year and November 30 of the current year (a 17-month time period) and cannot have been submitted in prior NARI National contests.  An impartial panel of judges, who are considered experts within the industry and associated fields, selected winners based on each entrant’s “Before and After” photography and project description.  Judging was based on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty, and entry presentation.