Kitchen Remodel: Transformation Tuesday
Believe it or not, this is the same refrigerator! When designing a kitchen your appliances can be your largest $ ticket item. It is always hard when clients ask me for a budget. Shopping for appliances is a lot like buying a car. You can buy a Bentley or you can buy a much less expensive but very functional vehicle. When it comes to appliances we love a sub-zero refrigerator. A fridge is truly stoping the process of food decay and prolonging the life of nutrients before a meal is cooked. The sub-zero can run from $12,000-$20,000 plus dollars. In this case it was the obvious choice to keep this subzero and give it a new life.
This panel ready set was previously made to look like a beautiful armoire which was the design of the time. For this client we wanted to go with a clean modern upscale look. Salvaging the old panel ready sub-zero fridge and freezer systems was the obvious choice. We purchased new stainless panels for each. This client is a wine lover so we opted for the sub zero wine fridge and flanked it with the existing fridge and freezer systems with their new panels.
Removing this wall transformed this dated and closed off kitchen into our clients dream space. She asked for a “monster island” and we delivered. Modern and elegant, this now open concept layout allows for hosting and connecting to happen from room to room. This also allows views of the fireplace and living area for the family to feel more connected.
One of our favorite parts of this design is the grouping of pendants over the island. A collection of pendants hung together not only provides ample lighting, the instillation adds an artful installation to the space. Its always fun to take a departure from a standard set of pendants over an island.
We always call lighting and the hood the jewelry of the kitchen. When possible I always try to make the hood We pulled from the lighting and hardware, adding two brass bands, stainless straps and stainless rivets to accent this beautiful hood.
One of our first suggestions when designing a kitchen is to bring the cabinets up to the ceiling. This simple change makes the room feel taller, as well as give you extra storage for the items you may not use as often. Adding glass adds to the height and airiness of a space. When your eye journeys up, you are commanding the visual use of the space.
