The Cunningham family needed more than a facelift for their kitchen; they needed a full remodel, complete with drastic expansion and an entirely new look and feel. The kitchen’s dated cabinetry and appliances, lack of storage space, dim lighting and cramped layout simply did not fit into the family’s close-knit lifestyle. Our goal was to transform the kitchen into a room large enough for entertaining, without sacrificing functionality and warmth. The client visualized a comfortable, open kitchen that would reflect the family who lived in the house.

We began by moving the adjoining laundry room to the hall closet, which allowed us to combine three rooms into one large kitchen, complete with a breakfast nook. We then added a large island that created a central gathering area and additional storage space. The carved stone inserts around the island highlight it as the heart of the room. We installed ceiling-height dark wood cabinets that made the room look more spacious and created a warmer feeling than the previous light colored cabinets. A hutch was installed in the breakfast area to display the client’s collection of family crystal. We installed the client’s own new range and microhood and updated the rest of the appliances, rearranging the placement of the appliances to improve work flow. For flooring, we used porcelain tiles that accomplish the warm look of travertine while allowing for easy clean-up in this high traffic area.

Lighting became an important element of the design since the Cunninghams wanted a kitchen that was bright and cheerful during the day, yet warm and inviting for an evening dinner with friends. We added a larger window above the sink and double French doors in the breakfast nook to open up the room and allow for more natural light in the daytime. We also installed recessed lighting, under-cabinet lighting, lighting in the display hutch and dimmers on many of the light sources that allow the client to create the ambience they desire. Finally, we added Tiffany style chandeliers over the island and in the breakfast area, as well as a specialty fixture over the sink to soften the area. For a final touch, we used granite and craftsman style accents to add to the warmth of the room.

The Cunninghams say they get a rush of pleasure each time they enter their new kitchen, and since our success always depends on the satisfaction of the client, we consider this design a huge success.