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March 12, 2010

Modern Makeover

Designer Kaye Christiansen Englert uses savvy solutions to remedy an outdated kitchen.

Time can be tough on a kitchen. The ever-evolving latest looks and luxuries of the modern-day cook space can turn a kitchen from happening to has-been in just a few short years.

Take, for example, this original kitchen located in a 1990s Salt Lake City home recently purchased and remodeled by homeowners

	The kitchen, before.

Patrice and Jay Mealey.

Graced with amazing views of the valley, this kitchen—and the rest of the 6,000-square-foot dwelling—suffered from a severe case of the blahs. White tile, brass fixtures, and oak flooring and millwork flourished throughout while personality and thoughtful floor planning were nowhere to be found.

To transform the entire home, the Mealeys enlisted the help of designer Kaye Christiansen Englert of Design Plus Inc. While focusing on the kitchen, one of the Mealey family’s most used and favorite spaces, Englert inventoried existing problems and determined stylish solutions. The following is a look at some of her savvy remedies.

SPACE

Problem
“This kitchen isn’t actually a separate room,” says Englert. “It’s part of one very large space.” Open to the adjoining dining and living areas, the original kitchen felt disconnected from these other areas of the great room.

Solution
To unite the spaces and create a cohesive great room, Englert chose one single flooring material, Santos mahogany, to replace the disparate oak and carpeting visually separating the kitchen from the living and dining areas.

She swapped the kitchen’s dropped flat ceiling with a 22-foot-high pitched version mimicking and seamlessly melding into the ceiling soaring above the rest of the great room.

She then anchored opposite ends of the great room—the remodeled kitchen’s back wall and the living area’s entertainment wall—with the identical cabinetry finished at the same height, creating balance and unity.

Finally, she moved the refrigerator from the kitchen’s west window wall, where it acted as a bulky room divider.

FLOOR PLAN

Problem
The original kitchen consumed excessive floor space, framing a work area that required too much walking between the cabinets and island while, at the same time, crowding the adjoining dining area. The island housed seating and a cooktop but few other functional features.

Solution
Englert “pushed the kitchen back a bit” by reconfiguring the island and moving it closer to the back wall of cabinetry.

She designed a multipurpose island integrating microwave, warming and refrigerator drawers, a prep sink, hidden storage space (with touch-latch closures), and tray and utensil drawers strategically placed opposite the dishwasher.

Englert designed the island with a conversation-friendly seating configuration that also allows guests to enjoy the vast valley views.

CHARACTER

Problem
Unbroken planes of oak cabinetry, white tile countertops, lackluster lighting, plain wood flooring, brass hardware and basic black-faced appliances created an uninspired, tract-house look throughout the kitchen.

Solution
Englert designed dark cherry cabinets, dressed them with unique nickel hardware, and increased their height 16 inches to improve their scale.

A shapely vent hood breaks up a back wall of cabinets and softens the boxy, hard angles. Randomly placed glass tile gives the backsplash dimension and personality. Juparana Colombo granite forms the countertops, providing durability and an active pattern ideally suited for a larger space.

Curved rail lighting, suspended from cables, illuminates the kitchen and visually lowers its raised ceiling. Integrated door panels disguise many of the room’s high-end appliances. The floor’s inset double stripe of wenge wood encircles the kitchen and adjoining great room areas, uniting them with a distinctive detail.

DOWN TO THE DETAILS

Englert integrated unique features that make the room practical and beautiful at the same time. “Good design balances function and form,” she says. “There’s no reason to sacrifice one for the other.”

		›› 1. Undetectable touch-latch doors open to the island’s hidden storage drawers. Rollout tray drawers make stored linens easily accessible.
		›› 2. Located next to the cooktop, an integrated pullout cutting board and knife drawer provide an off-the-counter surface for slicing and dicing.
		›› 3. A half-moon lazy susan turns a deep corner into an easily accessible storage space. An inset wenge border accents the mahogany floor.
		›› 4. A hide-away mechanical lift makes accessing and using the electric mixer convenient while helping keep the countertops clutter-free.

 

 

 

 

 

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