The homeowner’s sole intent for her new Kitchen was purely aesthetic; her existing 8-yr-old Kitchen was reasonably efficient and provided ample storage (luckily, the original owner of this custom home was also the builder). However, the existing space was not multifunctional for cooking/dining/entertaining. Located centrally between a spacious and casual Screened Porch and traditional Dining and Living areas, the Kitchen needed to feel more inviting and blend the design styles of the rustic porch and more formal living areas.
The homeowner’s personal design preferences for casual/traditional translated into French country styling for the Kitchen that included distressed woodwork in the Knotty Alder cabinets and in the flooring finish to the existing hardwoods, faux plaster wall treatments, faux wood ceiling beams, and beautiful “Colonial Gold” granite tops. Stainless Dacor®, GE®, and Kitchenaid® appliances updated the older models.
The most noticeable change was the new island: The original was too large and oddly shaped for the square Kitchen. The new island’s perfectly square configuration in the room’s center provides improved functionality by acting as a cooktop, table, and prep area with plenty of reachable storage; and, the lowered height provides an uninterrupted view of the lake and lush surroundings through the Screened Porch.
