New Doors for our Living Room Built-Ins

We recently completed an update that has literally been on our "To Do List" from day one - new doors for our living room built-ins!

To refresh your memory THESE are the built-ins that came with the house:

From the beginning I was  excited to have built-ins, but knew immediately that glass doors on those built-ins would never work for us. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of glass doors, but I definitely think they have their place and a living room is not on the top of that list. In my opinion glass cabinets are great for displaying dishes in a kitchen/dining room or special trinkets and collectibles in a study, but nobody wants to see  our DVD collection or a basket of blankets. With that being said the fact that I knew I wanted solid doors from the get-go did not help me decide on the design for those doors. Nope, for months I have pondered over this decision, but nothing ever felt quite right, until one day I saw a garage door (of all things?!?) that inspired an idea. I doodled up the concept to scale on my graph paper....

Gave the sketch to Richard, one of our awesome engineers at Bell and a few hours later he had programmed in my doors and presented me with 4 options for the diameter of my center circle.

I instantly chose the top option....... 

And he got the ball rolling on my doors. 

Because I was only replacing the doors and not the cabinet boxes, I took the doors home raw so that I could paint them on-site (at my house) to match the frame and wood top of the built-ins. Lucky for us the doors were ready just in time for a 3-day weekend so in between working on the pizza oven and playing with the Croix we painted the doors with our Husky Gravity Feed Spray Gun.

Before we got to painting we laid out a plastic tarp and then created some ledges with boards and cinder blocks to raise the doors off the ground.

Then, we got to spraying. We took our time and did a coat or two, let the doors dry and then sprayed again. We were not in a huge rush as it was a 3 day weekend plus we wanted the paint coverage to be as smooth and as even as possible so we painted the patient way and guess what.... No need to sand out any drips at the end....all was smooth! 

Once the doors were all painted Brent got them installed and adjusted in their new home. 

The next step was going to be the addition of hardware, but I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to use. After a few weeks of thinking, we have come to the conclusion we don't need hardware. The cabinets are 1/2" overlay construction which means the doors sit on top of the face-frame, making it easy to just grab the door to open or close them. Plus, the design of the doors adds enough visual interest that I fear any knob or pull would just make it all too busy.

Once the doors were installed I set my sights on styling the built-ins.  For months I had tried to wrap my mind around the best approach for these, very focal built-ins, but all the visual clutter of the contents of the shelves that showed through the glass really threw me off. With the solid doors in place I instantly became inspired by different ideas that could work to finish off this space.

We ultimately decided on a large painting from my Grandma's house (it hung at the bottom of the stairwell at our first house) with some (turtle!!) candlesticks we scored at an estate sale a few years ago and a plant on the left side...

 and our collection of corbels + succulents on the right side.

It's funny, how the smallest of changes can make the biggest impacts both visually AND functionally. Not only does our living room feel more complete, but now we have the freedom to really use those built-ins for storage. I think I'm going to dedicate one set to Croix and buy some baskets to house all of his toys so as he gets older things can be put away and stored when he is not playing with them...I dream big y'all!

Unless otherwise noted all photos are my own 

Spotted - Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine July 2016

Today, June 23rd, marks my 8th anniversary as a Kitchen & Bath Designer!  EIGHT YEARS....that is college twice (or one and a half for some....:) ) How crazy is that?

In other news.....I'm pumped to have a kitchen I designed featured in the July issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine!

Do you guys remember the Luxury Living Show kitchen? The kitchen that sat in the middle of the mall (Phipps Plaza)? The one that started out as this sketch......

Well, if you didn't get to see this kitchen while it was on display in March, here is your chance to check it out. 

Cabinetry: Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios (color Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth BM984) | Styling:  Melanie David Design | Countertops: Cambria (Ella) by Construction Resources | Barstools: Serena & Lily | Appliances: Sub-Zero/Wolf | Sink/Faucet: Franke | Internal Drawer Components: Richelieu | Hardware: Top Knobs

All photos are from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Website. 

Life Update

So, my professional life has/is undergoing a few changes - you know, windows closing, doors opening kinda stuff. I'm not typically one who loves change, however for some reason professional change really excites me, even if it is of the window closing variety.

First up:

I am hanging up my hat as about.com's Kitchen Expert. 

I  really enjoyed my first free lance writing gig with About.com and was their Kitchens Expert for a little over a year. During the past year I have written over 50 articles related to one of my favorite subjects and I'm really proud of the content that I shared, but the time has come to move on.

This little change came at the perfect time becauseeeeeee.......

The company I work for - Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios is opening a new showroom in Buckhead and I am going to be Director! This showroom is going to showcase all of our cabinetry offerings with a focus on our custom work and I am so excited for this new opportunity.   We are working on designs for the new space now and I'm pumped to turn this blank slate into an inspiring, creative atmosphere to help people bring their kitchen and bath dreams to life.

So, that's what's up with me as of late. To all of you who read my Kitchens Articles over on About.com - Thank you!

Now, I'm off to rest up in preparation of this 3 day weekend full of all things Patio Project.... get ready for a big update next week, we have made a lot of progress and should make even more after this extra long weekend!

Back in the Saddle

I started back to work this week. 

It blows my mind how quickly my maternity leave flew by and how accustomed I got to my new Mom routine. It feels strange leaving the house each day without my little pal Croix in tow. While I would love to just buy a tiny hard hat and strap him to my back as I get back to my projects, I feel that would be frowned upon by OSHA. So, instead Croix stays with a nanny and a little girl who will be two in April...his first friend (awww!) and I go to work, looking at his little smiley face on my phone 3432423432 times a day and looking forward to picking him up each afternoon. 

On the work front, ready or not I dove back into the real world head first this week, as a project I designed last Fall installed Sunday night at Phipps Plaza. That's right, myself and Bell Kitchen and Bath Studios (the company I work for) have designed the kitchen for Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle's Luxury Living Show again this year. This is the kitchen that sits in the middle of the mall. Bell has done this kitchen seven times and of those seven times,  this is my fourth year being involved and my third year as the lead designer.

You may remember my first kitchen...the blue kitchen...

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

and then last year's Southern Modern design:

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

This year I really wanted to go for something a bit fancier. Not stuffy, just elegant with classic Atlanta style and grace, plus a little unexpected flair. I had to get the wheels turning on this bad boy early since I knew I wouldn't be designing the first two months of the year. So, last fall I sat at my kitchen table and doodled up my vision: 

Our crew went to work installing the kitchen Sunday and Monday night. Because the kitchen is in the mall, they have to work through the night when the mall is closed (best crew ever!). Tuesday the finishing touches were added and the magazine did their photo-shoot and last night was the opening party.

Here is a photo I snapped on my phone of the finished product yesterday:

The kitchen will be on display in Phipps Plaza for the month of March. There will be several events hosted at and around the kitchen over the next four weeks including the Design Bloggers Conference and an NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) event where I will be speaking on a panel...eek! We are having the kitchen photographed tomorrow so I will be back soon with a post full of pictures of the kitchen, more behind the scenes design details and the list of all of the collaborators that come together to make this beast come to life. Until then, you can see a few more sneak peeks over on my instagram!

Unless otherwise noted all photos are my own. 

Dear Old Kitchen....I Miss You

Warning: This post is full of "first world problems" and content that may or may not bring about feelings of annoyance or rage at me. 

Y'all know I'm super excited about our new house and feel very, very lucky to be here. However, every now and then I do find myself missing our old kitchen.

Photo by Galina Coada.

It's hilarious really, because I literally barely know how to boil water, but there are a handful of things I find myself missing about this space on a regular basis. And I'm not talking about the pretty, I'm talking about real life functional things, like....

A double trash pullout IN the kitchen. 

I realize it may seem a little weird to lead with a trash can (or two) but seriously I never realized what a luxury this was until I didn't have it anymore. I had two 50 quart trash cans that pulled out from behind a cabinet, completely within reach at all times.  Now I have one large trash can around the corner in the walk-in pantry. It is literally ridiculous how annoying and inconvenient it is to have to leave the kitchen to throw trash away. It is equally as annoying and inconvenient to have to take out the trash what feels like constantly. With two trash cans (one regular and one recycling) it took awhile for the bins to fill up. Over here at the new house the trash always seems to be full.

A touch Faucet

Photo from my Instagram page.

I've talked before about my love for my touch faucet, but I don't think I realized how used to it I became. I can not tell you guys how many times I have smacked my faucet over here at the new house to get it to come on. Of course it doesn't, I stare at it dumb-founded and then I remember.

Soft-Close hinges and guides on my cabinet doors and drawers:

I literally feel like such a diva writing this, but once you experience cabinet doors and drawers that do not slam no matter how hard you shut them it is (apparently) really hard to go back. I, like so many people lived with "normal" cabinets my whole life, but after working at Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios (custom cabinet makers) and having those custom cabinets in my own house for almost 3 years I somehow lost the ability to shut doors and drawer gently. 

Oh woe is me, I know, but to be honest it is really helpful knowing what bells and whistles I actually care about and which ones are nice to have in theory, but mean very little to our day-to-day life. As I said in my "Meet Our New House Post" this house has really good bones and while we want to put our own personal stamp all over it, there is nothing that just has to be done. We definitely want to redo the kitchen. What? I can't help myself, it's what I dooooooo. But, with the baby coming in a matter of WEEKS (ahhh) and all of the other craziness surrounding us with the move, work, etc.. we have no immediate plans to begin any renovation of that magnitude. However, we certainly talk about it, scheme about it, draw it and think about it often and in a way it's nice to have this time to really consider what we want to do. If you remember, with our last kitchen remodel we had to dream it up and execute it all before we moved in. This worked perfectly fine then and we were both happy with the finished product, but it's nice to have some time to marinate on all of the decisions and really consider what worked for us the first time around and what didn't, so we can make this next kitchen even better than our last.

Unless otherwise noted all photos are my own. 

A Kitchen Remodel Full of Fun, Function & An Island Inspired by a Pot

I've got a kitchen remodel bursting at the seams with function and personality that I've been excited to share with you all for awhile now. I was initially called out to this kitchen to simply re-design the island. At the time the homeowners were satisfied with the perimeter layout, but the island just felt really big and bulky in the space.

To begin, the island was multi-level which really cut down on the continuous counterspace and made the actual working space choppy. The limited continuous work space was especially an issue because the cooktop and a prep sink were located on the island making the space tight. In addition, the countertops themselves had a really thick edge detail which was pretty, but it made the already large island feel even bigger. We decided pretty fast the best solution would be to make the island all one level to help with the visual weight as well as increase the usable workspace.

With the design nailed down we started talking about the aesthetics and the homeowner showed me a picture of this pot.

I love how inspiration can come from literally ANYWHERE! She had seen this pot out and about and loved the overall vibe, particularly the depth of color and the wear that shown through in certain spots. This pot was her island color inspiration and I was 100% on board! I took the picture to our finishers at Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios and they played with several color combinations before nailing it with a custom mix of Benjamin Moore's Sylvan Mist CSP-740 + a Charcoal rub. 

About the time we had all of the details squared away for the island the homeowners talked and decided they wanted to go ahead and redo the whole kitchen. In general I think if you are able, remodeling an entire space all at one time is a way better idea then doing pieces here and there along the way. It allows your house and life to be uprooted once, even if it is for a few months, but once it's over you are done and your space as a whole is complete. We left all major mechanical components (refrigerator, sinks, etc...) in the same general vicinity, but did redesign certain elements to increase storage and functionality and of course add some custom layers of interest throughout the space. 

Let me show you around:

This is the view from the family room. The house is full of fun art and decor which pops so nicely off the neutral tones of the cabinetry. For the most part the perimeter cabinetry was done in alder wood with a dark stained finish and was taken to the ceiling. 

The island is the unexpected star of the show, full of personality and function! How great did the color turn out?

To layer in some additional visual interest we kept a portion of the perimeter cabinetry on the back wall off the ceiling to give this space more of a hutch look. By reducing the overall height and changing the finish (Benjamin Moore's  Smokey Taupe 983) this piece really looks more like a piece of furniture. I also designed a custom backsplash (remember this Instagram sneak peek from last year?) with antique mirror and then Construction Resources provided the most beautiful wood countertops to really finish off this piece. 

The two doors that come down to the counter are actually appliance garages to store items like the toaster, blender, etc...and the glass doors are the perfect place to display pretty glassware. 

The one big design change that we did make was the removal of a desk area that filled the entire corner next to the refrigerator. While the desk worked nicely as a landing pad for any and all organization, it took up valuable kitchen storage space. The desk was moved elsewhere and in its place we designed tall pantry storage. Not only did this up the functionality, but I think the towers visually flow better off the tall refrigerator cabinetry. 

The countertops are Perla Venata quartzite from Walker Zanger and were fabricated and installed by Construction Resources. They are truly stunning with their simple edge detail and beautiful movement. 

The floors were also redone and the best part? They are tiles, not wood which makes them much easier to upkeep. The tile is a 6" x 16" Vein Cut Travertine called Prado, also from Walker Zanger.

This was certainly a fun project to work on and the clients could not of been more open minded and cool. Does it get better than increased functionality and loads of personality layered into one kitchen remodel? Nahhhh, didn't think so.

All finished photography by Galina Coada

Sunroom Turned Home Office Reveal

Y'all, I love our home office. Like really, really love it.  And that feels really good to say after having worked on it off and on for over a year!!  I know you guys are ready for a little less talk and a little more SHOW ME THE DANG ROOM ALREADY!!! So, without further adieu, let me show you around...

HERE SHE IS!

This is the view of the space from the living room. A little spurt of happy, eh? 

We had Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios (the company I work for) make custom cabinetry for the office. Because we really needed this space to be equal parts functional and pretty, we spent a lot of time brainstorming ways to make this cabinetry provide AS much organizational and functional opportunities as possible. 

We only have one full depth drawer in the space, so we designed dividers to custom fit inside the drawer so everything kept inside would have it's own little nook. In general items are more likely to find their way back to their home after use if they actually have a designated home to come back to. Write that down, it's a fact!

Underneath this drawer we have a cabinet with a printer pullout installed. 

We love this feature because it keeps the printer off the countertop, but easily accessible when we are ready to use.

We incorporated two knee spaces along the wall so Brent and I would each have our own area.Two cabinets were installed between us to help differentiate the two spaces. In the first cabinet we have two file drawers.

This drawer makes me feel like such an adult.  I mean, I actually know where my 2012 tax returns are. It's like HELLLO Courtney you organized devil.

To keep the look cohesive we had the front of the cabinet next to the files look the same as the filing cabinets, but it actually functions as a double trash pullout. Obviously we don't generate that much trash in the office so we replaced the back bin with the shredder.

As we were planning this office Brent  had one specific request. He wanted the desk to lift up to serve as a standing desk should he want to work that way. Standing desks are popular right now as it is supposed to be really good for you to stand during the day as opposed to sitting hour after hour. To make Brent's dreams come true we divided the wood countertop into two sections, one for each of us, and had special lift mechanisms (Brent actually found them on-line) installed under each top. The desks sit at normal desk height most of the time, but on the occasion that either of us decide we want to stand, we simply un-hinge the top, pull up and poof... the standing desk comes to life. Our respective sides have their own lift mechanisms so when one of us stands or sits it doesn't necessarily mean we both have to.

 Here Brent is utilizing the feature last week during one of his calls...

Since moving in to this house we have tackled a lot of projects and made a lot of improvements, but this space is definitely one of my top three transformations. Being organized and productive never felt so good! 

Resources: Cabinets | Chairs | Lighting | Floors | Ceiling | Cabinet Hardware | Curtains | 

All photos are my own. 

Tuscan Kitchen Remodel

A few weeks ago I showed you all some cabinetry that Keri Perry and I designed for some animals. Well, those animals happen to have owners and while we were at it we designed some cabinetry for them too! We're considerate like that. :)

This project began as so many do, as a simple kitchen remodel. Well, maybe simple is the wrong word...From the beginning we had free reign and a blank space with this project. Freedom to move or remove walls and completely revamp and rethink the flow and bones of the kitchen. The only items on the client's wish list were: a fourteen foot island, a LOT of storage and a Tuscan aesthetic.

Let's start with some before photos:

As you can see the kitchen wasn't small, but the layout was choppy and stuff seemed to be every where. We worked through several different ideas but ultimately decided the only way to get a 14 foot island in this space was to completely remove the butler's pantry and the walk-in pantry, both of which made up the space between the existing kitchen and dining room. As much as the client was all about changing things up and improving the overall flow, she was very reluctant to loose the walk-in pantry. It's a fear a lot of people have and one I actually just wrote about over on about.com. Walk-in pantries are great, don't get me wrong, but there are times when they can be be a major hindrance to the design and this was definitely one of them. After much discussion we assured the client that we would design a cabinet solely dedicated to pantry storage, and make it SO wonderful and  SO functional she would never think of that old walk-in pantry again.

On paper we could see there was going to be a LOT of storage in this kitchen, but just to set our clients mind at ease, Keri and I literally mapped out where everything would go. Basically she showed us her stuff and we made a little road map on her kitchen drawings showing where everything would be stored. It might sound like overkill, but this approach is actually really smart and can make moving back into your space less stressful. It can also help you decide to purge items that you no longer use or want taking up valuable space.

So, after much planning, considering and designing we ended up with this:

By completely opening the space up, not only could we incorporate the large island but we were able to create a bold focal wall, loaded down with storage and symmetry on one side of the room. And a large pantry and hutch on the other.

The range wall is complete with a large, detailed hood, two Sub-Zero IT36 units (refrigerator on top, freezer drawers on bottom), spice and crock pullouts, pot drawers and two Avento lift cabinets for small countertop appliance storage. 

And here's a shot of the pantry cabinet which is loaded down with rollouts, adjustable shelves and door mounted spice racks for additional storage. 

Because we also removed the Butler's Pantry we designed a China Cabinet & a Hutch to store the dining room serving and entertainment pieces. Here is a shot of the china cabinet:

Because this piece sits right in the dining room we really wanted it to feel like a piece of furniture. So, we had it painted the same color as the perimeter cabinetry in the kitchen, and we included a walnut countertop, a v-groove cabinet back and wire mesh to give this piece a true china cabinet vibe. 

Across the room, on the same side of the wall as the pantry we designed this hutch. 

This cabinet was designed in walnut, which is the same finish as the island, but we added custom features such as the feet, a paneled backsplash, a walnut countertop and valance detail to really give it it's own personality. We wanted every piece of the kitchen to be Tuscan, but really paid close attention to the scale and balance of the colors and details to ensure the whole space felt cohesive. 

The island has been present in just about every photo because it's big and can be seen from all angles. How big you say? Well, the island ended up being 190" or 15 feet long. Yes, a fifteen foot island...HELLO STORAGE! It's made completely of walnut and houses an apron front sink, a dishwasher, a microwave drawer, a double trash cabinet, a warming drawer, a cabinet dedicated to tray storage and drawers to house cutlery and other miscellaneous items. And that's just the front. The sides and back of the island also have storage. We have full depth, full height storage with rollouts on the back of the island and two small, but useful curved drawers on each end. Of course there is also room for seating on the back of the island. It's a beast. A big, functional, beautiful beast. 

No Before & After is really complete without a good side by side comparison but this kitchen makes that almost impossible as nothing from the original is even remotely recognizable in the finished product. Projects like these can be challenging, but they are always so rewarding. To be able to completely re-think a space can be extra hard if you live within the walls every day, but sometimes when a new set of eyes gets the chance to imagine what could be, you can end up with a space you never even knew your house was capable of. Cheers to thinking outside the box and making spaces all they can be, no matter how big or how small!

Contractor: Don Overton - GO Construction

Interior Decorator - Rose

Cabinetry & Design - Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios

Before photos by Keri Perry | After photos by Barbara Brown Photography

Junior League Tour of Kitchens 2015

This weekend was SUCH a rush! 

Saturday our house was on the Junior League Tour of Kitchens!

Our home was open from 10-4 and hundreds, yes HUNDREDS of people (300 +) came through to tour our space. In the midst of the tour there were two cooking demonstrations AND a Keurig representative giving out hot drinks.

Needless to say things got pretty crowded and it was surreal seeing all of the people lining up to get into our home. Everyone was so nice and patient and they were full of sweet compliments and great questions. 

Because of the way our house is situated the entire downstairs was open with the exception of our two guest bedrooms. People entered through the front door and exited from the deck, so they got to see a lot of the projects we've completed along the way, including the outdoor kitchen and our recently completed office solarium! It was cool because I was posted up in the inside kitchen to greet people and answer questions, while Brent was posted up on the deck with the outdoor kitchen waiting to do the same. Surprise, surprise, the outdoor kitchen and TV cabinet were a huge hit and gave the actual reason for the tour (the inside kitchen) a run for it's money!

As you all know our house nor our kitchen is big by any stretch of the imagination, but it is full of a lot of heart and consideration. I was excited for our house to be on the tour to represent Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios for a lot of reasons, but especially to show people that great storage and functionality is not synonymous with an abundance of space. When we began designing this kitchen I pulled every rabbit I knew of out of my hat to make each and every cabinet count. Custom cabinetry is great on a lot of levels, but for small spaces like ours it was especially useful as it allowed us to make our space the best it could be by capturing every storage possibility we could. 

While Brent and I have been very happy with the kitchen, you never know how people will react. There were definitely times in the months leading up to the tour that I worried people would be underwhelmed by our small space, but boy was I wrong. I was thrilled to find that a lot of the people that came through really connected with our smaller space and were excited to see the storage components we used and hear about our thought process. There were so many questions, comments and oohs and ahhs. It was awesome!   

It was a proud day for sure and Brent and I are SO happy we participated, but BOY do we feel a huge weight lifted off our shoulders now that it's over! The good news? This tour forced us to get our butts in gear and complete a bunch of projects in and around the house. So, get excited because I have all kinds of new projects and finished spaces to show you all in the coming weeks!

All photos by Lori Foster. 

Behind the Scene: Quatrefoil Island Back

Today, I want to take you deep into the trenches of my brain behind the scenes of the quatrefoil island back I designed for this year's Luxury Living Show Kitchen.

Last August I was mid flight on my way to SubZero Wolf training in Madison, Wisconsin when I busted out my pad and started brainstorming for the Luxury Living Show. August may seem a bit early to begin thinking about a project that would debut in February, but you never know how long the design process will take. Plus, starting early can kind of take the stress off. So, I doodled and ended up with this:

It's rough, yes, and a lot of things changed from this original brainstorm sketch to the final product, BUT you may notice one thing that remained the same...the quatrefoils! Can you tell that's what those green blobs are near the top? Don't judge a doodle, I WAS ON A PLANE!!

Anyways, I'd been a long time fan of the quatrefoil. My sister, Candace introduced me to the shape years ago and I've admired the design ever since. Luckily, I acquired two pairs of quatrefoil earrings last fall, one from a little shop in Elijay and the other  from my friend Katie as a bridesmaids gift. So, when the time came for me to present Mike (my boss) with my concept for this year's show I showed him my drawings and brought in my earrings. Props always help drive a case home ;)

The idea was a hit, and we immediately began working through how to bring the concept to life. There was a lot to consider concerning proportions and scale in addition to how to make the quatrefoils out of Mahogany which is what the entire island was going to be constructed of.  With a lot of Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios team effort, specifically from our CAD designer Wanda who spent an hour bending lines to create the initial quatrefoil so I could visualize, and our engineer Richard who played and played with the scale and specific shape of the final quatrefoils, we finally got it right. Before I knew it my quatrefoil island back dreams were coming true before my eyes.

This is a shot of the island in our shop before it was stained. 

And here she is in all her glory, smack dab in the middle of the mall:

Isn't design a funny animal? One minute you're doodling on a plane, and the next you' re staring at your doodles alive and real in the middle of the mall. A designers dream for sure!

P.S. This island and the whole Luxury Living Show Kitchen will be up at Phipps Plaza the rest of the month, go by and check it out in person if you're in Atlanta!

All photos are my own.