My Grandmother's Kitchen Part 2

Here we go! You've been tortured long enough.......

As I began designing the new kitchen I realized the existing layout worked pretty well, the space just needed a few tweaks to boost functionality and aesthetics. Most of the major items (cooktop, refrigerator, sink, dishwasher) stayed in the same location, with the only exception being the oven and the microwave. We decided an oven/micro combo was the way to go, this way the microwave would not take up valuable real estate on the coutntertop. Then we decided to scoot the oven/micro down the wall which increased the amount of continuous counter space considerably.

Next up was the task of pumping up the storage. The first thing on the list was the removal of the soffit at the ceiling. I knew removing the soffit would really open up the kitchen and make the space feel taller. Plus, with no soffit the wall cabinets could go to the ceiling which meant more storage! Next, we removed the current desk and replaced it with a tall pantry cabinet with rollouts. This addition was huge. For 46 years my Grandmother would have to leave the kitchen and go down the hall to the laundry room/pantry to retrieve items. Now, all food and prep items are stored right in the kitchen so everything is within reach. 

Even the coffee maker has it's own little nook. When my grandparents have guests over or when they prepare their morning coffee they can keep the door open for easy access to the coffee maker. Once coffee time is over the door can shut and all is sleek again.

As I've mentioned before, today's cabinets have so much more storage potential due to the internal components available. In this space we utilized rollouts, a LeMans corner pullout, deep drawers for pots and pan storage, tray dividers and cutlery and utility dividers to amp up the storage and organization.

Deep Drawers for Pots

LeMans Corner Pullout

                                           



 

 

Cutlery Dividers

Tray Dividers

                                                                       

The cabinets are Bell custom cabinets from Bell Kitchen & Bath Studio. As we designed the cabinetry we decided to go with frameless cabinetry construction so as to increase the amount of usable space within each cabinet.  The cabinets are made from northern white hard maple and are painted Sherwin William's Anew Gray, SW7030.

The countertops and backsplash add pizazz to this space. For the countertops we decided to go with Cambria, a Quartz product.

I've talked in the past about the benefits of quartz in that it's a man made surface so it is impervious to stains. In my opinion Cambria is by and large the leader in the quartz countertop market because of the depth and movement their colors offer. For my Grandmother's kitchen we decided to go with Torquay, which is a white countertop with beige/gray veining through out. The backsplash  is a beveled white marble subway tile with gray grout. The tile is one of my favorite elements in the kitchen. We took the backsplash to the ceiling around the window and on the hood wall; it adds such dimension to the space.

The sink is a Blanco silgranit single bowl sink, color - truffle. I was so excited when my Grandparents chose the truffle color. It's a little outside the box and really works well against the white countertops. The hardware is from Top Knobs and the faucet is a Delta, all in a antiqued brass finish. Fun fact - the faucet is touch activated, my Grandfather who is an electrical engineer was instantly infatuated and convinced that the other faucets in the house were broken because they didn't work the same way! :)

Finally, my favorite elements in the space - the island and the chandelier, both of which remind me of my Grandmother in every way. The island, which fits perfectly in the space is painted the same Anew Gray as the perimeter cabinetry, but it has a dark brown walnut countertop with these delicious knots scattered on top. My Grandmother never had an island and never thought she would because of space restrictions. This island was used in a display in our showroom and when the display was replaced I knew this would be the perfect piece for their kitchen so I snagged it up! The chandelier that hangs above the island is beautiful turned on or turned off. It's got sparkle and shine, just like my Grandmother and really adds a little something extra to the room.

 I'm so pleased with how this space turned out. When you walk into the room you enter into a happy, calm, beautiful space, layered with textures and details. Every decision and selection was carefully considered and I think the end results are truly amazing. My Grandmother couldn't wait to get back to cooking and has since made numerous meals in the kitchen. All of the new appliances have taken some getting used to, but she took to the added storage like a fish to water. I'm glad I'm family so I can come visit this beautiful space often, and maybe get some yummy food too!

All photos are my own. 

My Grandmother's Kitchen

and my #StoneMountain Kitchen are one in the same. SURPRISE! 

As many of you know, my Grandmother and PapaJack have played an integral part in my life, especially since moving to Atlanta in 2008. Their home has been like my home and I was excited for the opportunity to help them with their kitchen remodel. We talked and dreamed and schemed and planned for this kitchen for a long time. Finally, last fall we decided the time had come to pull the trigger and make this new kitchen a reality.

Their house was built in 1967 by Guy F. Griffith Builders Inc. My Grandmother found the house, fell in love and bought it while my PapaJack was out of town on business. They moved into their home in August of 1967. The house has great bones and the kitchen served my Grandmother well for many years. However, over the past few years certain items stored in certain cabinets became harder and harder for her to get to. My Grandmother enjoys cooking and cooks a lot (she's really, really good at it too!) She is definitely one of those people who really uses their kitchen and up until this year she has been using the same one for 46 years! I didn't want to see her stop cooking on my watch so I knew I needed to design a kitchen that exploded with functionality so everything was accessible and user friendly.

Back in January I posted before pictures of this space, but here are a few reminders of what the "before" looked like.

                  

A few days after these photos were taken demolition began and from there things chugged along at a fast pace.

Demo phase - all cabinetry, flooring, appliances and wallpaper were removed.  

Sheetrock repair and painting came next. We opted to keep the existing paneling and paint it. As you can see from the before pictures, all trim throughout the kitchen was a dark brown stain. There are three sets of French doors in this room as well as a door to the deck. All doors, trim and paneling were painted the same color - Sherwin William's Anew Gray, SW7030 (the new cabinets were painted this color as well). The walls were painted Aesthetic White, SW7035 by Sherwin Williams. Even at the early stages you can see how fresh everything looks painted, the room became so much brighter!

With every layer completed we got more excited. The next step was the installation of the hardwood flooring. This phase of the remodel really took the project to a new level, it went from feeling like a work zone to feeling more and more like a kitchen.

Isn't it beautiful? My Grandparents had always had laminate flooring. The installation of the hardwood really warmed the space up and it contrasts so nicely with the paint colors.

Bright and early on a Monday morning Bell Cabinetry, pulled up and started unloading the new cabinetry! It was a big day.  A day that again took this space to the next level!



 As you can see by the end of the day my Grandmother was one happy camper!

PHEW - I'm exhausted. Because I don't want this post to become a novel I'm going to break this reveal up into two parts. Next, I will unveil the final product and share all kinds of fun details pertaining to this breathtaking remodel. But until then......

I will leave you with this final photo.

 (!!!!!)

 To Be Continued.......................................

 All photos are my own.