Boy do I have a treat for you this week. As many of you know I'm from Ringgold, GA right outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. After college I moved to Atlanta where I have been working and living ever since. As fate would have it, last year I happened to answer the phone for a lady looking to remodel her kitchen.... in Chattanooga. What are the odds? As I talked with her about her project I learned she and her husband were renovating a home on Elder Mountain. It wasn't until I saw this home in person that I realized it looked like Tara, you know the beautiful home from Gone With The Wind? Except this Tara was literally hanging off the side of the mountain.
The kitchen space is huge. Walls had been removed and the entire space was opened up. While this sounds like a designers dream, sometimes really large spaces can be difficult to design because you don't want your clients to have to walk a mile to retrieve the pop-tarts from their pantry in the morning. Things have to jive and zones have to be determined. All the while you want the space to feel warm and inviting, not like a middle school dance with all parties clinging to the walls while the dance floor is empty.
Style/finish wise the homeowner had some very specific thoughts of her own. She actually came to us at
Bell Kitchen & Bath Studio after seeing our display in Phipps Plaza. She and her husband identified with this space and wanted a similar vibe in their home. The cabinetry was to be inset bead with a painted perimeter and a stained island. As far as design/storage requirements go the homeowners wanted two refrigerators, pantry space, a mantle hood and a large island. The large kitchen space would house both the kitchen and breakfast area. The whole space sits right off of the living room which leads to the back deck with the amazingggg views. Because of all of the windows, certain cabinetry placements just made sense, sink in front of window, hood on main wall facing family room, etc..The finished product left us with 4 zones of cabinetry all serving different purposes and all working together to make the space work to it's fullest potential.
Let me show you around:
The above shot gives you a pretty good idea of the space. This is the view standing with your back to the living room looking into the kitchen. As you can see the first area you come to is the breakfast area. For this space a hutch piece was designed that serves several functions: serving piece, bar and storage. This area is complete with a under counter wine unit, a wood counter top (that matches the island, but more on that later) and plenty of door and drawer storage for alcohol, serving pieces and dish ware.
The custom mullion doors with mirror were designed to give the space some personality and help the piece look more like a piece of furniture rather than cabinetry. The addition of this hutch piece really helps give the breakfast area it's own identity all the while amping up the storage.
Moving on into the kitchen:
You will notice we have three walls of cabinetry, let's start with the hood wall.
The mantle hood creates a beautiful focal wall with a lot of symmetry and balance. This is a true cooking zone complete with several add-on features to increase functionality and add storage capacity.
Deep drawers were put under the cook top to hold pots, pans, lids, etc...pullouts flank each side of the cook top. The pullout to the left holds spices while the pullout to the right holds cooking utensils such as wooden spoons and spatulas.
The cabinet to the far right of the hood, the corner cabinet, was designed to come down to the countertop. This application is a good way to put a period at a cabinet run. Wall cabinets were nixed on the sink wall, so we needed a way to end the cabinetry run coming from the hood wall. By taking this cabinet to the countertop, additional storage space was achieved and all was balanced and happy on this side of the room.
Across the way, the pantry is nestled between the two refrigerators. Because the original pantry for the house was part of the demo/remove wall phase of the project this pantry would be the only one so it needed to be functional with a capital F.
The two center doors open to two stationary roll outs installed at the bottom portion with three adjustable shelves above. Below the shelves sits the microwave and a few more drawers and door to store additional supplies/serving ware/kitchen gadgets. You will notice the TV is tucked in up top, out of the way, but in the perfect position for the cook to enjoy while whipping up the next meal.
The island is a beast at 116" long, but completely in scale with the space.
Funny story, when the client initially called me to inquire about our services she asked how long the island was on display at Phipps. I told her this island was over sized because it was in a mall and that most homes could not accommodate an island that big. She swore that hers could. I was all like, "OK, surrrrre...." soon enough I found out that she was 100% right, her large kitchen area needed an island this big.
Sure showed me!
The island was constructed out of alder wood and stained dark walnut color. The ends of the island both received drawers with open shelving below which gives the piece such a unique look.
Shallow depth cabinetry was placed at the back of the island for seasonal storage.
It's always a treat to revisit a job once the dust has settled and the family has unpacked and begun living in the space. This kitchen seems to serve there needs nicely and let's be honest, it's not hard on the eyes either. Speaking of eyes, the homeowner has a great one for decor, so needless to say, the whole house is furnished and decorated beautifully, this room included. From job site to home is always such a fun transition!
A big shout out to Tania and Zack of
Gentle Giant Photography out of Chattanooga, for taking these pictures. Beautiful shots of a beautiful space - well done!
