Designing a kitchen is a bit like solving a puzzle, eventually all the pieces come together and it all makes sense from both a visual as well as a functional perspective. This new kitchen design in Wellington Florida is a great example of that. Today I'd like to share with you an inside peek at the process and how we got from drab to amazing in ten million easy steps.
I jest, it was really only eight million. Here's where we began. Check out these before images. As you can see the old kitchen was outdated and just didn't work from a layout point of view. The challenge we faced was to create something light, modern and very user friendly for my client who loves to cook for her family.
Befores
First Things First: Layout Challenges
Kitchens generally work a lot better without too many angles so although we were stuck with the exterior angled walls, we could straighten out that peninsula. Then there was the island in the center. All the angles were affecting the usable storage inside so I wanted to square that up too. Next up was that oppressive soffit at the top! It was like a heavy weight pushing down on the kitchen. Removing it would allow taller cabinets and a much more open feeling. The refrigerator was crowded next to the stove so I really wanted to relocate it if possible. Last but not least, where the fridge used to be is our new focal point, a modern hood and beautiful reflective glass tile.
The above plan shows how it all panned out. We accomplished all of our objectives. The soffit was removed, peninsula reshaped with the addition of a beverage center, the island became a baking center with no angles and storage for a mixer lift. We extended the pantry wall and created the perfect home for a new refrigerator and combination wall and microwave ovens with convenient counter space in between.
Star Elements & The Power of Collaboration
I always say the best projects are great collaborations and that is exactly what we had here. My client didn't think she knew what she wanted but she really did. She gave me lots of feedback and clues as to what is most important to her and her family. The result was an appliance package by Bosch including an induction cooktop, all wood white Shaker style cabinets by Holiday Kitchens and Brendan Donovan Furniture & Cabinet Co., an undermount Silgranit kitchen sink by Blanco and the Beale Touchless Kitchen Faucet by American Standard. This was the first kitchen I've done using this particular faucet. In exchange for the faucet, American Standard offered me the opportunity to participate in a really fun project called Style My Faucet. Designers all over the country played too. We had fun staging the Beale and got some great shots. Flowers and veggies had already been beautifully featured so we did pasta!
"The best advice I can give my clients is to invest in a quality faucet."
The Beale Touchless Kitchen Faucet was very easy to install, the battery for the Selectronic hands-free sensor is conveniently located below in the cabinet. You can opt to leave it on manual mode too if you prefer. Just slide the sensor door on the front and you can operate with a wave of your hand. This is so nice to have when you're preparing things like raw chicken, right? I was also impressed with the Dock-Tite spray head docking system. It feels really nice and secure. I've seen faucets that dangle when they're not supposed too. Yuck. The best advice I can give to my clients is to invest in a quality faucet. I will definitely be specifying the Beale again because I am impressed with not only the quality but also the sleek styling that works so well with contemporary and transitional designs, just like this one.
There you have it. It's a wrap. Drop me a line at artfulkitchensbyglo@gmail.com and let's get started on your kitchen!
This is a sponsored blog post. All editorial content is entirely my own opinions and perspectives.