Springfield - Remodeling Case Studies

Reclaimed Warmth

With a drastically different design style than the prior owner, these homeowners took the plunge and spent the time, energy, and resources to pursue making their kitchen their very own. With beautiful views of the lake and a gorgeous pool out the kitchen window, the existing modern two-tone cabinets didn’t seem to match the lifestyle of lake living. The transformation of this kitchen and dining space sets the tone for the entire main level of the home. The white kitchen with warm accents of reclaimed barn wood now reflects the clients’ personal style and captures what living at the lake is all about. It is a little polished, a little rustic, beautifully family friendly, and cohesive with the rest of the home.

These homeowners were looking to make their lakehouse kitchen warm and friendly rather than the dark and busy look it originally had. Their wishes were that it should reflect the feeling of relaxing at the lake and allow your eyes to flow through a bright open space to the entertainment and views out back – the only thing flashy should be the sun dancing off the waves. They had already incorporated an accent wall of reclaimed barn wood in the adjacent family room and wanted to continue that theme into the kitchen. There were several specific issues with the original kitchen that the homeowners wanted to address: first, upon entering the home, the dining space was immediately followed by a peninsula made of modern, glossy, two-color cabinets and a small sink intended to be a wet bar. This space lacked true identity – it wasn’t really a bar and not really a buffet area, and was definitely too far from the kitchen to be a useful prep area. The beam at the ceiling and support post at the end of the peninsula presented a costly problem to remove, so we decided to make the support post and beam a feature element by wrapping it with beautiful reclaimed barn wood. We also added a custom built-in buffet of base cabinets and glass front upper cabinets that provide both storage and serving space on the dining side while also providing storage and a built-in space for a beverage refrigerator on the kitchen side.  Other problems included the odd flooring transition in the kitchen and the removal of the cabinet above the refrigerator by the previous owners that left an unfinished look and a missed opportunity for storage. The clients wanted to have cohesive flooring from the house entrance through the kitchen and functioning cabinetry that would work well with the shortage of upper cabinets. We were able to accomplish both of these wishes through engineered hardwood that flows through all main floor rooms and new storage-maximizing and stylish cabinets. Design-wise, the homeowners wanted to be rid of the dark and busy materials that distracted from the calm and tranquil environment that a lake home should be. In answer to this, we worked to reclaim the warm elements of the home that didn’t distract but rather invited; for example, we wrapped the three exterior sides of the island in more reclaimed barn wood for warmth and a feature element. Additionally, gray and white quartz carry through to the countertops and gray subway tile creates an inviting backsplash to further brighten and relax the kitchen area. This kitchen transformation brings back the lakehouse feeling - the warm, relaxing, and inviting environment that should accompany any day on the lake. The polished yet rustic look is beautiful and united with the rest of the home.

Kitchen Remodeling

Rustic Kitchen, Transitional Kitchen, White Kitchen

Uncategorized

Springfield

Illinois