Karen's Kitchen: Canadian Living

Karen in her new kitchen with her chicken Cuddles.  Photo by, Donna Grffith

At long last, welcome to Karen's kitchen!  Words cannot describe how excited and proud I am to see Karen's kitchen renovation featured in the currrent issue of Canadian Living!  If you follow Karen's wildly popular blog, The Art of Doing Stuff, you've no doubt read her updates about the more than year long renovation and seen some sneak peeks along the way.   Not only have Karen and I been twitter and blogging friends for several years, I'm honoured to say she's also an E-Design client of mine.  I was fortunate to work with Karen on her kitchen design from the initial planning stages of the project and helped guide her through the inevitable and various design dilemmas along the way.  Karen had a great vision right from the very start along with some very challenging space issues - with her great sense of style, her resourcefulness, her diy skills,,,,and a little help from me ; ), I think the the transformation is nothing short of spectacular.  Its truly satisfying to see a plan and a vision come to life but to hear how much she loves, loves, loves, her new kitchen is the most rewarding part of all. 

Canadian Living, October 2014

Not only does Karen look stunning posing with Cuddles in her new kitchen (that dress!), but she wrote the feature too.  I hope you'll enjoy reading the full story and all the before and afters along with sources in the current issue of Canadian Living, on stands now or you can purchase the digital version thru Zinio.  You won't be disappointed.

You can read more about the planning phase of the kitchen, including the before and after floor plan, optional layout plans and the design requirements,,,in an earlier post I wrote last year, here.   

For more info on my E-Design services for kitchens or bathrooms 

please check out my e-design website

 www.thedesignshop.ca

The Art of Planning: Karen's Kitchen

Photo by Donna Griffith, for Style at Home

You may remember last  year I prepared some design sketches for my cyber friend Karen’s chicken coop gates.   If you’re a fan of the Art of Doing Stuff blog, like I am,,,you know Karen doesn’t often need help with anything because she’s a master at figuring how to do stuff herself.  She has a wonderful character style house and over the years she’s done many home improvements and decor projects inside and out.  Not your average homeowner diy's,,,,Karen has an impressive archive of magazine quality 'afters', in fact the inside of her house and her backyard have both been featured in Style at Home magazine which you can admire here and here.

Clearly Karen doesn't need any help in the decor or handyman departments but one of the few things she hasn’t tackled is the house's original 1940‘s kitchen.  She's pretty attached to the old kitchen and its easy to understand why - it oozes an authentic nostalgic charm that’s hard to replace (top photo).  Even the editors at Style at Home couldn't resist photographing and featuring it just the way it is.  Yah, even the "before" picture of Karen's kitchen is magazine worthy. ; )  Inevitably the time has come to replace it and Karen knows enough to know this in’t something she wanted to tackle on her own because the consequences of making mistakes or oversights are daunting, and expensive.  So this is where I came in.  Karen hired me thru my  e-design services to work on the new kitchen plans.  As far as finishes and appliances went she knew what she wanted but what she was struggling with was how to fit all of the new elements together.  She needed a plan.  

ASSESSING...

The first step I take is to review the existing space to assess what's working and what isn't.  The whats not working about her current kitchen might be obvious, but its not all bad.  There are aspects of this kitchen layout that Karen enjoys, particularly the huge expanse of uninterrupted counter space between the sink and range....and having a kitchen table and chairs. To be frank the shortcomings of the kitchen were easy to find solutions for but doing so and maintaining those elements that she loved was truly the challenge.  That and accommodating all of the other things on her wish list.

THE DESIGN BRIEF...

- 'not cookie cutter'

- no new construction

- non-custom cabinets

- more storage

- a range hood

- a glass door fridge

- a furniture style pantry

- a stand alone butcher block table

- a place to sit

- a fixed budget

- did I say 'not cookie cutter'..

Knowing that we couldn’t alter the bathroom, laundry room, mudroom or doorways,,,,,I recognized the biggest obstacle in Karen’s kitchen was the counter height window on the end wall.  It’s location was a prime spot for a range and hood, or a fridge,,,or wall cabinets.  Ideally it needed to be moved to best utilize the space. Unfortunately the window was fairly new and had involved re-stucco’ing the exterior of the house.  The option of moving it or changing it now was not in the budget so it was staying.  Had we not been able to find a workable layout that Karen loved, I would have suggested she hold off until her budget allowed to move the window because it would open up so much more layout potential. 

This is an example of how we could have utilized the wall had we moved the window. We quickly eliminated this option (and variations of it) for budget reasons and moved on.

Even though this layout doesn't appear to be drastically different than the existing, the changes are significant enough that with new, more efficient cabinetry and appliances it would be a big improvement.  This option ticked all the boxes including a 36" range.  It was the front runner,,,,,until,,,, Karen came home with an antique butcher block island that she couldn't resist and that meant a change in plans.  But I've seen and completely approved,,,it's a beauty worth changing things up for.

THE AFTER PLAN....

After exploring more than a dozen layout options we arrived at a final plan that Karen loves (shown above).   You can read Karen's first post about her kitchen reno plans here .......and you'll notice she received no shortage of opinions and suggestions from readers too. ; )   I'm confident in saying they can rest assured that the planning process was extremely thorough and not a single possible option was overlooked.  : )  (We are aware the fridge overlaps the window a tad in this layout but this is the worst case scenario and we're prepared for how to deal with it.  The fridge she's hoping to get is narrower than this but we're planning for the larger option just in case).

True to her vision “not cookie cutter” would be the design mandate and concept for Karen’s new kitchen.  This applies to the layout too. There are a LOT of kitchen design standards, rules of thumb and conventional layouts with their regulated work triangles - well this plan doesn’t necessarily follow all those rules.  And that's perfectly ok.  I can say from experience that the clients who do a lot of serious cooking are the ones who's kitchens stray from generic design standards the most because they have much more specific needs, usually simpler.

When I approach a kitchen plan from scratch I use spacing standards only as a starting point (which also is an instant way to gauge if your footprint is considered tight or generous).  From there I determine how and where adjustments can be made to suit the space and the users specific needs.  There's nothing wrong with conventional layout standards but they simply don’t always fit or work for every situation, that doesn't mean you can't still have a kitchen that's functional - it just means you need more adaptable solutions (while maintaining safety and functionality of course).

In addition to the floor plan I also worked out all of the wall elevations which detail Karen's new cabinetry and will facilitate getting it ordered.  The task of pulling this entire plan together is now in her very capable hands and I can't wait to see it all come together.   Karen has done some savvy networking to co-ordinate a few great collaborations and sponsors for this project.  The design layout reflects the products and publication opportunities that are anticipated thru the collaborations as well as some of Karen’s unique finds so it promises to be an interesting and beautiful transformation story for all parties involved.

You can follow the kitchen reno progress over at The Art of Doing Stuff and I'll post updates here as it starts coming together!

Stoney Lake Cottage: Kitchen Progress

Cottage Kitchen - In Progress

This cottage kitchen is nearing the end of an extensive transformation.  When my clients purchased this new to them cottage late last summer, my first impression when I saw the photos was that it had great bones, and when I visited in person I especially loved its tall vaulted and cathedral wood ceilings.  It had several bathrooms and a large kitchen which were looking dated and more suburban in flavour perhaps than lakeside cottage. Without undergoing a complete gut of the interior, my challenge was to give the entire interior a complete update that would inject it with classic cottage charm that reflected this young family's modern lifestyle. The cottage would not be used in the winter so light, relaxed and summery vibe was in order.

Carpeting and narrow strip maple flooring (installed on a diagonal) would be the first to go.  Next up; new wide plank pine flooring, fresh wall paint, all new light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, hardware, countertops and appliances would complete the to do list.  But before we concentrated on all the new finishes and fittings for the kitchen, I recommended we rethink the layout.  The cabinetry was solid wood, great quality and in excellent condition but I saw a lot of potential for improvement and was convinced I could rework the layout using the existing cabinets but make it more functional for cooking and gathering.

Before - Kitchen Plan View

This cottage has no shortage of angles, while I do love the slopes of its dramatic cathedral and vaulted ceilings I wasn't crazy for the multi-angled kitchen island so this became my first target.  The island consisted of a cooktop, a prep sink, 3 different counter heights and despite its size, had seating for only 3, maybe 4.  There's nothing I dislike more in a kitchen than a cooktop in an island, especially where there's seating so my first goal was to find a new place for the range.  As you can see on the plan above, there wasn't a lot of wall space to work with.

After - Kitchen Plan View

Here's a view of the new kitchen floor plan I proposed.  The entire layout was created using all of the existing cabinets plus a new open section for the microwave.  Although there's still a few angled cabinets in the island I straightened out the island's orientation. The range now sits against a wall complete with a range hood. The fridge moved to the opposite wall, so now the fridge, sink and range are in a nice efficient configuration.  The island becomes a great pre-dinner gathering place (out of the way of the cooks) with lots of room for snacks, beverages, buffets, and seating for 6.  The family of 4 can also enjoy meals here dining style around the open end of the island. The new undercounted microwave frees up counter space in the work area.  There was much debate over the microwave vs second dishwasher vs wine fridge here. : )

Once the layout was nailed down, I selected an entirely new palette of finish materials and fixtures.   

Before - Kitchen Left Side 

I also did some editing by deleting the heavy wooden light valance above the kitchen windows, as well as the ruffled fabric valance.  This immediately brightened and simplified the space.  Next, the solid knotty pine wood cabinets would all get painted.

Before - Kitchen window and light valances.

Kitchen Left Side - In Progress

Fresh white walls and deep navy painted cabinets would compliment all the amber wood tones in the cottage and set the tone for a classic navy and white scheme throughout.  A new farm style sink and articulating antique nickel wall lights above the windows add vintage character.  The tall cabinet on the left will house the new stainless steel fridge.  The new counters and industrial pull-down faucet will be installed shortly....

Before - Right Side of Kitchen

  The old panelled fridge with black trim and counter top microwave were permanently removed as was the diagonally laid narrow strip maple flooring.

Moving the fridge to the opposite wall and shifting some base cabinets around made room for a new 36"wide range and exhaust hood.  A relocated glass door wall cabinet will work well beside the range for plates and bowls.  The existing solar shades, previously hidden behind the ruffled fabric valance now look perfectly simple and crisp set in the wood framed windows and provide light control from the afternoon sun.  See, I didn't get rid of everything. ; )

A pro style 6 burner range will be perfect for large family gatherings.  The entire cooking area gets a new full height stainless steel backsplash. New satin nickel cup pulls on the drawers complete the old cabinetry facelift.  New white and grey 'marble' quartz counter tops will wrap up to the underside of the window sill.

Before photos of the island, front view and back view.  A sea of wood.

The proposed new re-design of the island.

Initially the plans called for a second dishwasher in the island but later the homeowners opted to add a microwave here instead.  Amore recent change was the deletion of the raised countertop behind the sink, the island counter will now be all one level.

I completed all the design plans in December and the deconstruction started right away.  The contractor has been working non-stop all winter in effort to get the cottage ready for use starting May long weekend.  While all this reno work has been going on I've been working with the homeowners selecting all the new furnishings - no small task for this 7 bedroom, 4 bathroom cottage, plus boathouse!  Its been exciting to see it all coming together this past week, the rest of the fixtures and countertops will be arriving soon.  I'll be posting more updates and after photos in the coming weeks and months - I can't wait to share the dramatic bathroom transformations that have taken place not to mention the newly painted, all white (stunning!) boathouse.



All photos and drawings by:  Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.