After color consulting on a 2010 project with a professional couple with two kids, the active family again sought out designer Kelly DuByne when it was time to remodel their kitchen. The main project objectives were to improve navigation through the space and to add more seating and storage without interrupting flow.
DuByne, owner of Distinctive Interior Designs in Lake Stevens, Wash., converted a messy storage area under the stairs into additional square footage for the kitchen. With this additional space, she was able to push back the refrigeration wall and allow for a deeper unit.
To accommodate a seating area large enough for the whole family, DuByne removed a set of seldom-used sliding doors on one wall and incorporated a built-in banquette with a window. She was also able to specify a larger island to house some of the appliances and to accommodate a drop-down seating area.
Incorporating Accessibility & Sustainability
The new kitchen feels calmer, more functional and includes a variety of aging-in-place elements since this is the clients’ forever home. DuByne included wider walkways on either side of the island and replaced the flooring on the main floor with a resilient and textured luxury vinyl plank with no transitions between rooms.
“The lack of transitions between the rooms allows for even flow without any height differences,” said the designer.
Pull-out shelving and trash and recycling units and full-extension drawers make the cabinetry ultra-accessible, as does dimmable under-cabinet and toe-kick LED lighting. DuByne specified countertop surfaces that produce minimal glare, and table-height seating next to the island is easier to maneuver for all sizes, ages and needs.
As a nod to more sustainable and longer-lasting materials, natural stones were specified for the countertops, and variable-speed appliances were selected for their energy-efficient properties.
The kitchen’s white rift oak cabinets are responsibly harvested, and the copper chosen for the custom sink and hood has a high recyclability rate. The faucet is low-flow, and the grass cloth wallpaper is another natural material.
Digging Into the Details
The custom cabinetry in the new kitchen features a panel-ready pantry unit that accommodates smaller appliances and a coffee station next to the refrigerator. The floor-to-ceiling cabinets include such specialized elements as a built-in spice rack, base rollouts, blind-corner units by the sink and a built-in paper towel dispenser.
Two pullout refrigerator drawers in the island keep the kids out of the main kitchen area and provide quick access to drinks and snacks. A steam/oven combo is located on the side of the island across from the range. The Wolf range is topped by a black CopperSmith hood customized with copper accent stripes that match the hammered copper sink and the range backsplash, which was created from the clients’ photo of Mt. Pilchuck near their home.
“The clients knew an artist who could convert the photo into a special backsplash,” said DuByne, “and their family name is engraved on the bottom for an even more personal touch.”
The countertops are a honed quartzite, and the main backsplash tile features a subway pattern in various shades of glossy white. In addition to the undercabinet and toe-kick lighting, there are three fixtures over the island with an aged copper patina look, and illuminating the banquette is a linen and wrought-iron fixture.
A Cocktail & Crafts Room
The clients wanted to convert the unused dining room behind the kitchen into a space they could enjoy. DuByne combined the couple’s love for whiskey, books and Legos in a dramatic space.
The granite countertops feature gold, bronze and deep brown tones enhanced by a leathered finish that the designer says adds a calming elegance to the space. Floor-to-ceiling white rift oak cabinets in the whiskey bar/library are painted in Black Swan by Sherwin-Williams, and custom velvet curtains are in the same shade as the apple green ceiling. The floating shelves feature the same stain as in the kitchen for continuity, and the bottom cabinets feature mesh detail for a slightly industrial feel.
Overcoming Hurdles
All projects come with challenges, and DuByne and her team successfully conquered all that came up during this extensive kitchen remodel.
- Venting for the range was tricky because it needed to be directed outside, and right behind that wall is the whiskey room. DuByne was able to route the custom copper hood slightly off center so it could flow to the outside.
- To open space and create a better flow from the kitchen into the family room, a partial wall and an existing beam needed to be removed, but the design team did not know if the beam was structural. After demo, they learned it was architectural and were able to safely remove it for a seamless look.
- In the whiskey bar, DuByne wanted to wrap the grasscloth wallpaper around the deep sill of the upper window. It was too hard to apply to the rounded drywall edges, so she painted the sill in the same deep shade as the cabinets to achieve the same look.
- During the photo shoot at the project’s completion, the designer panicked when she realized her clients meant to include the Lego sets in the whiskey bar. “My photographer calmed my nerves when he said we’d just go with it, and those photos have ended up being some of my favorites on this project,” said DuByne.
The designer said her clients love their new kitchen so much that she is returning later this year to remodel their primary bath.
“Through careful listening and collaboration with the client, we were able to achieve all their goals for this project,” said DuByne. “We presented some ideas that were outside their comfort zone, and they were open to our suggestions, which made the design process enjoyable and easy.”
Sources
Designer: Kelly DuByne, Distinctive Interior Designs Photographer: Anton Benedikt with AB Photo Video KITCHEN Backsplashes: Bedrosians (perimeter) & Ibrahim Natuross, Etsy Artist (range) Banquette Fabric: Kaslan Cabinet Paint: Sherwin-Williams Cabinets: Architectural Cabinets Countertops: Arc Surfaces Dishwasher: Cove Faucet: Karran Flooring: Engineered Floors Hardware: Berenson Hood & Sink: CopperSmith Lighting: Bartlett & Rossini Range & Steam/Oven Combo: Wolf Refrigeration: Sub-Zero Shades: Budget Blinds Table: Josh VonJentzen WHISKEY BAR Cabinet Hardware: Berenson Cabinet Paint: Sherwin-Williams Cabinets & Shelves: Architectural Cabinets Countertop: Arc Surfaces
