Elizabeth Lord-Levitt, the certified master kitchen and bath designer behind Elizabeth P. Lord Residential Design in Denver, couldn’t have been happier that the clients for this major kitchen renovation knew what they wanted – and exactly what they were getting into – from the start.
“They had done some remodeling on their previous house,” said Lord-Levitt, “and they’d been living in this small kitchen for a little while. They knew what appliances they liked, and they understood how they’d need to change the flow here. It’s essential for me as a designer to have people really understand how a kitchen functions for them.”
Lord-Levitt was already the go-to designer for several of the clients’ neighbors at the time, whose recommendations helped land her this job. The clients had bought the house from out of state without having set foot in it, eager to stake a claim in this coveted neighborhood and set down roots with their three kids.
But the place needed work. On the main floor, “every room was very small, and it was awkward,” said Lord-Levitt, including an oddly yet centrally located floating fireplace. For their kitchen, the owners wanted a bigger cooking surface, more refrigeration storage and clear counters free of appliances for lots of prep space. They envisioned a big, open area for cooking and eating that could accommodate their whole family (and then some).
And the Walls Came Down
The new vision required major structural modifications. The weird fireplace had to go, and multiple walls would need to come down. A 14-foot wall of glass doors would be installed to open access to the outdoor living space.
The old kitchen and dining room were sited in a one-story bump-out addition, and Lord-Levitt suggested they vault the ceiling in that section make the new kitchen feel even bigger.
“This was a very construction-based, technical renovation,” she said. “Luckily, it was all framed pretty well, but we had to shore up where the fireplace was and blow out walls. There was a lot of duct work to work around. We needed to disguise some of the things that are essential to the space.”
Green with Envy
The owners had excellent taste, said Lord-Levitt, and brought plenty of inspiration to the drawing board. “She wanted this kind of organic, natural aspect,” added the designer, “and she loved this deep green and wanted to incorporate it.”
When they decided to make it the cabinet color, Lord-Levitt chose a natural white oak for the island, which, along with the white walls and quartzite countertops, helped soften the heavy palette.
“The vaulted ceilings affected that decision, too,” she added. “If the ceilings were really low, those dark green cabinets would have been too much.”
One of the owners’ inspiration photos featured a slab countertop with a matching slab shelf above it. This design detail was incorporated on either side of the range and alongside a custom ventilation hood.
“We really had to think through those shelves to get the right depth,” said Lord-Levitt. “She wanted it to look like a floating shelf, and structurally that can be a challenge.”
The range hood also required a little thought. Visually, the team wanted to accentuate the ceilings that they exposed.
“Running that hood all the way up draws your eye to the vaulted ceilings,” said Lord-Levitt, “but we didn’t want to make the hood too big a statement in the space.”
Simple framing around a hood liner was covered with drywall and painted white; an unadorned but substantial band of white oak surrounds the opening.
“It’s light and neutral, but it still gives a textural element for the space,” added the designer.
An Element of Surprise
A small bar area presented an opportunity not only to hide some the aforementioned ductwork but also to create an unexpected pop of color and curves. The ducts in the ceiling are concealed beneath an arched alcove, which is lined with a floral wallpaper the owners loved and backed with pretty pink tiles above a small counter with a beverage fridge.
“I give so much credit to my clients for this project,” said Lord-Levitt. “They had the vision, and I just helped them bring it to life. I love clients who are willing to take risks.”
In this case, the homeowners’ involvement went beyond mere vision. The designer went on maternity leave just before construction started, which meant the client was the main on-site project supervisor.
“There were a lot of milestones I couldn’t be available for, but she would shoot me texts – ‘what do you think of these light fixtures?’ – and I would be like, ‘Yes, those are great,’” said Lord-Levitt. “We won an NKBA Rocky Mountain Peak Award for this project. They deserved it as much as I did.”
Sources
DESIGNER: Elizabeth P. Lord Residential Design LLC; PHOTOGRAPHER: MG Photography; APPLIANCES: Asko, JennAir, Sharp & Wolf; CABINETRY: Custom Classic Cabinetry; CABINETRY HARDWARE & PENDANTS: Rejuvenation; COUNTERTOPS: Stone Collection; HARDWOODS: Minwax Natural; PLUMBING FIXTURES: Kohler; BAR WALLPAPER: Kelly Ventura; BAR BACKSPLASH TILE: Zellige
