Pete and Beth Altman were more than ready for some major changes—at least where their kitchen was concerned. After 20 plus years in their Murrysville home, the couple realized that their early 90s era kitchen just didn’t serve their needs anymore. “The kitchen remodel started with our dated laminate countertops—that’s what I first wanted to change. I soon realized, however, that there were other features that just didn’t give us the functionality we wanted,” says Beth.
That’s when Beth turned to Krystal Vangura of Vangura Surfacing Products. With one of the largest product showrooms in Western Pennsylvania, Vangura is also one of the only manufacturers of their own custom line of laminate, stone and solid surface countertops. “My son has been friends with Krystal since high school, so I was very well acquainted with the family and their businesses’ excellent reputation,” says Beth.
“The great thing about working with Beth is that she knew exactly what she wanted but was also open to suggestions when it came to her kitchen’s final design,” says Krystal Vangura.
Bob Dinneen, the custom cabinetmaker who was referred to Beth by Vangura, echoes Krystal’s assessment. “Beth was easy to work with—she had some great ideas and collaborated well with us to help us give her what she wanted.”
The biggest change started with the countertops and sink. The old laminate tops were replaced with highly polished granite and an elegantly defined undermount sink. “As you enter the kitchen, we extended the base of one of the cabinets, adding custom trim pieces and corbels to support the extended countertop for eating,” says Dinneen. “We also added an angled custom piece to the cabinets on the wall for displaying plates and knick-knacks.”
The challenge was in matching Beth’s cabinet stain exactly. Unlike paint, where a store can easily match a color if you have a sample, stain requires a more practiced, “chemist-like” approach. Dinneen’s efforts are a near-perfect match between what was old and what is now new.
The other big change for Beth’s kitchen is the appliances. Since Beth and Pete both work full-time and also enjoy entertaining, they wanted appliances that made kitchen life easier. “The first thing we added was a Jenn-Air induction cooktop with a downdraft feature, says Beth. “It cooks like gas and looks like a electric cooktop but works better than either.”
One highlight of the induction cooktop is its ability to quickly bring water, soup or sauces to a boil or heat oil for sautéing or flash frying. “Another set of great appliances we added is a Jenn-Air convection oven with a separate warming drawer,” says Beth.
The convection oven allows you to much more quickly preheat your oven to a set temperature—say 400°. “When we get home from work, we don’t have to wait 10 minutes for our oven to preheat. It’s so much easier and faster to cook and eat. Plus, Pete wants to cook more—that alone is worth everything we did,” laughs Beth.
The convection feature is also great for baking cookies—because it draws the moisture of baked goods, providing delectable textures, flaky crusts and crisp pastries. As an added bonus, the warming drawer is a great tool when the Altmans have company over.
“It provides dry or moist heat and is great at roasting meats and veggies or warming bread and plates before meals,” says Beth. “These truly modern conveniences make my kitchen remodel a dream come true and a great place to entertain and spend time with family.”