“Space reconfiguration leads to a lifestyle synch,” explains Sarah, a New Albany homeowner who, along with her husband Chris, renovated their kitchen and laundry room to create new spaces expertly aligned to their family’s needs and desires.
The couple worked with the team at Dave Fox Design-Build Remodelers in a collaboration which brought flow, connectivity and organization to the heart of this busy home.
Transforming their 1990s kitchen into a modernized and efficient design involved the reorientation of certain key elements. Removing a partial wall and support beam between the kitchen and eating area was one, repositioning and extending a new island to be parallel with the sink was another. These fundamental changes opened the flow and connected the entire space.
“We never had good connectivity between the eat-in area and the kitchen due to the partial wall and support beam “It also felt strange due to the garage entry door being next to the table,” Sarah explains. “It all came together thanks to Michelle’s design.”
Getting warmed up
The aesthetics of the kitchen embody the neutral color palette and bungalow feel found throughout the rest of the house. Interior designer Michelle Mixter of Dave Fox, who had worked with the couple previously, knew their design look and lifestyle well.
“I had a great advantage because I’ve done three other projects with Chris and Sarah,” Michelle says, “I understood the kitchen needed to be a nice calm space with warmth in it.”
Michelle worked to balance the crisp, white cabinets and countertops the couple desired by bringing in warm tones of an oak-stained hardwood floor, natural hickory on the island, and a rustic barn-style hood. Wood inlay on the glass paneled accent cabinets surrounding the hood also ties in warmth and softens the cabinetry. Mixed metals and textures in the hardware, light fixtures and backsplash across the kitchen add points of distinction and subtle natural color.
Intuitive organization
Strategizing storage was a key part of the kitchen design as well. Most of the functional cabinetry is underneath the counters instead of overhead, offering ease of reach and organization. The stately island cleverly organizes appliances and storage including a beverage center, microwave, drawers, and dedicated spice and oil cabinets near the range. The wall of white cabinetry off the island with pantry storage and paneled Thermador refrigerator gives easy access to these popular places.
“We were nervous at first about losing overhead cabinet space,” Sarah says. “But having everything organized intuitively made all the difference.”
Ease of entry
The new laundry and mudroom off the kitchen creates the much needed “drop zone” for the family. Gaining the space and good flow into the house required changing the entry points from the garage and into the kitchen. The resulting design gives the family the perfect place to land and organize their wares before entering the kitchen. The room’s style is a natural extension of the kitchen with predominately white features warmed by a custom wood bench and wood tone on a ceramic tile floor.
The journey of synching up these spaces to meet needs and lifestyle of this family was another successful project for both sides. Michelle concludes, “It’s been a great experience to be Sarah and Chris’ advocate and partner along the way, understanding their needs, and pushing them in directions to take more creative freedom.” For Sarah, “The team at Dave Fox is incredible, their ability to pull together for their clients and watch every detail really came through.”
Resources: Contractor: Dave Fox Design- Build Remodeling with design consultant Keith Sharrock, interior designer Michelle Mixter and project manager Dennis Nelson. Cabinetry: Custom Wood Products, beaded, inset, painted and rustic hickory. Flooring: Oak stained on site to match existing. Countertops and backsplash at sink: Cambria Quartz Ironsbridge. Countertop fabricator: Konkus Marble and Granite. Tile: Herringbone Adex Neri Collection 2×8 Gloss, Hamilton Parker. Sink: Kohler Whitehaven apron front sink, Ferguson. Faucets: Pull Down Faucet, Kohler Artifacts in oiled rubbed bronze, Ferguson. Appliances: Thermador range hood, dishwasher, range, refrigerator and beverage refrigerator, and Sharp microwave drawer, all from Ferguson. Lighting: Yeon Collection pendants, Conica 30” drum over table; black and warm brass window sconces. Bench top and table and mudroom bench: custom in solid wood, Edgework Creative
Article Published: July 2020 Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus
Photos by Daniel Feldkamp