Lexington, KY - When Bonnie and Bob Briggs moved into their new home on Lakes Edge Drive five years ago, they knew that the dated kitchen would have to go. Eventually. They decided to wait it out so they could clearly articulate what it was they wanted in their new kitchen -
an evaluation period that lasted nearly four years.
"It's always good to live in a place and see what you really do need, or really do like, or really do miss, and then go from there," Bonnie said.
Several features in the original kitchen weren't going to work for the couple, such as a heavy reliance on hard-to-reach upper cabinets, a refrigerator crowding the stove that made for a cramped cooking area, and an itsy window above the sink that offered a sparse view of the home's impressive backyard.
There was also an "awkward thing" coming out of the ceiling that emulated the kitchen island -
a fixture whose concept still baffles the owners.
The couple also wanted to incorporate many of the antiques they had collected over the years into the kitchen so it would better complement the traditional feel of the rest of the house.
Working with designer Laura Dalzell at Cabinets & Designs, the kitchen was quickly transformed to fit the vision and functionality the owners had envisioned -
the refrigerator was moved to another nook, a large window was installed over the sink, and the up-top cupboards were replaced with an elaborate scheme of waist-high Wood-Mode cabinets and drawers and other space-efficient storage features, such as two narrow spice towers astride the new 36-inch stovetop range. A large marble-top island, also fitted with ample storage space, anchors the cooking area.
Unbeknownst to visitors, many other surprises lie in wait behind a number of cabinets, such as a dishwasher and a small pullout refrigerator next to the stove for quick access to cooking materials.
"I think we decided to do this at a good time, because there were all kinds of really interesting storage features on the market," Bonnie said. "We didn't really need the upper cabinets, and by taking them down, the kitchen looks so much bigger."
The Briggses also said good riddance to the odd ceiling protuberance and replaced it with an oil billiards light from the 1870s which Bob had fashioned with electric fixtures (a similar lighting unit hangs in the adjacent eating room).
Both designers (the couple met while they were students Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif.), the homeowners were very involved with the planning process with Dalzell, who also designed the master bathroom above the kitchen which was installed concurrently. Along with keeping the project on schedule, they enjoyed the collaborative effort Dalzell afforded them.
In the end, the new kitchen exudes the couple's professional passion -
good design, which is always stylish, but also serves a purpose.
"We didn't want a trophy kitchen because we were going to work in it," Bob said. "We could have done it a lot more elaborately, but we wanted it to be functional."
2010 Kitchens of the Bluegrass Tour
This kitchen will be included in the 2010 Kitchens of the Bluegrass Tour, a self-guided tour through nine kitchens in Lexington, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. May 15 and 1 - 5 p.m. May 16
Now in its eighth year, the annual tour is a fundraiser to benefit Child Development Centers of the Bluegrass, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing early intervention and preschool education for children with disabilities. The funds received with this event are critical to the continued success of this educational and therapeutic program. CDCB has been serving families in central Kentucky since 1958.
Tickets for the Kitchens of the Bluegrass Tour cost $20 and are available at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Two Chicks and Co., Best of Flowers, Cabinets & Designs, Hair Razors Salon and Third Street Stuff. Tickets can be purchased online at www.cdcb. They are also available at any featured home the days of the tour for $25.