While the much-requested all-white kitchen isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, designers are seeing more and more requests to break up the “sea of vanilla” by incorporating hardwood elements and pops of unique colors into everyone’s favorite gathering space. Here, we take a look at three great remodel jobs that have used these and other elements to radically transform the hearts of these Lexington homes.
From Industrial to Ethereal
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This industrial loft was completely reimagined by Maple & Murphy, and with an open floor plan, the kitchen renovation took center center stage. Photos by Emily Giancarlo.
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Kitchen Designer: Maple & Murphy
Location: Downtown
More than a decade after purchasing their two bedroom, two bathroom industrial loft in downtown Lexington, Stan and Karen Pigman decided last year they were ready to move away from certain aesthetic elements the Lexington couple felt made their urban space feel a bit cold.
“Despite the oversized glass windows and doors, the apartment felt cold and dark,” said designer Hannah Maple. Her full-service design firm, Maple & Murphy, was hired to reenvision the interior of entire 1500-square-foot space, incorporating a more traditional design scheme while still ensuring the space fit well within the modern building structure.
Introducing ample warmth and light were key to the project, and with the kitchen at the center of the home’s open floor plan, it was a natural room to place central focus.
Painting the original exposed red brick interior walls a light gray and covering the dark-painted exposed beams and metal framework went a long way toward giving the entire space a lighter and more airy feeling. In the kitchen, original wooden cabinets were replaced with white cabinetry and dark countertops replaced with light-colored quartzite. A new natural walnut island at the center of the kitchen works to infuse warmth and interest while keeping the new white perimeter of the kitchen from feeling cold or sterile. That same walnut was incorporated into a custom-built wine rack, helping make the bar area feel cohesive with the rest of the kitchen.
Metal elements, including a polished nickel faucet, pendant lights and a custom-designed range hood, were also incorporated into the design. The metal accents serve as a nod to the condo’s original industrial vibe, while the custom metal range hood – a favorite feature – helps break up what Maple says, “could easily become a sea of white cabinetry.”
“The hood, the island pendants and the metal built-in refrigerator help connect this traditional kitchen back to its industrial roots so that it still feels appropriate to the urban building and location,” Maple said.
Key Features:
• Warm-toned hardwood was incorporated, with a natural walnut island and custom, built-in wine rack
• Metal accents, including a magnificent custom hood, help keep the all-white cabinetry and white subway tile backsplash from becoming a “sea of vanilla”
• Original exposed red brick was painted a light gray, and the dark-painted metal framework of the ceilings and mechanicals was covered in sheetrock to minimize the industrial vibe
• Exposed metal I-beams were drywalled or encased with cabinetry
Traditional Chevy Chase Remodel
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Photos by Tiffany Combs
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Kitchen Designer: Debra Hupman, Creative Kitchen & Bath
Location: Clinton Road (Chevy Chase)
When Laura Hayden and John van Nagell got married and combined households in 2017, they dove headfirst into what they knew would be the first major challenge of their new marriage: a full-throttle renovation to the Clinton Road home where he had previously lived for over a decade with his teenage son. Not only did they knock out the wall between the living room and kitchen and fully gut and remodel the kitchen, but they also blew out the half-story above the main floor to make way for a full second story with two new bedrooms and sitting areas.
“Undergoing a massive remodeling project is quite an undertaking for the first year of marriage, but they handled it with an amazing attitude and the understanding it was going to be transformative for their home,” said Debra Hupman, of Creative Kitchen and Bath, the team that oversaw the kitchen remodel.
Adding additional cabinetry and storage was essential for the self-described “very kitchen-oriented” family. The wall oven is flanked by two types of pantry storage: a built-in corner pantry to house large items, and a cabinet with fallout shelves for organized can and dry storage. Bar storage, including a wine refrigerator and built-in storage for serving pieces and glassware, was installed conveniently across from the focal point of the kitchen: a massive, five-by-eight-foot custom-made island topped with walnut, which serves a number of purposes in the family’s everyday lives, from buffets to casual dining to a central gathering space for family and friends.
“We call it Hawaii – the Big Island,” Hayden said with a laugh.
Key Features:
• Massive, walnut-topped five-by-eight-foot custom island
• Fantasy Brown real quartz countertops
• Soft white executive cabinetry mixed with lower cabinets finished in a pale basil green
• Mixed metal finishes on the hardware selections
• Ceramic subway tile backsplash with handmade and irregular detail
• Subtle ceiling speakers connected to the home’s primary sound system to bring music into the kitchen
Historic Refresh]
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Photos by Wayne Hoover
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Kitchen Designer: Sloan Scott Cabinetry
Location: Ashland Park
When Barb and Gary Wheeler moved into their historic Ashland Park home in 1993, the kitchen was fairly new, despite that the home was about 100 years old. Fast forward 25 years, however, and the kitchen had started to feel dated and cramped. While they had only done minor repair updates to the home over the years, the couple decided to take the plunge for a full kitchen remodel when an appliance went out recently rather than just replacing it.
Karen Hoover of Sloan Scott Cabinetry was called in to design and install a kitchen that would fit the couple’s contemporary lifestyle and entertaining needs while still complementing the aesthetic of the late-1800s-built home. A wall between the kitchen and breakfast nook was removed to open up the space, bringing in much-needed light from the back of the house and making the breakfast nook more of a usable space, and then both rooms were completely re-imagned, with all new appliances, flooring, cabinets and more.
The “pièce de résistance” of the newly finished kitchen is a magnificent custom island crafted out of distressed rift oak, designed specifically to complement the Wheelers’ antique oak breakfast table, which was given to the couple as a wedding present in 1982. Topped with Sienna Bordeaux granite countertops, the island features a second gas range oven, drawer microwave, customized wine bar with a wine refrigerator, panel-ready refrigerator and dishwasher. To further accent the beauty of the oak, a sliver of custom oak trim matching the island was used on the unique hood of the primary oven.
The final design element, which Hoover says finishes the project off with “an exclamation mark” is the addition of a reclaimed wood floor, installed in a herringbone pattern that allows the kitchen and breakfast nook to truly integrate with the original floors of the home.
The Wheelers were very engaged with the entire project, which Hoover said her company loves.
“We are seeing more and more clients who have a clear-cut idea of what they want and what they don’t want,” she said, adding that functionality and a need for storage are really the only items requested across-the-board.
“Each project is different because of the space and the people that occupy it,” she said. “The only [real] trend we see is one in which creativity and flexibility are paramount.”
Key Features:
• Custom island crafted out of distressed rift oak
• Hardwood floors, made from reclaimed horse fencing and installed in a herringbone pattern, provide a striking complement to the oak island
• A farm sink was incorporated for functionality and to pay homage to the period in which the home was built
• Custom wall cabinets built by Sloan Scott Custom Cabinets, painted to match the existing trim in the house; base cabinets painted a beautiful custom gray-blue base color
• Custom knife, utensil and silverware drawers designed by the clients to add to the functionality
• Granite countertops in Sienna Bordeaux granite and the glazed porcelain backsplash in a in subway pattern
• Lighting from Brecher’s Lighting
• Up-to-date technology, with surround sound speakers connected to the television built into the ceiling and USB outlets in the island