Two’s Company, Five’s A Crowd
Where to begin? The large, L-shaped kitchen in this old farmhouse buzzed with activity; Deb and Greg’s five teenage kids, their friends, and their friends’ friends traipsed in and out all day long! Well-used and well-loved, the room suffered a lot of wear and tear and wasn’t functional or efficient. There were only two electrical outlets, so when Deb wanted to bake or cook, she had to use extension cords. And although the island was big, it was far from functional and mostly served as a dumping ground for the kids’ book bags. Annoyingly, when the dishwasher door was open, it blocked access to the cabinets. And Deb’s view at the sink? A blank wall. The heart of this home needed major surgery to bring it back to life, stat!
To anchor the room, I designed a new island loaded with function – a double sink, dishwasher and a pull out garbage bin, plus seating for seven. One of the best features – Deb now has a view of the beautiful outdoors when she’s working over the sink.
Cooking for a family of seven is no easy task, so to make this faster and more efficient I installed some terrific new Thermador appliances – double-decker convection ovens, a microwave and a 36-inch Induction Cooktop. Induction technology is perfect for Deb’s short-order kitchen – the glassy surface stays cool to the touch until it comes in contact with stainless steel, then it heats quickly.
Feeding five hungry teens and their friends means a lot of groceries! I replaced the old refrigerator and freezer with a whopping 60-inches of Freedom® Collection fresh food and freezer columns from Thermador, hidden behind cabinetry doors. I also included a built-in Freedom® Collection wine column to ensure a refreshing beverage is always on hand for the couple and their guests!
Deb and Greg were looking for a new kitchen that had enough of the traditional rustic, country feeling to blend with the rest of the house, yet still projects a fresh and contemporary mood. The overall floor space of the kitchen was fine, but the cabinets, appliances and the flooring were well past their best-by date – so it was out with the old and in with the new. Other small design details such as espresso-colored cabinetry, a creamy quartz countertop and more helped to give the kitchen a sense of history.
To learn more about my designs, find me at http://www.candiceolson.com/ or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!
great design… big fan of Candace Olson and her design style!