Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2017 - 49

An integrated hutch-like piece with opaque
glass cabinets and a small bar closer to the dining
room serves as drop zone for keys and mail and a
phone-charging station, and an overhang above is
used for wine storage and display.
"Closed cabinets surround the fridge, to the left
of which is a mix of open shelves, drawers and a
wine rack," said Cooley. "The layout and storage
options were designed to limit interruption while
there is an active cook in the kitchen."

Solutions

CHALLENGE 3: UPDATING CABINETRY
FOR FUNCTION & AESTHETICS

While the main goal of the kitchen renovation
was to improve its function, the pale pine cabinetry was dated and didn't match the darker, richer
tones in the rest of the house. Cooley chose stained
cherry cabinets that provided a warmer look and
feel. She also replaced the wood flooring with a
stone-look porcelain tile to add more contrast.
"The adjacent dining room housed a few furniture
pieces with a warm cherry tone," she added. "We
decided to marry the warm aesthetic of both the
dining room and kitchen to create cohesive blend."
The previous cabinets didn't go all the way to the
ceiling, and with the new storage requirements,
this was imperative in the renovation. Cooley and
her team also broke those up a bit so it didn't look
like one big wall of cabinetry.
"It was important that the crown molding and
cabinets were both in proportion, so I selected a
larger two-piece, 6-in. crown to blend with the tall
stacked cabinets," she explained. "To the eye, the
larger crown helps balance the size of the cabinets."

RIGHT The refrigerator features
an overhang for wine bottle
storage, and tall cabinets
house glasses and plates.

Closed cabinets house everyday
items that are not necessarily attractive, and the open cabinet to
the left of the refrigerator serves
as a quick grab-and-go solution
for beverages.
BOTTOM LEFT A storage nook
by the dining room features
opaque glass cabinets and
a small bar for the owners to
display featured wines, charge
their phones and conceal
china for a less-cluttered look.

CHALLENGE 4: WORKING WITHIN AN EXISTING FLOOR PLAN

"One of the things we tackled was using the square footage we had,"explained
the designer. "In this project, we chose to rearrange the space to carefully
provide the client with a functional kitchen that best suited them, while also
applying my knowledge of kitchen design standards."
Cooley and her team used about 75 percent of the existing layout and
moved around a few appliances, including the refrigerator, which was placed
closer to the sink to improve triangle function. All of the taller pantry storage
is now where the fridge once was, and the window and light fixtures stayed
in their original locations. She upgraded the range and hood to create more
of a focal point on the rear wall.
"The results of our efforts paid off in a still-small kitchen that has a creative
mix of open and closed cabinetry with enough storage to rival a kitchen twice
its size," said the designer.
HELPFUL TIP FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

"Typically before the design process, I sit with my clients and ask a variety of
questions to gain a better understanding of their everyday nature within the
space," said Cooley. "I like to gain a real understanding of their must-haves,
the challenges they face on a day-by-day basis and their personal aesthetic."
She went on to explain that this was how she and her clients decided early
on in the process not to reconfigure the space entirely.
z

SOURCES
DESIGN TEAM: Case
Design/Remodeling,
Melissa Cooley, CKBR/
UDCP (Designer); Richard
Rocco (Project Developer);
Herman Reyes & Jaime
Batres (Craftsmen);
PHOTOGRAPHER:

Stacey Goldberg
DISHWASHER: Bosch;
FAUCET: Moen; FLOORING
& WALL TILE: Architectural

Ceramics & Mosaic
Tile Co.; MICROWAVE
& RANGE: Bertazzoni ;
REFRIGERATOR: Jenn-Air;
SINK: Mirabelle;

Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2017

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