Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2017 - 93

"I want people in America to understand how
to use European products or how to make American products look European," he explained.
ACHIEVING CONTINUITY WHILE SHOWCASING
MULTIPLE CABINET STYLES

RIGHT Giant concrete slabs
were cut into equal squares
to provide a durable surface
for the townhome's outside
living space.
MIDDLE A consistent white pal-

Because Dresner intended for the home to serve ette throughout the kitchen and
area extends to the laundry
as a showroom for his cabinet line, he needed living
room and incorporates a variety
to incorporate a variety of styles often in the of finishes from matte to glossy.
same room.
BOTTOM Dresner's office
"Modern is white, so I did white in multiple fin- also features a variety of
ishes," he said. This technique is clearly apparent in cabinet styles.
the kitchen where the island is a dry finish white with
visible grain, while the pantry is back-painted white
glass with handles that match the island. The adjacent window seat is flat-panel painted oak,and the grain mirrors that of the island.
Nearby, the laundry room cabinets display another type of white - this time
a gloss finish. Dresner determined it vital to include this component because
many people think of modern design as characterized by a white glossy finish.
Throughout the living space, Carlisle wood plank flooring in Moonstone
creates a sense of continuity.

SOURCES
DESIGNER: Scott Dresner,

Dresner Design

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Jim Tschetter

THE CHALLENGE IN DESIGNING YOUR OWN HOME

KITCHEN

Dresner's first challenge in creating the new home was one designers often face: a couple's stylistic differences. In this case, his taste is definitively
modern, while his wife's is warmer. Added to this was the issue of boasting a
vast knowledge of the range of product and material options, which offered
seemingly endless possibilities.
"Sometimes it's harder to make a decision on your own project than
picking for your client," said the designer. "I wanted to deliver a product
to my wife that was homier and more comfortable."
In the end, Dresner's wife fully entrusted him with determining sizes,
but she was involved in picking materials. "I can let colors go; I can't
let proportions go," he added.
The couple also worked with designer Meritxell Ferre to provide finishing touches like wallpaper in the powder room and master bedroom,
as well as the furniture. Dresner chose the fixtures and appliances.
In the powder room, he embraced some of the compromise between
contemporary and comfortable with the inclusion of 100-year-old Italian frames, which were stripped and built into cabinet doors and a mirror.
While he was challenged to find a place for this element because he does
not always agree with mixing antique and modern, finishing the frames
with a super-matte white paint and pairing them with a sleek Philippe
Starck Axor faucet provided a result that pleased him and his wife.

APPLIANCES: Bosch;
CABINETRY: Dresner
Design; DRAWER INSERTS:

Blum and Grass;

FLOORING: Carlisle;
HARDWARE: Epco;
ISLAND: Corian;
RANGE: Wolf
REFRIGERATOR: Sub-Zero

MASTER BATH

PLUMBING: Grohe;
RADIANT HEAT FLOORING:
Nuheat; SHOWER: Mr. Steam;
TOILET: TOTO

POWDER ROOM

CABINET DOORS & MIRROR
FRAMES: Dresner Design;
FIXTURES: Axor;
LIGHT FIXTURE: Tres Tintas

Barcelona;

WALLPAPER: Bover

GUEST BATH

FIXTURES: Grohe;
TOILET: Durant

BUSINESSLIKE BENEFITS

While Dresner has not yet hosted a cocktail party or event to show off his
new home cum showroom, he does welcome individual clients. His goal is
for them to get an idea of what is possible but not to select pieces for replication in another setting.
"It's my house," he said. "I asked myself, 'What's the best way I can
do it for myself, and how can I please my wife?' Now clients can see
how I live versus walking into my showroom."
Because he had not owned a showroom in the last eight years,
Dresner frequently took house tours with his clients, asserting that
unlike visiting a staged showroom, seeing a kitchen in a home - complete with the imperfections of life - is most helpful. Today, this effect
can be found in his own home.


OFFICE & WET BAR

REFRIGERATION: U-Line;
WALLPAPER:

Area Environment

LAUNDRY ROOM

WASHER/DRYER: LG

Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2017

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