Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2018 - 29

SOURCES
DESIGNER: Suzan
Wemlinger, Suzan J
Designs - Decorating Den
Interiors; PHOTOGRAPHER:
Photographic Design Ltd.
BACKSPLASH &
COUNTERTOP: DuPont;
BAR STOOLS: Furniture
Classics; CABINETS:

Mike Farina of Gen III
Woodworks; CEILING
FANS: Monte Carlo;
COFFEE MAKER: Miele;
FAUCET & SINK: KOHLER;
OVEN: Wolf; PENDANTS:
Kichler; REFRIGERATOR &
WINE COOLER: Sub-Zero
FAR RIGHT The new wine and

coﬀee area complements
the overall kitchen design but
boasts its own ﬂourishes like a
Zodiaq Coarse Carrara backsplash and bronze ﬁxtures.

BELOW Making sure that the

light and airy kitchen has ﬂavor,
the azure island adds interest
and a nod to the lake setting.

One of the kitchen's two islands included a raised breakfast bar, but its
narrow overhang did not allow for seating, and building it out would have
encroached on the wine and coffee bar area. A small pantry, out of scale with
the large kitchen, sat in the corner behind wall ovens.
By going with all-new custom cabinets, the designer was able to create a
functional layout that offered opportunities to partake in the view. She removed the little pantry and used that area for food prep. The big black wine
bar that previously overstretched its alcove was eliminated and replaced with
a wine and coffee area that coordinates with the rest of the cabinetry and fits
into the space.
"The idea of having two islands in a kitchen of this size was very appealing,"
said Wemlinger, who kept the island and the bar but changed the angles,
enabling functional seating at the bar, which is covered in shiplap on one
side. The smaller island no longer has a cooktop, so it provides significant
prep space, and it is painted a deep azure blue that stands out within the
otherwise white kitchen.
"I really love the idea of a white kitchen, but given the size of this one, I just
felt like it would be too much of a good thing,"said the designer."Blue seemed
like a good way to carry the outside in without being literal."
While these solutions added function to the new kitchen, there was one
existing feature that had to stay - the support post.
"We tried to come up with ways we could remove it, but with the expanse
of the kitchen, there was no way,"said Wemlinger."They weren't thrilled with
it, [but] you've got to keep the house standing."
Instead of trying to hide the post, she decided to make it more attractive
and coordinate it with the fireplace mantel in the adjoining living space,
which was also part of her whole-house project. The now distressed-woodcovered post received the same dark stain that was used to freshen up the
existing floors.

CHALLENGE 3: BRINGING IN THE LIGHT

The original kitchen's cherry cabinets and dark
countertops did nothing to impart the feel of a
lake house. And even with a significant number
of windows, the pendant lighting and minimal
amount of recessed lighting were not enough to
counter the kitchen's dark wood.
"The goal was to lighten everything up and keep
that airy look," said Wemlinger.
The addition of more recessed lighting and attractive Edison-bulb pendants provided a partial solution. Painting millwork white, selecting
white cabinets and light countertops and adding white subway tile created the airy feeling the
homeowners sought. In the wine and coffee area,
the designer used the countertop material as the
backsplash and opted for bronze hardware. Limited darker touches like the hardware, support
post, oil-rubbed bronze pendants and the fun blue
island keep the space from becoming too blank.
"I like the fact that we went with white cabinets
because it's so fresh,"said Wemlinger."[We] kept
some dark elements too, which adds a little bit
of drama."
In addition to growing her professional abilities,
the renovation earned the designer multiple honors. From Decorating Den Interiors, the parent
company of her firm, the designer received first
place for the kitchen and won awards for other
rooms, as well as the coveted Designer of the Year
title for 2018.

Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2018