Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2020 - 58

BEFORE & AFTER

Becoming a European Farmhouse

D

ESIGNER BRENDA HELMS' CLIENTS came to her Edmond, Okla.-based
firm, Edmond Kitchen and Bath with the goal of breathing new life
into their bulky and dark kitchen. They also had a more individualized look in mind, inspired by the popular modern farmhouse trend.
"We aimed to create a fresh mix of styles not typically found in the
modern farmhouse style,"said Brenda, who worked with lead designer
Megan Greve, project supervisor Robert Helms and project designer Addie
Helms on the design. "To give our clients their own unique version of this
style, we sought to give it a bit of an edge with details taken from modern
European kitchens."

COMPENSATING FOR CHANGES

The home's old-world style included dark cabinetry, heavy bronze light
fixtures and a dated granite countertop. Where the original kitchen might
have lacked in updated style, it made up for in storage; it had a peninsula with
seating and an island with undercounter cabinetry and even bookshelves.
For their new kitchen, the clients appreciated the farmhouse look - like the
open floor plan, open shelving and white cabinets - but they did not want to
sacrifice the storage they had and needed the new design to relate to the rest
of the more traditional home. When the design team suggested removing
the existing peninsula to achieve an open floor plan, the homeowners asked
first to see that the lost storage and bar seating would be brought back in.

58
58-59_KBB_0220_BeforeAfter.indd 58

ABOVE A black island and

black doors on the glass
accent cabinets add depth
and intensity, which is echoed
in the painted black window
and slab drawer-front accents.
Brushed-grain rift oak base
cabinets add warmth and
relate to the existing crown
molding and warmer tones of
the original travertine ﬂoor.
"Not only was this cantilevered
countertop interesting and
pleasing, it also allowed for
easier conversation than
traditional island seating
arranged in a linear fashion,"
said Greve.

By ERINN LOUCKS

An original Old World
design becomes a
Euro-style version of
another popular trend

"We overcame this concern simply by taking
the time to quantify the lineal footage of the old
versus new cabinetry, which was a net gain because
of the taller cabinets we chose," said Greve. "We
also met to measure and determine where her
items could be stored in a new kitchen layout."
This involved a much larger island, which was
possible because of the removal of the peninsula.
The question of where seating would go was addressed with a dual-height countertop - which
was cantilevered slightly outside of the island's
linear shape - and accommodated three barstools.
"The island needed to check a lot of boxes,"
said Addie. "It had to house a lot of function and
meet the criteria of capturing lost storage from the
peninsula and serve as a seating area. It also had
to have its own personality so as not to read as too
typical in this space."
Other changes to the previously enclosed layout
included shifting the fridge to make space for
large pantry pull-outs and incorporating a TV
in the wall cabinets. The sole cased doorway in

/ FEB.-MARCH 2020 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2020

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