My client’s traditional style fits seamlessly with her century old cottage in the heart of charming Chagrin Falls. However, her tiny kitchen needed a refresh. Renovated in the 1980’s, it now felt dark and dated. Her first priority was to decide how much to change. We discussed the possibility of making major architectural changes to allow for a much larger kitchen, which would increase the home’s market value, but in the end agreed that smaller changes would suit her life better. We would leave major changes for the home’s next owners. This actually gave us a lot more freedom to make this kitchen very personally hers. She chose an elegant quatrz countertop and baksplash tiles in her favorite cranberry color. Instead of replacing the cabinets, which were in good condition, we had them painted in a light green. The color direction came from another favorite design element - a Jacobean floral wallcovering that now is a focal point in the back hall. I designed a custom pantry in the hall to replace a desk that had become just a dropping off space.
Kitchen Before Renovation
In the 1980’s, the countertop in the foreground was elevated four inches to accomodate a cooktop. This visually chopped up the space and, along with the dark cabinets and butcher block on another countertop, it made the kitchen feel very cramped.
Kitchen Before Renovation
My client’s favorite color - cranberry - shaows up in every room of her home. Here it is in the stained glass door front, as a stripe in the valance and even the coffee maker.
New brass door pulls accentuate the crisp but classic style of the cabinets.
Back Hall Before Renovation
This desk in the back hall became a repository for books, mail and “stuff” that had not yet found a home. There was a lot of wasted wall space that could be used for storage, so I designed a custom pantry to make better use of the space.