Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2019 - 100

A second point of interest is the sink, which
stretches 54 inches wide and has two faucets, two
disposals, a water softener system and an instant
hot and cold filtered water faucet. With so much
plumbing required, the standout sink led to another of the kitchen's challenges. The goal was to
incorporate touch-activation faucets on both sides
of the double-bowl sink, but Valdez's team could
only get one to work. After a lot of trouble shooting and long calls with tech support, the designer

discovered that the variety of equipment beneath
the sink was interfering with the frequencies of
the touch activation.
"There is always something that you learn on
every project," said Valdez.
In addition to new concepts, the designer included some of her favorite go-to features in the
kitchen. The island has an outlet strip with a USB
port integrated into the end of the cabinets. The
quartz countertops offer a durable surface for cook-

ing or homework, and a marble backsplash with a
mosaic panel behind the cooktop adds interest.The
modified Shaker cabinets in off-white are offset by
the gray island, a hue repeated on the cabinets surrounding the refrigerator and in the butler's pantry,
which has the same backsplash found behind the
cooktop, a beverage cooler and display cabinet.
"I am always cognizant that what I design is
not just a white, boring kitchen," said Valdez. "It's
always good to add some depth."

HURDLING MASTER BATH OBSTACLES

In this space, Valdez incorporated multiple changes to the layout to deliver a
soothing space with luxurious touches that functioned well for the couple. Removing facing vanities that created a narrow walking space and tearing out the
wall that separated the shower from the vanity transformed the bathroom from
cavelike to airy. A new frameless glass shower maintains the sense of openness.
Both new vanity sinks were placed along the same wall and surrounded by
custom cabinetry, offering significant storage in the same cabinet style Valdez
used in the kitchen. In a narrow space in front of the window, the designer
added a soaking tub that is just 53 inches wide. Finding and receiving the
small bathtub - the first tub she chose was indefinitely backordered - proved
to be one of the bathroom renovation's challenges, and there were many.
Although the spacious bathroom sinks required holes 27 inches wide,the fabricator accidentally entered the width as 37 inches, which meant that when the
countertop slab arrived,it was unusable and had to be reordered.Valdez switched
her focus to finishing the shower tile but experienced another hiccup there.
After the shower floor tile was installed, she discovered that the wrong
tile had been sent. This meant ripping up the tile and finding a replacement
because the custom color would take six weeks to arrive.

100
98-101_KBB_0219_SecondFeature.indd 100

ABOVE LEFT The wall-mounted
faucets and the star tile wall
above the sinks add interest
between significant storage
cabinetry.
ABOVE The 57-in. window

nook tasked the designer with
finding a tub small enough for
the space.

LEFT Four distinct types of

tile and a quartz shower curb
impart luxury in this master
bath.

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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2019

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