Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2021 - 54

DEALER DISH

An Old Town Studio
with Modern Appeal
Launching during a pandemic brings
challenges and happy accidents

WHEN CASE ARCHITECTS & REMODELERS

sought to open its fourth studio location, a historic
four-story, mixed-use building in the middle of
a popular shopping and dining district in Alexandria, Va., offered the right setting. But because
the building had previous lives as a bank and retail
space, it necessitated a significant renovation.
The design team led by Allie Mann spent significant time working on the layout and flow.They
wanted studio space in the front that would be
visible from the street. Working to accommodate
structural challenges like an existing bank vault
and sprinkler placement, the designers created
20 distinct vignettes within the studio, which has
more than 2,400 square feet.
" It's a nice blend of styles, " said Mann, senior
designer. Because the studio is situated in the
Old Town neighborhood, it displays a combination of traditional and modern flair. " We were
trying to bake that into the design. It shows off
a lot of styles, and it could feel relevant to several
different homeowners. "

ABOVE LEFT The modern, blue
kitchen has a sleek style and
hidden cabinetry extras.
ABOVE RIGHT High-end

cypress cabinets are paired
with slate countertops in the
outdoor kitchen.

BELOW RIGHT Mini-vignettes
show the range of possibilities for cabinetry, hardware
and surfaces.

bar, a mudroom, a laundry room, an outdoor kitchen and conference rooms.
Above, 18-ft. ceilings offer expansiveness, while LVT wide-plank, wood-look
flooring below unifies the space. Only the bathrooms and mudroom have tile.
Most importantly, because the studio features a variety of styles, each space
flows into its neighbor so that there is no jarring shift from one to the next.
" Each vignette is meant to stand alone but is also meant to complement
others, " said Mann. " They don't argue with each other. " Isolated vignettes that
work with pieces nearby allow visitors to move through the space. " You can
clearly see what is more traditional versus mid-century, but in between, you
have transitions. It flows seamlessly. "
An important purpose of the studio is its ability to educate clients. In each
of Case's locations, a series of nine side-by-side mini-vignettes shows three
offerings that are traditional, three that are transitional and three that are more
modern. Each of the 15-in.-wide vignettes includes distinct cabinet boxes,
doors, hardware and backsplash and countertop materials so that designers
can show off the various styles and help clients compare them.
While Mann recognizes that if product availability changes, elements
of vignettes may need to be changed in the future - like if a faucet or sink
is discontinued - the design team chose major pieces that would be more
timeless. For example, slab door styles with a horizontal or vertical grain will
always be available. In the outdoor kitchen, the cabinets are expensive, so if a
change is needed in the future, they could be refaced.

DESIGN AND UPDATES

The studio features three kitchens with one working, five bathroom designs with two working, a

By CARRIE WHITNEY

/ JANUARY 2021 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.NKBA.org http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2021