Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021 - 52

SOLUTIONS

A New Start
in Salt Lake City

A successful designer/contractor
team overcame multiple challenges
in a condo renovation

A UTAH COUPLE WERE RENTING a condo in
100-year-old building downtown, and they were
looking to purchase a different unit in the property.They reached out to Rachel Hutchens, CKD,
of Salt Lake City-based Maven Home Interiors
after they had hired a first designer who didn't
grasp their needs. Hutchens, like the couple, had
moved to the area from California, so they had
something in common from the start.
The couple was open to a bolder look for their
kitchen and master bath, which both needed a
complete gut, but first the designer and her contractor had to overcome several obstacles inside
and outside the dated building.

ABOVE For the kitchen, the

couple wanted high-end appliances, and the black-andwhite checkerboard ﬂooring
was carried through from the
nearby foyer. An antique mirrored tile next to the sink adds
to the Art Deco vibe.
Designer Rachel Hutchens
speciﬁed shorter can lights in
the kitchen since there was
no way to know where the
concrete beams were in the
ceiling.

CHALLENGE 1: DEALING WITH
BUILDING AGE AND ACCESS

At the project start, the design team discovered
that there were pipes in the kitchen wall that could

52
52-53_KBB_0221_Solutions.indd 52

By CHELSIE BUTLER

not be moved but that definitely needed to be concealed. There was also a
concrete post behind the pipes that had to stay.
" We worked in a tower cabinet, which is essentially an upper cabinet that
sits on the countertop and goes to the ceiling, " said Hutchens, who explained
that the cabinet makers installed the base unit without a back that wrapped
the lower section, then installed the countertops and notched around the
plumbing and finally installed the tower cabinet on the countertop.
The master bath had its own issues, including accommodating a washer
and dryer in a small footprint. The designer was able to accomplish this
with a stackable, compact unit that is only 24 inches deep by 24 inches
wide. Hutchens said venting was also a challenge because the contractor,
Jared Reesor, had to drill into 24 inches of concrete and brick to reach
the exterior.
" During the drilling, his bit was sheared off, so he got about 20 inches
through and had to call an outside company to cut through the last four, "
said the designer.
Another building challenge they had to overcome was delivering materials
in small elevators original to the building.The designer said when the longer
pieces of molding, boxes of tile and flooring came in, they had to carry several
loads up the three flights of stairs.
Although the condo is located on a busy street downtown, there was
reduced traffic because of COVID restrictions. The city allowed the team
to block the street for drywall delivery without major disruptions, which
Hutchens said was definitely a plus because they had to crane the stack of
drywall through the window on the third floor.

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

1/26/21 1:39 PM

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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021

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