Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021 - 68

CLIENT CONCEPTS

The couple came to the project with some ideas about what they wanted,
such as opening up the space by taking down a wall separating the kitchen
from the dining room. They had a specific style in mind, too. The wife had
grown up in a 19th-century farmhouse and wanted her kitchen to reflect a
similar look but with modern touches. Boldea was able to bring the clients'
vision to life in a way that accommodated the whole family and their future
entertaining goals.
" One of the most important aspects to me, as a designer, is to create a space
that reflects the client, their ideas and their interests but in the most beautiful
and functional way possible, " said Boldea. " She knew exactly what she wanted
and just needed help to pull it all together. "
For the husband, a Green Bay Packers fan, the television was an important
feature. He wanted to be able to entertain and watch the game at the same
time. It sounded simple, but finding a place to hang the TV in an open-concept kitchen with a lot of cabinetry may have been the biggest challenge of all.
CHANGES & CHALLENGES

To give the clients the open entertaining space, Boldea took down the wall
between the kitchen and dining room, which luckily was not load bearing.
As for the wall that would hold the television, the only option - located
in the former dining room - had a 4-in. bump out in the way. To remove
the bump out and have a straight wall for the TV, she had to change the
header, which meant taking out the ceiling. Because the original header
supported the ceiling, a larger header, which now rests on the exterior wall,
was installed.
An easier change with more visual results, the designer replaced a small
window in front of the kitchen sink with a larger awning window that opens
from the bottom.
" Now the homeowner has a great view of her backyard and more natural
light coming in, " she said.
With the new window, the sink, which is a large farmhouse style, shifted
a bit, too. The cooktop was moved out of the island and is next to the sink,
which may not be typical, but it was what the client wanted.
" It works better for her because she didn't want anything on the island, "
said Boldea. " It is just a place for food and beverages. "
The client also turned down the option of a bar sink in the island, keeping
it an open surface for entertaining.

COLOR CONCERNS
ABOVE Client-selected

organization can be found in
just about every cabinet and
drawer in the kitchen.
Beneath frameless cabinets,
lighting and outlets provide
needed function and allow
the backsplash to remain
seamless.
BELOW There is nothing but

entertaining space on top of
the island, and a power strip
of outlets is cleverly hidden
beneath the countertop.

While the client had made many decisions going
in, her directive for the color of the kitchen cabinets was just " not white. " She was interested in a
two-tone kitchen, so Boldea went through all the
colors in the Sherwin-Williams palette with her to
find the right combination. Together they settled
on a dark gray with brown undertones on the bottom and a light gray with a hint of green on top.
" It's a great mix between cool and warm tones, "
said Boldea.
The warm wood and satin-bronze hardware
complement the grays and whites in the cabinets
and backsplash. She used light colors on the walls
to enable light to bounce around the room.
Next, it was time to decide how to work with
an 8-ft. piece of reclaimed barnwood that the
client had salvaged from her family's farmhouse.
The wood was used to make open shelves along
the sink wall and as an accent to the shiplap on
the range hood. The home's oak flooring was
sanded and refinished. With antimicrobial quartz
countertops and the touchless faucet the client
wanted, the kitchen is designed for durability and
easy maintenance.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

Although the project was completed during the
COVID-19 pandemic, there were no major delays. It helped that the team had ordered all materials weeks before the project began.
" This remodel went very smoothly from start to
finish, " said Matt Kowalske, president, Kowalske
Kitchen & Bath. " We have a talented design-

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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021

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