Thursday, 8 January 2009

Kitchen Design in Victoria B.C. - A Success Story

This morning I was reviewing some material for the new galleries in my website and I had a flashback about this kitchen we designed in Victoria B.C. A place that used to be pure 1970's is now a beautiful space that respects the exterior New Tudor architectural style of the house, but at the same time, is a modern space perfect for cooking and entertaining guests.

Traditional custom designed cabinets and high-end appliances balance functionality and style in this Kitchen in one of the most charming neighborhoods in Victoria BC. The sight-line through the kitchen from the entrance of this home gives visitors an immediate, and accurate, impression of the design choices.

On my first site visit it was clear that this outdated kitchen was in need of a complete overhaul as you can see in the pictures below:


Before


Before


Warm wood tones present the perfect backdrop for the stainless steel appliances in this kitchen. We transformed the space from a being stuck in the seventies to a celebration of modern form and function.


Photograph by Jo Ann Richards


This particular Kitchen was selected to be on the cover of the NKBA (National Kitchen Bath Association) Directory for the British Columbia Chapter.

The 4 1/4 inch wide walnut plank flooring runs throughout this section of the home and provides a visual connection between the entrance, the kitchen, the dining room and the living room. When my clients opted for wood cabinetry; we suggested cherry wood. It has a similar grain to walnut, and also picks up a red tone found in some of the planks. The woods created an analogous effect.


Photograph by Jo Ann Richards


Photograph by Jo Ann Richards


This kitchen was designed for homeowners who are enthusiastic cooks, storage is maximized by extending the top cabinets to the nine-foot high ceilings. However, we were conscious that when taking the cabinets to that height, the non-reflective wood surface could make the space appear a little gloomy. Our solution was to install puck lights in the upper cabinets and insert a seven by 12 frosted glass panel at the top of each door; these squares of light introduce a new atmosphere to the space.


Photograph by Jo Ann Richards


The clients wish list had plenty of counter space. We obliged by placing the Wolfe cook-top in the enlarged six-foot-long island, freeing up space in the rest of the kitchen. The perimeter countertop, a black Nero Absoluto granite, provides a linear work surface of just over 16 feet. Murano glass pendants create a light source above the two-level island.

New windows and doors, specially designed focal points and high-end appliances make this new kitchen unrecognizable from the dated space we first confronted.

Photograph by Jo Ann Richards



MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

9 comments:

qerat said...

Love what you have done with the space. i like the use of two types of granite and the way you have freed up the space. the free standing island is terrific.
Good job Ivan I am sure the clients are quite happy.

pve design said...

confidence restored in the renovated kitchen.
love the open windows and the light.
super work.

Michelle said...

It was like everyone's mom's kitchen before! LOL.

I love the window wall and the flooring; it has a beautiful range of wood tones, and compliments the millwork really well.

I also like the way it is bottom heavy...you know, with the flooring and cabinets so seamless, and the lighter transomes and window up top.

Looks effortless, but we all know it takes allot of work to get a kitchen right; Great job Meade Group! Love seeing your work.

Anonymous said...

You have some very slick ideas for kitchens. That has been one of the recurring themes in my own life--looking for a way to make our bathrooms and our kitchen look really glorious, even though those rooms are much too small. One of the glories of the Internet, though, is there is absolutely no dearth of ideas. I have been looking for ones that seem to me to make sense and posting my results. Right now I have no idea of what I will ultimately do, but I keep hoping I will come up with something really slick.

Anonymous said...

This is still one of my favourite projects to date. I think the end result is absolutely stunning and the clients were so nice and made the whole process a lot of fun!

Maria Killam said...

That is a stunning kitchen! I love the tall uppers and the contemporary flower arrangements. Very nicely styled.

Lauren said...

What a beautiful before & after! Congratulations! :)

Unknown said...

What a splendid kitchen you have designed. Your use of frosted glass on the upper part of the overhead cabinets, backlit with Puks is brilliant. I hoped you saved the chandelier from the original kitchen (just kidding).

Windlost said...

Wow, they must have been totally thrilled. It looks exquisite!