Meade Design Group - The Blog - Interior Design Victoria BC: Kitchen Design Victoria BC

Showing posts with label Kitchen Design Victoria BC. Show all posts

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Modern View – Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine

Today you have a new reason this week to go to the magazine shop - you need to pick yourself up a copy of the latest issue of Kitchen & Bath Ideas by Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications (December 2010) out on newsstands now.

I will admit, I'm spreading the word because our kitchen project in Spring Bay has been featured in the "Best Small Kitchens Ever!" section of the issue.

As you can imagine, we are more than happy to have 2 big media features coming out just a week apart showcasing Meade Design Group interior design work from Victoria B.C., not only in a Canadian publication, but also in an American one.

You can find the article “Modern View” on page 41in the glossy pages of the most recent issue of Kitchen and Bath Ideas.

An open layout transformed the gallery kitchen of a 1960’s bungalow. The partition at left has squares openings that allow light and views into the kitchen from the living room.

One of my favourite elements in this particular project was the fact that we used the repetition of square elements in the space creating a sense of consistency, rhythm and balance.

We were very pleased to see our Spring Bay kitchen being presented as one of the Best Contemporary Kitchens in one of Better Home & Gardens Special Interest Publications. The text by Gary Thompson describes the process of the project and the challenges in a very accurate way and once again Jo-Ann Richards photography is stunning as always.

Spring Bay - A Success Story

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

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

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

Sunday, 30 March 2008

Spring Bay " A Success Story"

During my career as a designer in Victoria, BC I have seen several projects where the transformation is really dramatic. This is perhaps my first opportunity to show a "before and after'' interior design project where the property had tons of potential but It had not been realized.

Meade Design Group worked with the owner to fully update and renovate this beautiful seaside home. Taking into consideration the footprint of the property and the need to maximize the ocean views, we created a space that would feel current and yet still have a mid-century vibe to accommodate the clients art and furniture collection.

The use of innovative materials and the client's taste were our main priorities in the planning of the project. Enhancing the architectural details and bringing new ones to the house was also necessary to bring in as much natural light as possible.

For the entrance we opened the space, eliminating the 45 degree angled wall replacing it with a right angle wall and the installing an over-sized door with a frosted glass to bring in more natural light. A new closet for coats was added on the left side and we ran the wide plank walnut flooring through to make the space feel larger.

BEFORE

AFTER

One of the first things we did was to open the space visually between the kitchen, the dining room, the hallways and the living room. For this we removed some walls and created a window-grid wall that enhanced the lack of architectural details in the space and also provided an open visual flow of the space while reinforcing the structure of the house.

BEFORE

AFTER

I have always believed that you have to listen to the space and let the space dictate what it wants to be. For the main focal point in the living room we just followed the existing layout but we brought in warmth with the built-ins and the new material in the fireplace. We removed the valance and added a new french door in the center of the room and 2 over-sized windows flanking each side to maximize the ocean views. Simple but clean moldings were added to keep the consistency with the style we were intending to project in the house.

BEFORE

AFTER

The Kitchen was completely redesigned to become a new show piece. The simplicity of the mill work reads extremely well with the contemporary appliances. The client chose a glass mosaic for the backslash to imprint his personal style.

BEFORE

AFTER

For the main bathroom, we removed the outdated glass blocks and created a soft palette with the warm materials. Something to notice is how we keep using the same materials throughout the space but we use these materials in different ways to keep the project fresh and consistent.