2020 Washington Metro DC Chapter Contractor of the Year (CotY) Award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) for Best Kitchen
Our clients entertain informally one to two times a month, inviting 15-30 guests each time. They wanted to update their 20-year-old kitchen to create a more usable, European themed kitchen for themselves but also wanted to create a kitchen that was more conducive to their entertaining lifestyle. Their needs for their kitchen were to have a larger stove with double ovens and larger refrigerator, a large pantry, a microwave drawer, two dishwashers, and an apron sink. For entertaining, they wanted to have a better flow from the kitchen to the family room and a wine bar close to the family room and outside deck for their guests. They wanted the After kitchen to be warm, inviting and have a WOW factor.
The before kitchen was 20 years old and while a generous size, it didn’t work well for this active family. Since the family entertains often, the fact that they didn’t have a pantry, only one dishwasher, and a beverage area closer to a rarely used dining room rather than their entertaining space affected the day to day functionality of the kitchen and their use of the space when entertaining. They also wanted to update the space to make it look more “European” inspired.
To meet the clients needs we:
• Moved and made wider the opening between the kitchen and family room, centering it on the fireplace and range which allowed for us to…
• Design and build a wine bar next to the family room and exterior door to their deck for ease of use during parties.
• We also replaced their basement access swing door with a pocket door to the to allow for a large pantry.
• Redesigned the kitchen footprint to allow for a large 6-burner stove with double ovens, two dishwashers, a microwave drawer, and larger sink… in addition to the wine bar and large pantry.
The Before Kitchen was a fine size, but was dark and had typical production builder tile floors and flat ceilings. It also lacked the amenities the Client wanted including… no pantry!
The After Kitchen meets all the clients’ needs including the desire to have an
European Inspired theme.
The Client wanted a larger stove and double ovens, as well as, two dishwashers. A six-burner stove with grilling area tops double ovens. Custom cabinets in off-white with brown glaze finish create that old-world European look in addition to the coffered ceiling beams.
The former cased opening from the kitchen to the family room was not only off center from the fireplace and it wasn’t proportioned well on the wall… it felt short.
Moving the cased opening to the left allowed us to center it on the fireplace and create a wine bar near the family room and the exterior door to the deck; which met a specific client need. Relocating the opening also allowed us to make it taller by adding a beautiful custom transom.
Close up of the wine bar shows the details and craftsmanship of the design. What may not be obvious is that we recessed the cabinet into the wall cavity to maximize storage while not having the unit protrude into the walkway from the rear exterior doors.
The wine bar was built to emulate a piece of custom furniture. Lighted cabinet shelves behind custom beaded glass doors display barware without the nuisance of clear glass that makes one feel that the shelves always need to be neat and orderly.
The Herringbone pattern tile backsplash in light Cappuccino color and the custom walnut countertop compliment the colors in the homeowner’s prized custom draperies, which she had invested in shortly before deciding to renovate the space.
The client wanted her new kitchen to look “European Inspired”.
The most notable feature is the use of rustic wood ceiling beams in a strategically designed grid pattern. Not only do the beams help to define the space and add a rich look; in each opening, general recessed lighting adds functionality and safety to the space. In addition, the beams also conceal plumbing pipes that were previously in the bulkhead above the wall cabinets.
New metal pendant lights, with a European twist, look great and add additional task light to the ceiling general lighting.
While the former island was large, it lacked functionality. The Client also disliked having a cooktop in the island.
The After island has storage drawers for increased functionality and plenty of work surface. The cooking area has been moved to the perimeter of the kitchen, meeting a client need. New wide plank oak floors were installed.
The client had invested in custom draperies prior to deciding to renovate the kitchen. Therefore, she didn’t want to waste her investment and the drapes became the theme for the kitchen color accents.
We were able to find this Nordic Blue tile for the backsplash that blends beautifully with the window treatments.
To further the client’s desire for an “European-inspired” kitchen, corbels in off-white with brown glaze with custom rosettes create an old-world look. The rosettes not only look great, but they hide electrical receptacles that were required by code rather than putting them through the tile.
Pull out drawers with spices, oils, and cooking utensils create greater convenience.
The client wanted two dishwashers in her new kitchen.
The new dishwashers flank creatively designed curved drawers.
The client loves the innovative design of these curved, deep drawers.
She wanted a “wow” factor in her new kitchen and these unexpected drawers add to the that “wow” factor.
The former kitchen had a largely unused built-in bench with drawers at a very low height.
That space was repurposed and allows for more storage topped with additional counter space… an instant buffet table for extra serving space.
Before Refrigerator
A new 42” French door refrigerator replaced a 36” refrigerator to give the client the additional food storage space she wanted.
The client didn’t like the “before” buffet area because it looked cluttered and unorganized.
The new buffet area has plenty of storage and a niche behind doors to hide the coffee pot.
The client didn’t like clutter on the countertop; especially the microwave sitting on the countertop.
The new microwave drawer meets the client’s functional needs and allows for a clean, uncluttered countertop.
The “before” butler’s pantry was located close to the seldom used dining room. Creating the new wine bar allowed us to repurpose this space to meet an important client need: a pantry.
The new large pantry has floor to ceiling storage and is the perfect size for the client.
Before
The new wider opening with custom transom frames the new kitchen beautifully.
No job is without its challenges. An important obstacle we overcame was the leveling of the kitchen floors. Our pre-construction assessment of the home determined that there was a sag in the middle of the kitchen floor. We knew if we didn’t correct this problem, the new hardwood floors would not be installed correctly.
To correct the sagging, we poured a new footer in the basement and installed a new post and beam to level the kitchen floor above.
The client loves her new kitchen. We are proud to have met all her functional and aesthetic needs with an innovative, beautiful design and high-quality craftsmanship.
Award Winning Remodelers in Northern Virginia – Bowers Design Build has specialized in providing the best overall experience in the remodeling industry since 1990. Bowers Design Build specializes in Northern Virginia Remodeling and Northern Virginia Custom Homes. Our numerous industry remodeling awards have been great, but the true measure of our success has been high marks in overall customer satisfaction
Service areas: McLean, Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Oakton, Great Falls, Alexandria, Fairfax County and Middleburg.
Specializing in: Northern Virginia New Custom Homes, Northern Virginia Whole House Renovations, Northern Virginia Kitchen Renovations, Northern Virginia Master Bathroom Renovations, Northern Virginia Interior Renovations, Northern Virginia Basement Renovations, Renovations for Aging-in-Place and Northern Virginia Outdoor Living Spaces.
