 Nod
to the past
The black and white combination in this
Whitefish Bay kitchen renovation packs a dramatic punch, says Tove
Kenyon, kitchen designer with B&E General Contractors. In the
remodeling of this older Whitefish Bay home, Kenyon incorporated
design elements from the rest of the house into the new space, such as
reeded columns and reeded detail on the island. The styling on the
cabinet doors also is in keeping with the time period. The room is
designed along a great room concept, Kenyon says. A fireplace flanked
by bookshelves and a customized planning desk create that homey
feeling for this busy family with five children. Mom and the children
like to cook and bake, too, and the large island offers plenty of
space for everyone to gather. The cabinets are painted bisque; the
countertops are a honed and enhanced Absolute Black granite; the
backsplash is a ceramic crackled tile and the floors are red oak.
 Rustic
revisionism
During renovations to this James Hoffman Builders home, homeowners
Frank and Christine Koster kept the rustic style of the design when
they updated some of the spaces, including the kitchen. The ceiling
beams and cabinetry are original to the 15-year-old home. The Verdi
Amazon granite countertops from Lakeside Stoneworks and dramatic
brushed nickel backsplash add more contemporary touches. A wine cooler
and bookshelves replace a desk, and a chandelier over the island
replaces a large light box. The original hardwood floor was taken out
in favor of cork flooring.
 Color
and space
In the remodel of this 1950s ranch, the new kitchen needed to
function as both a gathering place and a thoroughfare to the rest of
the house. "Everybody recognizes that today’s kitchen is, among
other things, an entertaining space," says Mason Sherwood of
Wikwood Associates and the architect of this Bayside remodel. The
kitchen island is a gathering place, similar to the table of the
old-fashioned farm kitchen, Sherwood says. "Everybody gathers at
that island, just the way they did at another time." The size of
the room allows the Richheimer family to move from the new three-car
garage to other areas of the home easily and the cathedral ceilings
and round window add drama to the space. Designer Marianne Kohlmann of
Blue Hot Design worked with the Richheimers to incorporate their love
of color and artwork in the room. The backsplash consists of handmade
Mexican tiles, the Verdi Champagne granite from Lakeside Stoneworks
tops the island and the countertops are Zodiac’s Cygnus Pearl. The
upper cabinets are a light maple and the lower cabinets a dark cherry
wood. The floor is maple. The contrasting woods and counter surfaces
are "just another way to mix it up and make it more
colorful," Kohlmann says. Ruvin Bros. Artisans & Trades
served as the contractor for the project.
 Form
and function
The newly remodeled kitchen in Jon and Louise Jesse’s Mequon home
not only affords gorgeous views of a pond but creates a more
functional space. The 1980s kitchen was fairly narrow and long and the
main prep and cooking areas were separated, says Ed Miller of E.
Miller and Associates. That resulted in crossing traffic lanes with
hot pots and pans. The new space creates a more workable L-shape and
provides a "safer and more efficient cooking environment,"
Miller says. The new island is larger than the old one and is a
natural gathering spot. The island and counters are polished granite;
the backsplash tiles are iridescent glass. The custom maple cabinets
offer contrast with the oak floor. |
