Our Crescent Parkway Project was a complete kitchen renovation; including everything from the floors to the lighting in the ceiling. Town & Country was hired to design a custom kitchen and manage all aspects of the project. We brought in Eric Seebald, of Seebald Construction, to execute the project with us.

This month we thought it would be fun to not only share the finished product, but show you where we began as well. We are going to share some before and after shots and details behind this fully custom kitchen design project.

Design Considerations

Let’s start with before…

The size and overall layout of the kitchen were good but the client’s preference for more modern styling, didn’t like the dark stained – traditional styling of the kitchen.

The Crescent Parkway house is considered to be Shingle Style Architecture, a style aptly named for it’s iconic shake siding and irregular rooflines, among other features. The beauty of this architectural style is that it naturally exudes a more relaxed, informal lifestyle. The original kitchen design did not reflect the effortless luxury that the house deserved and the client’s desired.

Our goal was clear…We had to give the space new life with elevated details.

Early in the design process the client’s gravitated toward a door style, Exeter from Rutt Handcrafted Cabinetry, shown on one of the Showroom displays. The Exeter door is pretty special. It is simple at first glance but extremely unique upon closer examination. There is a real architectural element to the door and details in the collection. It’s no wonder the client, an engineer by trade, would be so taken with it.

The cabinetry set the tone for the space. We selected a pale grey paint for the cabinetry surround and natural walnut for the center island.

We replaced the original rustic travertine pattern floor with a heated floor system then topped with a large format porcelain tile. The new floor, with subtle etched design and texture, offers a clean pallet for the base of the room.

Blending traditional and modern is a delicate dance in a space. To do this we used brushed stainless finishes for the hardware, plumbing, and lighting fixtures offering a utilitarian touch throughout the room. Then we incorporated more traditional elements like Calcutta marble countertops and marble tile with a decorative screen printed design backsplash.

All in the details

Let’s Talk Custom Storage

The joy of working with custom cabinetry means that the design options in a kitchen are nearly limitless, therefore optimizing every inch of storage in the room.

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The Pantry Storage wasn’t ideal for the client’s needs. Working with a set amount of space meant we couldn’t necessarily increase the storage square footage. Reworking the space would mean it could be better utilized making it much more functional. By shifting the refrigerator to the center, and flanking it with narrow pantry units created a nice balance on the wall. Fully adjustable, they not only pull out but twist open, these narrow pantry units are a significantly more useful solution.

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The existing corridor between the kitchen and formal dining room held a built in desk. The clients found they didn’t use it as intended and ended up always being a messy catch-all. This space with the perfect opportunity to gain substantial storage for overflow pantry items and serving pieces. Being a main pass-through in the space, we wanted it to feel special. We used a deep signature Town & Country paint color for drama. A built-in library light and a touch of the same natural walnut used in the kitchen island offer purposeful accents to the piece.

Other storage features in the room include a lift up mixer unit for easier use and hidden storage in the island with touch latch entry. The majority of the base storage feature walnut drawers boxes, many with organization inserts making sure everything has a place.

Light it up

We took careful consideration with lighting for the Crescent Parkway Project. For this kitchen, we wanted lighting to play a less glamorous, but still very important, role. We designed the lighting to highlight and accentuate all of the other elements in the room.

We removed the hanging chandelier over the island and reworked the recessed ceiling lights. All interior and under cabinets lighting was pre-specified and integrated in the cabinetry. This was an extra step in the engineering process that was well worth the effort, resulting in a beautifully seamless applications once installed.

The few decorative fixtures we chose were deliberate. Accent sconces next to the window and the aforementioned library light in the pantry/storage hutch offer light sources that showcase the details on cabinetry they adorn.

As with all of our work, we strive to create beautiful spaces that are highly functional, elegant and luxurious, yet unassuming. We believe this kitchen has all of those elements and we loved creating this space for our clients.

Want more….