This older, grand Atlanta home was in need of a new Kitchen to assist with both function and form. The appliances - at least 20 yrs old - were in disrepair; and, the aesthetics of the Kitchen (along with the adjacent Family Room) were dated circa 1980s with dark marble backsplash and all white cabinetry. Popular in that decade, this Kitchen also exemplified the "boxy" square form with wall-to-wall cabinetry.
While keeping the footprint in tact, we were able to provide a new Kitchen that feels more spacious and open without moving any walls or affecting the existing layout. Instead, we focused on the "top". We removed the existing lighting (which did provide efficient task lighting) and constructed coffers featuring crown molding and a contrasting ceiling color. Each coffer contains recessed lighting and new recessed lights were added in a more effective layout to provide improved general and task lighting. The coffers work to draw the up make the room feel larger, as well as more open.
We were able to eliminate the original Kitchen's cramped and crowded look with new cabinetry by Denla® designed with fewer boxes. With a reduced number of actual boxes, each cabinet is wider thus allowing more efficient storage and providing a more spacious feel.
The new Kitchen still includes white cabinetry, but the difference is the color and construction. The maple cabinets are painted an off-white shade with a grayish-green undertone to complement the sage green wall color. The cabinetry trim is glazed in black to work with other black elements, including the furniture-piece island, appliances, hardware, light fixtures, and honed granite tops in "Absolute Black". The stark contrast between colors, clean lines, and dramatic touches that the coffered ceiling provide all work within contemporary styling; the trim in the room (found on the cabinets, including the corbels on the island and bar, and crown molding in the coffers), as well as the teak island top lend more traditional touches. This eclectic marrying of contemporary and traditional elements are found throughout this Buckhead home, including other completed projects (see Pool House under New Construction- also at left).
With new lighting, new appliances, cabinetry and finishes, and a dramatic ceiling, the homeowner has gained an affordable Kitchen makeover with a completely new feel and improved efficiency while still utilizing the existing space.
To work with the Kitchen updates, the adjacent Family Room also received new paint on the walls and bookcases (both to match the walls and cabinetry in the Kitchen), as well as a new hearth and surround at the existing fireplace. The subtle touches at the fireplace make a dramatic difference - both elongating and widening the Family Room's back wall. To improve natural lighting, the blinds on the French doors and Kitchen windows were not reinstalled.
