Bright, Traditional Kitchen in McLean, Virginia

2013 CHRYSALIS AWARD NATIONAL WINNER, KITCHEN REMODEL $50,000 TO $75,000 “Crowded and disturbing” is how the woman of the house described this kitchen. A big peninsula with a huge range hood blocked the kitchen off from the breakfast room, a chimney style wall blocked off another side of the space and the doorways were too narrow. The result was a cramped feel with no traffic flow and a lack of usable storage. To remedy these issues, the remodeling plan called for regrouping all tall kitchen elements into a low visibility wall, eliminating the peninsula and then creating a natural path through the space using a middle island. Relocating the stove against the room’s back wall allowed the installation of a beautiful wood mantel hood and improved the work triangle. The side walls house beautiful custom white cabinets; one side housing the pantry, refrigerator and double wall ovens, the other the kitchen sink and dishwasher. The center island features a mahogany wood countertop and provides plenty of workspace above and storage below. Contrasting with the glazed cabinets, the woodwork is a highlight of the project and a key part of delivering on the homeowner’s desire for a bright, clean kitchen. They installed exotic mahogany floors to complement center wood Island. The floors also had created a casual ambiance, especially against the soft lemon chiffon wall paint. The ultimate French country style kitchen was completed by furnishing the old breakfast area with casual seating rather than a formal table.