Our clients came prepared for their first meeting. They had an idea of what they wanted their kitchen to look like and had already selected their range. Their goal, a contemporary meets traditional kitchen. They looked to Nina Schmidt to help take their selected appliance and design hopes to create a kitchen that fit all their needs.
Before
The existing kitchen was slightly dated with golden oak cabinets and a frustrating layout. The layout had a peninsula that trapped anyone cooking in the kitchen, cut off traffic flow, and made entertaining tough. And for a kitchen with quite a bit of square footage, it got crowded really quick.
The other wall of cabinets housed a desk and bookshelves which weren’t fully utilized. 
The Plan
Changing the layout was the top priority. Our clients wanted to have a better traffic flow which accommodated the large range they had selected and made the most of their cabinets. They have a Christmas party every year and wanted to make sure their kitchen would fit everyone.
He is an avid chef and baker and also wanted it to be a gourmet chef’s kitchen. In fact, he surprised Nina on her first home visit with a pumpkin gooey cake. He managed to bake it in toaster oven because their oven out of service. While he definitely was creative with what he had it was evident a remodel was needed! Perhaps Nina’s favorite part, the cake was a tough contender, of working with these clients was the involvement of their kids throughout the design process.
The first thing we did was remove the peninsula and upper cabinets. This allowed us to expand the kitchen into the breakfast area. And oh boy did we utilize the space! Now there is room for a large island in the middle of the kitchen that includes a seating area for family dining.
We also planned to move the cooking area from the peninsula to the wall where the fridge and wall oven had been located. The sink remained in front of the window. The fridge would move to the left of the patio door keeping it, the range, and sink in the working zone.
A Contemporary Meets Traditional Kitchen
Hard to believe this is the same kitchen but yes, yes it is. The kitchen in many ways was designed around the 48” Blue Star range and range hood. The clients wanted dark cabinets to contrast with the bright blue. They selected full-height, dark-stained cabinets with a Shaker-style door. The light, marble-looking Cambria Swanbridge quartz countertops, and backsplash offer a great contrast with the dark cabinets. We love the clean look the quartz carried up the backsplash creates.
The large island is a multi-functional zone in the kitchen. It offers plenty of cabinet storage, a large counter for prepping and serving food, and finally a built-in dining table. They kept the island clear of any appliances or sinks so it could be used for food prep as well as a serving area for parties. Along with that, they incorporated a height change in the island to separate the prep area from the dining area.
The contrasting finishes really give this space personality and wonderfully blend contemporary and traditional styles. The stainless-steel vent hood incorporates both shiny and matte finishes with a riveted detail. It’s curved, more traditional lines break up the contemporary feel of the dark shaker-style cabinetry. The more traditional cabinet hardware, furniture, and light fixtures pair beautifully with the contemporary cabinets and countertop creating the perfect transitional balance.
New Bar, Yes Please!
Once we took out the unused desk we created a wet bar. And it’s dual function! Coffee, we got you, cocktail, step on up. It’s a great location to grab a drink from the beverage fridge or quickly warm something in the microwave. The secondary prep sink serves as a water source and clean-up for the coffee and also a second area to wash hands and keep additional use away from the main kitchen sink. Keeping with the symmetry in the kitchen the beverage fridge is in the middle of the wet bar and flanked by the same sized cabinets on both sides. We used a mixture of both closed and glass-front cabinetry for display at the wet bar. The fun geometric pattern glass backsplash tile is matte taupe and accented with a contrasting white grout. It adds interest and dimension to the bar area, setting it apart from the rest of the kitchen.
Next to the wet bar is a chef’s pantry. Shelves mounted to the doors and interior pivot shelves allow access to the entire cabinet.
The homeowners are thrilled with their new contemporary meets traditional kitchen! It’s a chef’s dream with a style all their own! They’ll enjoy hosting their annual Christmas party for many years to come.
Designer Nina Schmidt
Nina earned her interior design degree from WATC. She started her career as an interior designer for a remodeling company in her hometown of Wichita, Kansas before joining the Schloegel team in 2016. Nina’s sense of style, attention to detail and strong organizational skills make her an exceptional designer and it shows in each and every project.
Ready to update your kitchen? Give us a call to discuss it with a Schloegel expert.