As a Greater Kansas City interior designer, it is such an honor to be featured in the January/February 2016 publication of Kansas City Homes & Style. The team at Design Connection, Inc. would like to share our feature story with you.

Kitchens: Modern Lines

Story by Ann Butenas  |  Photos by Matt Kocourek

When a young couple relocated from San Francisco to Kansas City, they had to adjust from a small condo to a large Leawood home while simultaneously incorporating their metropolitan tastes into the traditional style design their new home offered. Arlene Ladegaard, Owner and Principal Designer of Design Connection, Inc., understood precisely how to meet her clients’ needs and certainly lived up to the challenge, as evidenced by this spectacular kitchen that exceeded the homeowners’ expectations.

“The clients wanted a modern kitchen, but the home was more traditional in style, so we made it fit not only the house, but also their lifestyle,” expressed Ladegaard.

Central to the couple’s desire was a modern kitchen. One item they truly desired was a 48-inch Sub-Zero built in refrigerator. While the layout of the kitchen could certainly accommodate that request in terms of size, a few rearrangements were in order.

“We based the design of the kitchen on the refrigerator they wanted,” explained Ladegaard, noting that brand new cabinets were made which had to be rearranged to blend and work well with the existing oven and Advantium, along with the new appliances, which included a gas Wolfe cooktop and a Bosch dishwasher.

Another “must have” in this kitchen was the expansive island that can seat four people, and storage for all the pots and pans was not a problem with the installation of extra deep drawers under the cooktop.

“We changed the placement of the island to a more workable rectangular one,” said Ladegaard.

Among the many other highlights of this kitchen include the Caesarstone quartz countertops, which are heat and scratch resistant, and the pure white cabinets sporting a durable resin finish which were painted off-site prior to installation.

“Painted white cabinets are known for chipping over time. The pure white pigment stain we used on them instead will readily withstand the test of time and hold up to years of use,” noted Ladegaard.

Two glass cabinets flanking the sink create a striking focal point and balance in the kitchen.

The original ceiling beam that once divided the kitchen was removed to allow for better flow and to add a more contemporary flair to the area. Additional touches of luxury include the pull out spice racks, soft close drawers and doors, and recessed canned lights with silver alzak trim. Under cabinet LED lights beautifully accentuate the glass mosaic backsplash. Completing the picture is the stunning refinished hardwood flooring boasting an opaque dark java finish.

Story by Ann Butenas  |  Photos by Matt Kocourek

*******************************************************************************************************

Here are even more pictures from this project that won the ASID Heartland Design GOLD Award for Residential Kitchen.

The original layout of this kitchen worked well, but the island was an awkward shape and lacked functional storage space.

The new island was created with my client’s wish list in mind; a large surface to accommodate seating for four, a new Wolf gas cook top (my favorite!) and extra deep drawers for storing pots and pans.

I love being able to give my clients a kitchen with all of the bells and whistles, especially when I can make such a huge transformation using their existing cabinetry. In order accommodate the dimensions of the new appliances and achieve the contemporary look my clients longed for, new cabinets were required.

White painted cabinets have such a crisp, clean look but they are notorious for chipping over time. Our trusted cabinet shop uses pigment stain applied in a controlled environment, ensuring this cabinetry will stand the test of time in a high traffic area. The cabinet designs also include hidden luxuries like pull-out spice racks and soft-close doors and drawers.

Even though the breakfast room was a wall of windows, the original kitchen was still lacking in light. We added a number of strategically placed canned lights with silver alzak trim. Under-cabinet LED lighting was also installed, highlighting the stunning glass mosaic backsplash.

Be sure to check back with us each week for more updates on this home and our many other projects in the works at Design Connection, Inc. Don’t miss out on our new projects—sign up to read our monthly summaries here.