In 2003 a young family of six began the hunt for their “forever home.” The search led to a Georgian-style, five-bedroom house in Wellington Village that had housed one family since 1925. When the young couple took it over, they launched a renovation and addition suited to their tastes and active lifestyle that included a large kitchen and family room area leading to a patio with plenty of outdoor entertaining space. When the kids got older, they added a pool. The home has been well-loved by the busy family.
Fast forward to 2019 and the now-adult children have moved on. “We wanted a more elegant, dressed-up kitchen that reflected this next stage of our lives,” offers the homeowner, who is an avid cook with a passion for entertaining that includes extended family. While the empty-nesters wanted to inject some glamour into a family-friendly space, they still wanted it to feel warm and inviting. Danielle Hannah from 2H Interior Design had been an integral part of the original renovation, so it only seemed fitting that she was brought in to help with this latest project.
The old kitchen was all white, which appealed to them for a long time, but moving forward the idea of creating texture and intrigue became a priority. This was achieved by adding wood tones and a honed granite countertop, along with gold, brass, and glass elements.
While the kitchen renovation was going on they decided to take the opportunity to re-decorate the adjoining family room to allow the entire space to work as one. Swivel chairs allow guests to be a part of the kitchen activities and comfy club chair style bar stools serve as seating at the island so that the kitchen shares in the comforts of the family room. A bar cabinet abuts the kitchen and family room to bring the two spaces together.
Out of Sight
Part of the grown-up side of the renovation was creating spaces for equipment so that counter-tops can either be clutter-free—thanks to loads of pull-out drawers—or serve as a stylish way to present food to guests. “I used to have all my appliances front and forward, now they are all neatly tucked away,” states the homeowner, who also created a mini home office from a wall counter. Across the room, a sleek wine fridge tucks into a space that offers up just enough counter surface to easily hold glasses and an ice bucket.
While the revamped space has a much more glammed up look than its predecessor, it continues to feel like a high functioning working kitchen that isn’t all about the show. With appliances like a steam oven, rather than a microwave, the entire space meets the current needs of its occupants who have a passion for fresh and healthy eating and sharing their gracious hospitality with all who come through their doors. “It feels like it is more fitting to the stage of life we are in,” affirms the happy homeowner.
Mary Taggart
