It can be hard for anyone to find the time to invest in interior design, especially busy families. When the kids go off to college, however, empty nesters often find themselves with more time, more money and more space to prioritize the projects they’d been putting off for years. That’s where one of our latest clients, the empty nesters, found themselves—no kids at home and a kitchen ready for a redesign.
Our Challenge
The empty nesters came to One of a Kind Interior Design ready to treat themselves to a new kitchen. For years they’d felt stuck in their too-small space. Little sunlight and wiggle room made this kitchen stuffy and dark. The clients wanted to open up the space and bring sunlight through their home. In addition to expanding the kitchen, the couple also wanted to update the light fixtures, flooring, cabinets and overall design. One half of the couple was eccentric and maximalist– she loved bright colors and bold patterns. The other half of the couple, however, needed a bit more convincing. He preferred a design that was more minimalist and functional. Once we got to know the couple and their space, we went to work trying to create a design that would marry these competing preferences and light up their living area.
Our Process
After spending some time with the mood board, we put together some renderings of potential project layouts. I gave the clients two options: one design that would speak more to the wife’s maximalist preferences and another that was a bit toned down for the husband. Seeing the singular design elements next to each other in the mood board didn’t wow our client. Once we got these elements incorporated into a rendering of their kitchen, however, our vision came to life. The couple ended up leaning towards the more maximalist design, surprisingly. When the husband saw the elements working together, he thought they worked beautifully.
Our partner in this project was Elizabeth Real Estate and Renovations. From the beginning, Elizabeth (pictured at left below) proved to be the perfect person for the job. We worked in lockstep– sharing a strong vision and high standards for organization and customer service.
One of the staples of One of a Kind Interior Design’s workflow is our construction binder. This is a comprehensive construction organizational tool that I give to all of my general contractors and tradespeople. It outlines the vision for the entire project in comprehensive detail. With the binder ready, it was time to start construction.
We opened up the kitchen by knocking down the wall separating the kitchen from the living area. Not only did this amplify the amount of natural light in the space, but it created a sort of faux-island that the empty-nesters could use as a kitchen-table for two (or three whenever their daughter came home). Knocking this wall down immediately doubled the size of their kitchen. It also provided us with some incentive to get creative about how to add new shelving to the space.
We solved this challenge by knocking down a closet and shelving area and moving the fridge and plumbing line to run along this newly opened wall space. Here, we added a floor to ceiling pantry and moved the fridge next to it. To enhance functionality of the storage, we added pull-out cabinets and floating shelves. With the new counter space, we created a coffee nook for the couple– a wish list item. The new layout proved to be an effective, organized and discreet way to store miscellaneous pantry staples and pet food.
Once the structure of the new kitchen was set, it was time to add the design elements. This groovy design was inspired by some of the client’s favorite colors. When put together, the colors brought us back to the 70s. The main focal point in this kitchen is the glossy, mid-century-modern-inspired tile backsplash. In partnership with the team at Floor and Decor, we selected 12 different tiles and played around with the design until we landed on the one that fit the space perfectly.
To complement the tile, we found a unique vinyl flooring with colorful strips. This commercial flooring was specifically chosen to withstand wear, tear and dirt tracks from the couple’s pets. We added more color by incorporating beautiful glossy yellow wall cabinets from Irie Cabinetry. We balanced the brightness of these pieces out with walnut base cabinets and floating shelves. One of the elements that puts the cherry on top of this project is the colorful pendant lights that hang over the island and sink.
At the end of this kitchen project, our contractor and clients were thrilled. To be able to turn such a central space in our client’s home into something they felt connected to and proud of was a gift. Now they’re ready to make the whole house as groovy as the kitchen!
Are you an empty nester ready to treat yourself to a long-awaited home renovation project? Let’s work together.
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