Check Out Founder Maxwell’s Dream Kitchen Renovation
Back in the early spring of 2016 I tore down a little house my family had purchased 18 years earlier and, taking it on as finally my own and with money that I inherited when my father passed away, I rebuilt it from the ground up (actually below the ground, up) with the help of three wonderfully skilled people, John Berg (architect), Peter Germano (contractor) and Rebecca Robertson (interior designer). The project took nearly two years, allowing me to move in by Christmas 2018. I documented every step of the way (here’s where I left off in July 2017), BUT had to stop when it got close to the end so I wouldn’t spoil the final reveal AND so I could get it photographed by House Beautiful, which gave the team props. NOW, however, I can show everything in great detail, so please come with me as I roll out the whole finished house in a number of posts, starting with this one, which features….
The Kitchen & Dining Room – January 2019
The kitchen and the dining room are really the same room, with the cooking area at one end and the dining on the other. As you can see in the pic above, the main hallway runs right into it, which I love. The whole house is very balanced, with entrances on multiple sides, making it easy to get in and around every space.
The dining area sits under these lovely huge pendants and next to an accent wall of Josef Frank wallpaper. The inspiration for the house came from many Scandinavian cottages and houses that I’d collected on the web, so I tried very hard to make sure that every design within the house came from that part of the world. I felt it would keep the vision clear and allow me to avoid putting something in that would jar or be out of context.
Side Chairs – Hans Wegner CH36 by Carl Hansen & Son
End Chairs – Johansson J64 Chair by Fredericia Furniture
Table & Bench – HAY Frame Table & Bench
Sheepskins – Amazon
Polypropylene Rug – Diamond by Annie Selke
Pendant Lamp – Bell by Normann Copenhagen
Wallpaper – Eldblomman Blue by Josef Frank
The cabinets? All IKEA with solid wood black doors from SemiHandmade. While the kitchen has many luxurious touches, everything is efficient and the budget was spent where I felt it would really pay off.
Sink Faucet – AXOR Citterio Select by Hansgrohe
Cutting Boards – John Boos R02 Maple Block
Sink – Stages 45″ Undermount by Kohler
Stools – Linea Perch Stool by Wesley Walters + Salla Luhtasela for Nikari
Clock – Arne Jacobsen Banker’s Clock
Round Cutting Boards – HomeStories
Carrara marble covers the floor, counter tops and shelves. Beautiful and functional, it is one of the least expensive stones to use, due to people’s aversion to the care it requires, but I embrace it, enjoy cleaning it and look forward to it aging gracefully with me. The big splurges were on the Wolf stove, hood and big fridge from Subzero. They don’t even call it a fridge. They call it a “food preservation machine.” It’s just a big, beautiful severe fridge that holds a ton and has a glass door so you can see inside.
Stove – 48″ Wolf 6 Burner & Griddle Gas Range
Fridge – Sub-Zero Pro 48
Wine Fridge – Sub-Zero 24″ Undercounter
This is one of my favorite photos because it captures the inspiration pic that I saved years ago. The cabinets are all the fantastic new IKEA Sektion system with SemiHandmade doors, and the floor is wonderfully heated with an electric pad so it’s warm underfoot on cold days.
Cabinet Doors – SemiHandmade wood veneer with Black Stain
Cabinets – IKEA Sektion
Door Pulls – IKEA ?? like Bagganas, but discontinued it looks like
Recycled Plastic Rug – Brita of Sweden
Bowls, Plates & Flatware – Snowe Home
Resources:
Architect: John Berg, Berg Design Architecture
Contractor: Peter Germano
Interior Design: Rebecca Robertson