CONTEMPORARY KITCHEN RENOVATION

Vernon Kitchen Gets a Major Renovation

The initial design and construction of the Clark residence was completed in 1956 on East Hill in Vernon, BC. The residential house was one of local architect Bill Maynard’s early works; he went on to design more commercial projects in later years.

The home is a unique, architecturally designed, flat-roofed rancher which boasts vaulted ceilings and large picturesque floor-to-ceiling windows in the living and dining rooms. Because of the original focus on creative design and distinct features, the Clark residence has long been admired for its interesting angles and contemporary design. Years later, and a number of owners later, the Clark residence is slowly being rejuvenated.

In the early 2000's, the decision was made to update and redesign the property, while trying to maintain as many of its original features as possible. In the winter of 2009, the owners decided that it was time to embark on a major kitchen renovation. The design phase of this project was lengthy; the home’s new kitchen had to fulfill several criteria; compatibility with existing architecture, quality craftsmanship, practical layout for the small space, and the usual budget limitations.

Compatibility With Existing Architecture

Years before they bought the home, the current owners were strongly attracted to the house due to its unique lines and architecture. For this reason, they were cautious not to destroy the original elements and history that makes the home exceptional. The owners consulted several local businesses and experts in search of a design that would maintain particular elements of the home’s character. Some of the desired features that they focussed on retaining during the reconstruction include: a curved corner bulkhead and cabinets, a flat plane along the cabinets, the use of a rich rosewood cabinet colour that mimicked the paneling in the adjacent living and dinning room, the use of natural looking materials, and finally, a "modern-contemporary feel" as would have been the original design intent in 1956.

After several consults and lengthy deliberation, it was clear that it would be difficult to incorporate all of these elements into a functional kitchen and thus a decision to forgo the curved cabinets and cumbersome bulkhead was reached. The new design would focus on retaining the simpler style of the cabinetry, the rosewood colour scheme, and the use of earthy, natural materials.

The custom cabinets were designed and built by Ian of RICHWOOD INDUSTRIES. His cabinet design was able to retain some of the 50’s style by using tall cupboard doors that had a flat and sleek appearance. Simple yet effective wood spacers were added in between each separate cabinet to achieve a contemporary look. To add a touch of character, the tops of the cabinets were finished off with a tall, simple moulding that strengthened the intention of the overall design.

The depth of colour used in the original wood panelling from the neighbouring rooms was chosen for the kitchen cabinetry to allow for continuity between the two living spaces. The cabinets were constructed from maple and stained a deep red-toned hue.

Maple is a strong, durable hardwood which has a subtle grain that is not uniform, adding interest to the finished product.

Maple cabinets are commonly found in both contemporary and traditional designs.

A complementary colour scheme inspired by nature was implemented to help showcase the rich cabinetry. The kitchen walls and backsplash are a green-gray colour that are meant to play off the red tones in the cabinetry. On the floor, 16-inch Italian tiles resemble a natural slate stone. An elegant dark black granite countertop completes the overall look in this modern kitchen. The counters are granite slabs called "BLACK PEARL", which is a primarily black granite with sparkling hints of green and grays. The counters were purchased and installed by ADRIATIC GRANITE AND MARBLE WORKS Ltd in Vernon, BC.

Together, the abovementioned elements of the kitchen help establish it as a contemporary kitchen, while paying homage to the history and original design of the home. The cabinet hardware was purchased from IKEA in Vancouver, BC and was selected as it was simple, contemporary, and functional.

The kitchen’s lighting fixtures were also chosen because they have a "clean" look and the design is strongly tied to modern contemporary. The main feature of the kitchen lighting is an ultra-modern three cylinder frosted glass fixture that hangs above the main eating area. These lights are on a dimmer switch and cast a beautiful glow. The cylindrical lights were selected as they fulfill the contemporary look desired for the space and they also hint back to the rounded corner design of the previous cabinets. The lighting was purchased from CANADIAN TIRE in Vernon and are from the Debbie Travis designer lighting line.

Quality of Craftsmanship

Not only was the overall aesthetics of the kitchen important to the owners, but the overall craftsmanship of the renovation was of great concern. The construction quality needed to be high, as they intend to stay in the house for many years to come.

The cabinets are solid wood construction. The large cupboard doors are MDF with a thin maple hardwood veneer. MDF stands for "medium density fiberboard" and can set off alarm bells as it is a cheaper alternative to wood.

In this style of application, where the MDF is used exclusively on the cabinet doors, it is not an inferior product.

MDF with a thin wood veneer is often preferred by many carpenters for larger, flat cabinet surfaces because it is more stable and is not affected by humidity. Furthermore, this material will not warp or crack and is lighter than hardwoods putting less pressure on the hinges. Large solid wood panels can have a tendency to warp slightly overtime, which is the reason why they were not used in this kitchen.

The kitchen cabinetry is loaded with custom extras... including solid light maple interiors, soft close hardware on all the cupboards and drawers, a custom-built spice cupboard, and hidden compartments below the sink. The cabinets were carefully designed to hold particular items and feature many custom extras including vertical dividers to safely store large platters in an extra deep cabinet and a recycling station area to keep the kitchen clutter-free and organized.

In-floor heating beneath the new tile flooring is also a major feature of the renovation. Beneath the floor are heat coils which are run by a programmable thermostat. The heat from the tiles offers a welcome warmth in the Okanagan winters and is almost necessary, as there is no basement space beneath the kitchen. The kitchen was equipped with KENMORE ELITE professional grade stainless steel appliances, including a state-of-the-art induction range. Above the induction range is a beautiful stainless-steel hood fan that was also chosen because of its modern design; the linear look and clean shape ties in with many other characteristics in the home.

Practical Layout

Due to budget constraints, expanding the kitchen outwards was not an option. That meant that the new design would have to fit within the existing footprint. With a relatively unorthodox room layout, this took some careful planning.

There were several important elements that were needed in this kitchen remodel. The kitchen is the verifiable "hub" of the house and much time is spent in this room preparing meals and socializing. The eating area is small but adequate for a family of 2-4 and the large dining room is perfect for entertaining larger crowds.

The counter is extended beyond the sink area to accommodate two bar stools which can be used during food preparation or for socializing while a meal is being prepared.

To ensure adequate lighting, the kitchen has concealed under-cabinet lighting. The lights are long strips of small LED light bulbs which dance off the glass backsplash and granite counters, providing effective task lighting to make food preparation easier.

Limited Budget

As the owners were working with a limited budget, they choose to assist in the renovation process wherever possible. This included the designing phase, demolition, patching, painting, and installation of lighting. The renovation was allotted a budget of $26 000 (plus $6 200 for the appliances) and ran narrowly over budget. The duration of the renovation lasted longer than expected, as the planning stage took considerably longer than expected. The actual physical demolition of the kitchen did not begin until early June 2010 and major work was completed by mid-August. Finishing touches were completed in the fall of 2010. The owners are thrilled with their renovation and love their new kitchen!

Homeowner’s Reflections on the Renovation

The thought of doing a renovation was somewhat overwhelming and it was difficult for the early planning to get underway. We were unsure of the process involved in such a major undertaking but had some help along the way. Deciding on a builder for the cabinets was a critical part of the process. We interviewed several different cabinet makers and made a decision to work with Ian, from Richwood Industries. He was a great resource for us, giving us suggestions and recommendations without making us feel any pressure. He enabled us to visit previous customers to see his quality work and was he was highly recommended.

Once we were confident that the right cabinet maker had been chosen, most everything else fell into place. The start date had been delayed to accommodate certain events in our life and Ian and his crew began the project very close to the second date we had agreed upon. His patience in helping think through the placement of cabinetry, style of door fronts to achieve a smooth surface and especially working with me until the colour I had envisioned was established was amazing. Ian and his staff constructed beautiful solid cabinets and the installation by Randy, the installer, was careful and beautifully done. Both Ian and Randy, we felt, were professionals at their job and true craftsmen. They treated every detail with such care and their experience in their field was evident. It was a pleasure dealing with people who truly took pride in their work and we were delighted with the finished results. We have had many people compliment us on the craftsmanship of the cabinets and have gratefully passed the credit onto Ian and his competent staff. We highly recommend RICHWOOD INDUSTRIES.

I really enjoy playing with colour and was very set in what I had envisioned. The cabinetry was the first part of the process. Once Ian had found the colour formula, I was off and running. The colour for the cabinets was more limiting than I had first perceived, but many trips to tile shops to try samples in my kitchen was necessary. I knew gray to slightly green tones was necessary for the appropriate complimentary colour and the choice was a little restricting. I also kept in mind I wanted a natural slate look without the difficulty slate can be in a kitchen setting. The tile was perfect! Looks like slate but a good quality Italian tile in a fairly large format. (Larger would have been my choice but I really pleased with the results.) Our tile was beautifully and professionally laid by Gary Gerwine from SHUSWAP TILES. Reliable, fast, efficient, and with years of experience, he is someone we definitely recommend.

Next came the colour for the granite…a natural choice was black pearl, a neutral black tone which offset both the tile and cabinetry. The granite came from Mitch and Suzie from ADRIATIC GRANITE and they were very accommodating. They were kept in the loop as to the general time of installation and when we were a few days away, their arrival was punctual and the installation was beautiful. Again, we were pleased with the professional service we received and will definitely use them in the future.

Paint colour was the easiest and I was able to incorporate a gray/green tone from the tile and it tied the room together. Sounds like a huge undertaking to totally redo a kitchen area and we were very nervous. After the great experience we participated in last summer and fall, I would not hesitate to try something like this again. The results were amazing and we are so proud of our new kitchen!

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