Each year, local designers submit their bests to compete in Susquehanna Style’s annual Kitchen and Bath Design Contest. Read on for the area’s crème de la crème in design for the home’s most used rooms.
Winning Kitchen
Kitchens by Eileen
When Katie and David Egan moved from having Wrigley Field in their backyard in Chicago to Wayne, PA., they really had to adjust. The 100-year-old colonial farmhouse–called Many Springs Farm–had almost everything they were looking for except a proper kitchen. Katie and David were looking to update the galley kitchen into an open-style modern farmhouse kitchen to tie in with the rest of the house.
New to the area with no connections, the couple began their search for a designer at the Valley Forge Kitchen and Bath Show at the Valley Forge Casino. After meeting with four different designers, they selected Kitchens by Eileen for their kitchen renovation.
“They had the most unique design plan, and we really connected with both Eileen and Aaron,” Katie said. “We really thought we could trust them with the job.”
The Egans said that the aspect of Eileen’s design that put them over the top was maintaining the old charm of the farmhouse while still providing the modern look they desired. For example, all of the other designers wanted to remove an old cellar door to increase cabinet space, but Eileen loved the character it added to the space.
“We are so happy we listened to her,” Katie said.
Eileen and her team knew that Katie and David needed a larger kitchen with a fresh look that offered an open floor plan that functioned well for everyday use, but also had the room for entertaining guests.
To provide that open feel, the wall that separated the galley kitchen from the dining room needed to be knocked down. But the team faced a few hurdles in the more than 100-year-old colonial farmhouse, Riddle says.
First, they needed to decide how to manage the dominant plaster and brick chimney that was a focal point of the kitchen. Second, Eileen said they needed to reorient the space so that there would no longer be an entrance to the powder room from the kitchen. And the pièce de résistance: Katie was 30 weeks pregnant, so the couple needed the work done before the baby’s arrival.
Eileen and her crew could have easily hidden the plaster chimney, but instead decided to reface it with stonework to match the front of fireplace in the formal living room. To move the door of the powder room out of the kitchen, they rearranged the entrance to the foyer of the home. To maintain the hardwood floors that are the signature of any old farmhouse, Riddle was able to patch up some holes and refinish them to restore the floor to its original glory.
Finally, to tie the room together Riddle painted the walls a complementary blue to tie in with the kitchen backsplash that Katie loved. The sky blue paint combined with the stonework and wood give the kitchen a natural feel.
Kitchens by Eileen completed the project right on their deadline, and as Katie gave birth the day after the final walk-through of the finished kitchen.
Resources
Design: Layout, cabinetry concept, inspirations and contracting by Kitchens by Eileen
Signature custom cabinetry and paints: Perimeter painted Lace, Island painted Deep Sky
Countertop: Fantasy Brown granite
Flooring: Refinished pine
Backsplash: Glazzio Versailles Series, Foggy Meadow
Light Fixtures: Pottery Barn Belden indoor/outdoor pendants in Antique Nickel
Wall Color: Benjamin Moore Solitude
Hardware: Brushed nickel finish
Faucet: Delta Cassidy in Arctic Stainless
Refrigerator/Freezer: KitchenAid
Beverage Cooler: ULine
Stove: Fivestar 48" gas range
Honorable Mention Kitchen
AK Interiors
When AK Interiors went into Joanne Griffith’s kitchen, they were faced with the age-old question of how to keep traditional elegance and meld it with modern convenience.
“The goal for Joanne's kitchen was to have a space that not only functions well—she is highly organized and really enjoys spending time in her kitchen—but also maintains the home's traditionally elegant style,” says AK Interiors’ Alison McIndoe.
In order to give Griffith the comfortable space for leisure, AK Interiors focused on creating a dual function kitchen featuring a beautiful mahogany dining table, a custom banquette and two stylish French carved chairs. The team elected to forgo their original plan for one double window and create two separate windows to give Griffith the space she needed for a TV to watch while relaxing or cooking. The windows are framed with hand woven natural linen to provide light control.
The "work side" of the kitchen features custom painted cabinetry designed with function in mind, says McIndoe. Nearly all of the cabinets feature pull-out drawers for easier access, and the upper cabinets reach the bulkhead to maximize storage. To meet Griffith's desire for display space for china and glassware, a cabinet was designed with mullions (vertically separated display windows) flanking the banquette.
Soft neutrals of greens, grays and whites are accented by hanging glass pendants with Indian- and Asian-inspired etchings, contrasting beautifully with the dark tones of the Brazilian walnut hardwood floor.
A custom designed coffered ceiling and corbels elevate the design, while fabric details along the banquette and windows soften, the space.
“We selected an embroidered fabric for the drapery with a soft gray contrasting banding on the sliding door. Custom pillows adorn the banquette in an array of fabrics and trims, adding the details Joanne loves and we at AK Interiors pride ourselves on,” McIndoe says.
Winning Bathroom
Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc.
Providing much more than mere function, modern bathrooms can trend toward a spa-like oasis, providing a miniature getaway, allowing homeowners to wind down after a long day by relaxing in a hot shower or soaking in a tub with pulsating jets.
Cindy and Ed Crooks’ original bathroom was anything but that.
“Our old bathroom was outdated–old countertops, small shower, inefficient storage, big tub with jets that went unused. The general décor was old and tired,” Cindy recounts.
The couple wanted not only improved form and function, but also a modern, custom-designed look that would create a room they could unwind in.
Cindy says she and her husband wanted pretty much a full overhaul of their bathroom, subbing in more natural finishes and installing a bigger shower, a soaking tub, natural light, and better storage options, as well as a private toilet area.
To accomplish this, the Crooks sought out Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc., to design a layout to suit the couple and worked closely with Matt Canaan at Swartz Kitchens & Baths for the custom cabinetry.
The Crooks’ small shower was replaced by a large glass-enclosed walk-in shower with an overhead rainshower style shower head, a hand-held nozzle at eye level, and a bench. Just next to the shower were the Crooks' other two design requirements–a deep soaking tub with natural light from the window above and a half wall to create privacy for the toilet area.
The old cabinets were stripped out for new Dura Supreme Cabinetry in deep espresso brown that feature mitered integrated ends that match the faces. The cabinets–topped with dreamy Volga Blue granite–wrap the perimeter of the bathroom to meet in the middle at the double vanity, providing the ample storage space the Crooks desired. Bookending the cabinets are two mirrors complete with a makeup vanity at one end.
Many of the bathroom’s design touches including the lighting fixtures, mirrors, wallpaper, and finishes were each hand picked by the owners.
“It all came together well, and we are extremely pleased with the results,” Cindy says. “Jeff Henry and his crew were very professional, hardworking and accommodating. It was a pleasure to work
with them.”
Resources
General Contractor and remodeler: Jeffry L. Henry, Inc.
Supplier: Swartz Kitchens & Baths
Cabinetry: Dura Supreme Cabinetry
Door Style: Vintage Classic with 5-piece drawer front
Painted Finish: Storm Gray
Granite: Volga Blue with small beveled edge
Sink: Kohler under-mount style in Bisque
Hardware: Amerock Chandler Series in Satin Nickel finish
Flooring: Daltile Limestone in Chenille White
Honorable Mention Bathroom
Home Remedies Design and Remodel
When Rick Martin from Home Remedies Design and Remodel in York went into this bathroom project, he knew the customer needed a bathroom redesign that updated an out-of-date look while improving flow to fit the family’s needs.
Martin’s first goal was to utilize the natural light to highlight significant areas of the room.
“By repositioning the master closet, this allowed an L-shaped bathroom to be formed, which added elegance and flow. The positioning of the entrance of the bathroom allows direct light from the window into the master bedroom,” Martin says.
The bathroom features a walk-in curbless shower for maximum accessibility and convenience, customized with a large piece of glass just above a waist-high wall with large black-granite tiles. A separate water closet area adds privacy next to a freestanding bathtub. Separated vanities replace an outdated pedestal sink. A granite top and glass mosaic tile wall take this bathroom up a notch style-wise, while a stow-away hamper and storage help maximize the space.
Martin says a herringbone pattern was chosen for the black granite tile flooring to enhance the unique shape of the room. Heat added beneath the floor keeps toes warm in this new and improved space.
Resources
Cabinets: South Salem Woodshop LLC
Plumbing, electrical and HVAC: Haller Enterprises Inc.
Tile floor and shower: Mark's Ceramic and Marble
Painting: John C Shorts, Jr.
Glass shower: H2 LLC
Granite: Frank's Marble & Granite LLC
Framing: Mike's Carpentry Service
