2012 Kitchen of theYear Winners

Ahead of the CURVE
A smartly designed modern kitchen balances sleek style and a mix of materials for a visually stunning space

Fresh Approach
A team of designers employ creative configurations to give this old house’s pint-sized kitchen airy cottage appeal

“You can splurge on details in smaller spaces,” says Ili Nilsson of the solid wood cabinets and apothecary-style glass cabinet doors. Nilsson designed a cabinet built to fit a standard-size stackable washer and dryer. Mesh slide-out doors provide ventilation, which allows the machines to run when the doors are shut. The table and chairs in the breakfast room are antiques from a country farmhouse belonging to the homeowner’s family.

WINNER TerraCotta Properties Architecture and Interiors Ili Nilsson Architecture Luly Melarti Construction Manager Maurie Hullender Construction Darren Gladieux Construction Daniel Huertas

What was the goal for this remodel?
Ili Nilsson: The client, Thomas McCullough, is single and wanted something that wasn’t frilly but not overly masculine, so it wouldn’t be hard to sell later. Basically, it needed to have broad appeal. We wanted to streamline the flow of the space and increase the natural light. Also, we had to pack a lot of function into a relatively small space.

Where did you start?
The entire house was being remodeled, so our budget was limited. The first thing we did was determine what we could keep and what had to go. We wanted to save as much of the existing plumbing and electrical work as possible, but it wasn’t much. We were able to keep the “wet wall.” We moved the sink and dishwasher but the plumbing wasn’t moved. The rest had to be brought up to code. And the plumbing for the laundry and breakfast area is all new.

Did you add any space?
No, we took over an area that was probably a poorly enclosed outdoor space. It was in complete disrepair and the whole thing had to be gutted. That’s now the breakfast area and adjacent laundry area.

What about the layout?
The entire flow is different. There was an opening to the bedroom and hall where the refrigerator is now. It was completely unnecessary, so we closed it and enlarged the opening that had the old swinging, double doors leading from the kitchen to the dining room—you know, back when the host just came through the doors with serving platters, so no one ever saw anything messy like the actual cooking or prep work. That now opens up to the laundry and breakfast room. So the kitchen was L-shaped and now it’s one open space.

How did you make the most out of the space you were given?
We maximized the cabinetry, taking it up to the ceiling. The shelves are full extension pull-outs. The built-in bench in the breakfast area has storage on the bottom and in back; it’s 12 inches deep behind the pillows. After we draw plans, we actually give them to the client with little stickies to mark where they will put their dishes, cooking utensils, etc. This way we know there is room for everything before we ever start construction.

Love the small pantry in the wall.
Yes, it had been a window into the bathroom, so we had a choice of closing it up or doing something with it. We decided to celebrate the fact that this was an old house. It’s very shallow, about eight inches deep inside. We also added the beadboard to give it more cottage appeal than the existing brick did.

What about the island?
It is hard-wired and holds the microwave. It’s very functional. He can get ingredients from the fridge and do prep work on the island, then move on to the stove.

Photographs courtesy of Terracotta Properties. KITCHEN DESIGNER Ili Nilsson, TerraCotta Properties. 403 West Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 215, Decatur 30030. (404) 377-0906; terracottaproperties.com ARCHITECTURE Ili Nilsson and Luly Melarti CONSTRUCTION Maurie Hullender, Darren Gladieux, Daniel Huertas CABINETS Greenwalt & Sons COUNTERTOPS Intown Design CABINETRY COLOR Sherwin Williams Pavestone HARDWARE Restoration Hardware PULLEY SCONCE Architects & Heros COACH PEDANTS Quoziel APPLIANCES KitchenAid, Jenn-Air WALL COLOR Sherwin Williams Fluer de Sel TRIM COLOR Sherwin Williams Bright White

Personal Space
Polished stainless steel, Calacatta Gold marble and mirror panels add sparkle to the kitchen of this glamorous young professional

WINNER
Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio
Robin Pittman

Mirror panels reflect light from the living room windows into the kitchen. The tile backsplash extends to the ceiling, making the room appear taller.

What was the first order of business?
Robin Pittman: To open up the space, we pulled back the existing walls between the cabinet and storage area as far as we could.

What was your biggest challenge?
The home is in a high-rise, so we were limited in our construction. Basically, we couldn’t move any existing plumbing or electrical. So we concealed the plumbing from the sink wall behind paneling, behind the base cabinets and counter cabinets.

When was the original kitchen built?
Probably when Reagan was in office. It was definitely time for an update.

What was the homeowner looking to accomplish with the new kitchen?
The homeowner is Jula Jane, a young successful businesswoman who travels a great deal for work. She wanted a kitchen where she would feel comfortable entertaining friends and clients. She also wanted it to reflect her personal style.

What’s her style?
An updated, somewhat glamorous look suits her.

How did you achieve that?
The polished stainless steel hood with its banding detail adds a little sparkle, as do the three-sided mirror panels.
Materials like the Calacatta Gold marble backsplash and counter- tops have a clean feel.

What are your secrets to making a small space look open and airy?
A light color palette makes a room feel bright and open, and the tile backsplash is taken to the ceiling, which draws the eye upward so the ceiling seems higher. The three-sided mirrors on the cabinetry reflect light from the living room windows and make the space seem larger.

So the mirrors work in a couple of ways.
Yes. They helped the space look bigger, hid the plumbing and added a touch of glamour.

Where’s the all-important refrigerator?
It’s hidden behind a panel to the left of the microwave. Again, we couldn’t make any electrical changes, so it is in the same place it was before. But we put in a 27-inch Sub-Zero that’s perfect for Jane since she is single and travels a lot.

So she has plenty of storage space?
Yes, she has a ton of storage. The counter cabinetry helps by making room for the stainless hood. She uses kidney corner pull-out shelving for pantry storage and the cabinet above the microwave is storage, too.

Photographed by David Christensen. KITCHEN DESIGNER Robin Pittman, Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio. 351 Peachtree Hills Ave., Suite 234, Atlanta 30305. (404) 261-0111; designgalleria.net COUNTERTOPS AND BACKSPLASH Calacatta Gold marble, fabricated/installed by Stone Professionals, supplied by Renaissance Tile SINK Elkay through Ferguson Enterprieses FAUCET Dornbracht through Ferguson FRIDGE Sub-Zero MICROWAVE, COOKTOP AND OVEN Wolf through Ferguson HOOD Vent-a-Hood DISH DRAWERS Kitchenaid CABINETRY HARDWARE Matthew Quinn Collection

Crown Jewel
A well-appointed penthouse kitchen sets the tone for luxurious living

WINNER
Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio
Matthew Quinn
Interior Design
William Stewart Designs
Architecture
Oliver Carter

The range and two sinks are the only visible appliances in this kitchen, which is the first room the owners and their guests see when they step off the elevator into their high-rise residence.

What was your goal when designing this kitchen?
Matthew Quinn: The client wanted a beautiful space that integrated into the rest of the home and was comfortable for two. You see the kitchen as soon as you step off the elevator. We wanted it to look more like a finely detailed living room.

What were some elements the client wanted to incorporate?
The Calacatta Viola marble countertop was the only “must have” in the space; it was the color inspiration for the entire room. The homeowners are true believers in assembling a collaborative team and taking the best from each member. The architect, Oliver Carter, designed the gorgeous groin vault ceiling. The interior designer, Bill Stewart, selected the color palette, light fixtures and decorative hardware. I was responsible for first making the space function and, second, for adding the right amount of detail to the kitchen so that it became an extension of the architecture in the rest of the home.

Was there anything from the original plan that didn’t make the final cut?
Originally, we had all agreed on veneering the entire hood wall all the way to the ceiling in marble, but once the Viola was selected we knew that was going to be too busy, so we opted for the simple frame around the hood alcove. Also, we had first specified the 48-inch Wolf range but as the space became more and more elegant we figured out how to shift the kitchen slightly to tuck the ovens behind retractable doors—next to a main structural column—while keeping the space symmetrical.

My eye goes right to the chandelier.
It’s metal and crystal, and it hangs from the center of the groin vault ceiling. The room is very symmetrical and the chandelier is the main axis.

Where are the appliances?
The range top and two sinks are the only visible appliances. The scrolled fretwork over mirror paneling is the dominant element in the kitchen.The paneling conceals a full-size refrigerator, freezer, appliance alcove, pull-out pantries and double wall ovens. We even hid a structural column with the panels. The same design is on the glass cabinets and the island panels.

tell me about the fretwork design.
I have a folder of pictures on my iPhone that contains nothing but windows and doors I have seen all over the world. This pattern was from an elevator door in Milan.

Is there a danger of repeating an element too much in a room?
Absolutely. This is successful because of the gorgeous ceiling, the monochromatic limestone floor, the painted walls and the neutral palette.

What about the furniture?
The chairs are aluminum, and the table that extends out from the island is cherry. The kitchen is consistent with the rest of the home—traditional with modern elements thrown in. Details like the polished nickel hardware and the black nickel sconces (flanking the range top) add extra glitz.

Photographed by David Christensen. KITCHEN DESIGNER Matthew Quinn, Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio. 351 Peachtree Hills Ave., Suite 234, Atlanta 30305. (404) 261-0111; designgalleria.net INTERIOR DESIGN Bill Stewart, William Stewart Designs ARCHITECTURE Oliver Carter, Neil/Carter LLC CONTRACTOR Berndsen Custom Homes CABINETS Downsview Kitchens by Design Galleria RANGE HOOD Design Galleria APPLIANCES through Guy Gunter & Associates OVENS, RANGETOP, WARMING DRAWER Wolf  FRIDGE Sub-Zero MARBLE COUNTERTOP Calacatta Viola through Marmi Natural Stone WOOD COUNTERTOP Craft Art HARDWARE Matthew Quinn Collection SINKS Kohler FAUCETS Dornbracht through Renaissance Tile & Bath BACKSPLASH TILE Waterworks AUREOLE SCONCES by Holly Hunt through Jerry Pair & Associates CHANDELIER James Lockridge through Grizzel & Mann CHAIRS Phillippe Starck for Emeco

about our judges

Pam Goldstein (CKD) is one of 144 Certified Master Kitchen Bath Designers in the country. She is the owner of Master Kitchen Bath Designer, LLC, a company that specializes in kitchens and baths, as well as specialty rooms, space planning and organization. Her team works hands-on with clients from conception through construction. The foundation of MKBD’s greatness is not only excellent design, but also the collaborations and outreach to quality professionals for expert guidance. MKBD can help design, procure and select the best in the industry while negotiating reasonable expenditures for their clients. MKBD is also very philanthropic, supporting a various charity events throughout the year. Goldstein is active in public speaking and teaching at universities for continued education.

Maria Nutt (ASID) is a graduate of Brenau University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design. As owner and principal designer of McLaurin Interiors, Nutt has designed residential spaces throughout the Southeast. In 2011, she was selected as a Home of the Year winner by Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles and also received an ASID Design Excellence Award in the category of residential projects more than 3,500 square feet. McLaurin Interiors has participated in the Atlanta Symphony Decorator’s Show House for the past five years. Nutt’s work has been featured in numerous publications including the
recently released book, Interiors Southeast.

Todd Pritchett is a design principal at Todd Pritchett Design Studio. After studying architecture in Atlanta, he apprenticed with Norris & Lynch and later helped form Ken Lynch & Associates, before starting his own firm in 1994. Along with business partner Craig Dixon, Pritchett continues to quitely produce highly detailed custom architecture for homes and retreats. The duo’s range spans from historic renovations to new construction, and merges warm modern with clean-line traditional. Pritchett and Dixon work closely with every client on every project, from beginning to end. Their results have been recognized in the form of multiple kitchen and bath awards, featured publications and a nomination for the 2012 Urban Design Commission Awards.

Kimberly Warren (NKBA) is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in interior design. She’s a Certified Kitchen Designer and member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. The NKBA certification is considered the gold standard in the industry and is achieved through years of experience, industry knowledge, examinations and ongoing continued education. With her independent design company, Frontier Enterprises, Warren brings commitment, knowledge and experience to the table, all while providing creative design solutions to any job—large or small. Having designed and sold more than 1,000 kitchens in over 19 years, Warren’s skills have been featured in Trends magazine and most recently the October 2011 cover of Atlanta Home Improvement.