Kitchen Tour Spectacular

Cindy Ojczyk, Allied Member ASID
4725 Laura Lane, Shoreview
This soft contemporary remodel—and the first Wisconsin Environmental Initiative-certified Green Built Home remodel  in Minnesota—began with a broken refrigerator. The family of four had lived with their painted cabinets, laminate countertops, flowered wallpaper and vinyl flooring for seven years, but when the small refrigerator died, they’d had enough. “The refrigerator was surrounded by cabinets and a new one would have had to have been the same size,” says the homeowner. “It really was too small.” Moreover, the kitchen felt somewhat dark and closed-in, particularly with its dropped ceiling.

“We had three main goals,” says designer Cindy Ojczyk. “We wanted to open the kitchen to make it feel more light and airy, while still keeping a distinct sense of space. We wanted to blend the surrounding rooms, which meant complimenting the soft apricots and sages of the family room and the bold reds of the living and dining rooms. And we wanted to match the homeowners’ environmental values with the project.”

Linoleum flooring, chosen because of its sustainable yet high-design characteristics, extends from the foyer into the kitchen and partway into the family room. A large wave pattern in the flooring of multi-hued orange and deep red wine matches the adjacent rooms, while blending effortlessly with the natural alder cabinetry and bronze patina Corian counters. Ojczyk and her design partner, Adam Tills of House of Dreams, pulled the room together by adding wine-colored custom bead molding to the Shaker cabinets.
Resources:
Appliances: KitchenAid microwave and ovens; Kenmore dishwasher; GE cooktop; Whirlpool refrigerator
Cabinets: Legacy Line from Bertch
Countertops: Corian, Bordeaux Red granite
Flooring: Marmoleum from Forbo
Lighting: Vival

Mary Jane Pappas, ASID, CID
4046 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis
Space planning and soft architectural details give this traditional kitchen a balanced, inviting feel. Located in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis, this kitchen is part of a newly built home. Working from existing architectural plans, designer Mary Jane Pappas reconfigured some of the spaces to make the main floor more livable. “When we got the plans, there was no dining room, just a large walk-in pantry and mudroom,” she notes.

To create a transitional space between the kitchen and the living area, Pappas converted the former butler’s pantry space into a mudroom/pantry and the oversized mudroom into the dining area. “We then did a pass-through between the kitchen and the dining room, created a sitting area next to the higher range-top work area, and created an overall more balanced design,” she notes. Aside from the symmetrical design, Pappas gave the kitchen a warm feel using two-tone knotty alder cabinets and flooring made from reclaimed barn timber. Pappas also included a “protected working geometry” in which the cook has access to all appliances and work areas while being protected from guest interference. This is accomplished by giving guests a comfortable place to sit and access to beverages without having to penetrate the work area.

“The use of arches, both at the entry to the kitchen and above the sink area, helps soften the very rectilinear space,” Pappas says. “There’s a wonderful rhythm to the space, repetition of design, and an openness, yet coziness, in the room.”
Resources:
Appliances: KitchenAid dishwasher drawers; GE Monogram cooktop, oven, refrigerator, hood, warming drawer
Cabinets: Custom knotty alder
Countertops: African Tiger Eye granite
Flooring: Reclaimed old barn timber from Maryland