For many of us, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Often a hive of activity or the preferred place to linger at a gathering, kitchen designs are becoming increasingly versatile to suit a variety of needs.
With open concept floorplans, the kitchen is hard to contain, often spilling into a dining, entertaining, or living area. Jim Deen, co-owner of interior renovation company Kitchen Kraft, recognizes the significance of the kitchen, stating that kitchen remodels can easily become an entire first floor renovation.
On several occasions, Kitchen Kraft’s efforts have been recognized by receiving the Contractor of the Year (CotY) award, a national award given once a year for outstanding work.
“(It’s) very rewarding,” Deen says. “The award is important to our company, as we take pride in our work and it really is a team effort for everyone involved.”
Their most recent 2019 CotY win was for a kitchen renovation for the Hoag family in Dublin.
Ryan and Alysha Hoag were interested in modernizing their kitchen, saying their home had a late ‘90s design and a dining room they rarely used. The renovation meant maximizing their space and creating a more functional and practical area for their family to use.
“Jim came up with the designs and gave good direction,” says Ryan, the self-proclaimed chef of the family. “We were able to bounce ideas back and forth.”
Thankfully, the project was finished early, as a house without a functioning kitchen can be chaotic.
“Fortunately, we chose to do the remodel in the summer, and did a lot of grilling outside,” Ryan adds. “We were able to use the laundry room for dishes, so it wasn’t terrible being without a kitchen.”
The younger members of the Hoag family, two boys ages 4 and 7, were good sports about the restoration and are enjoying the new space.
“With drawers that they can reach, and a mini-fridge in the bar area for grabbing juice-boxes, the area is a lot more accessible for them,” says Ryan.
“Jim had been wanting to pitch the floating wall concept for so long,” Alysha says. “We were happy to go with his suggestion. Luckily, it turned out amazing.”
Sophia Fratianne is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
