A remodel project doesn’t always result in a flashy, drastic reveal – in fact, the mark of a true expert architect is how small, distinct changes can completely alter a room. That’s exactly how Brandon Okone, one of the J.S. Brown & Co. estimators and designers, claimed the National Association of the Remodeling Industry Contractor of the Year Award for best residential kitchen remodel between $80,000-$120,000.
This Powell kitchen was never unattractive to begin with, but it didn’t quite live up to the standards of the rest of the modern house. It was an older kitchen; the cabinets were worn, the floor had lost its luster and the homeowner’s pet bird had taken quite a few nicks out the wood here and there.
“The layout worked, there were just certain aspects that were very tight,” Okone says. “The space I ‘stole’ was under-utilized, so I used it.”
One challenge that came with the remodel was that there were two opinions to take into consideration. While the homeowner wanted the kitchen to have her style and taste, she planned to give the house to her niece in the future, so her opinion wasn’t the only one that mattered. When Okone presented possible counter samples, he thought the two may disagree, but a nice compromise between tastes was arranged.
“When we’re picking out colors and surfaces, we’re bouncing it off of two people,” he says. “One of whom doesn’t even live there now.”
Okone essentially brightened and lightened the place up with space and color. The backsplash was originally black, which made the entire area seems to close into itself. Okone took the cabinets all the way to the ceiling, allowing for more storage. With a small space that was being used as a simple walk-through, he stopped that waste of space and added it back to the kitchen.
Surprisingly, he only expanded the room by a mere foot. But with careful, calculated methods, he was able to really make the space seem more open and functional. He added a small stool as a workspace, a chimney hood over the stove as a focal point and incorporated a lot more light.
With the bar area, he used the transparency of spaces in creating an open view of the kitchen to the living room, giving the whole area a much more connected feel. Okone wanted to make sure while the rooms were separate, there was some visual connection as well. He was also able to implement both a showcase of décor on one side and smooth cabinets on the other.
Okone is comfortable with many kinds of projects. But this particular remodel was clear-cut to him, as he knew the homeowner well, having previously finished several remodels for her.
“It felt very obvious walking in how to address it,” Okone says. “Obviously you can go really crazy with a remodel, but with this, she knew what she wanted and I wanted to be efficient.”
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
