Qualified Remodeler Magazine

AUG 2014

Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.

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ForResidentialPros.com QR August 2014 13 to store the required items for either function, or ample space to prep the foods he was cooking," explains Christopher D a v i s o n , A I A , o f R e a l t y Restoration LLC, the project architect. "Therefore, items that would be behind cabinet doors were left out on the counters, and the one small island in the kitchen was used for food prep and entertainment." The family decided it was time to remodel and upgrade their kitchen. "They each had their set of goals for the rede- sign of the space," recalls David Davison, CKBR, of Austin-based Realty Restoration, the remod- eler on the project. "Hers was to have an island with comfort- able seating for 10 people and integration of universal design. The husband, a product of culi- nary school, wanted a compre- hensive list of appliances in the new space." Ultimately, the remodeled space would have to accommodate 13 commercial- style appliances to satisfy the husband's needs for the latest culinary technology, ample stor- age for gadgets, cookware and large serving pieces, an island with seating for 10, and walk- ways and seating space for a wheelchair. LONE ISLAND "The homeowners were ada- mant that they wanted one single island, not multiples," Bowen says. "But designing an island large enough to hold so many appliances plus seating for 10 was proving to be a chal- lenge. That's when we decided to use the 135-degree angle to our advantage and continue the island toward the living space. By placing the seating area toward the living room people are able to congregate without being in the cook's space." "We struggled with the single island concept," Christopher admits. "With the refrigera- tion and the range top being on opposite sides of the kitchen, we thought having one enor- mous island would be too far for the cook to walk around to get cold items. We wanted to do a two-island configuration to keep the entertaining out of the kitchen proper, but the client felt like [guests] would just skip the outer bar and congregate in the cook's work space anyway. The solution was to separate the refrigerator from the freezer and make two 'cold zones.' Since the freezer is visited less often than the refrigerator, we placed the refrigerator closer to the cook- ing zone. Now, guests still feel connected to the cook due to the seamless island configuration, but the cook has a separate path to the major cooking and prep zones. Also, the wife and her daughter [with a disability] like to bake together so we created a baking zone opposite the range elevation to give both cooks ample lay down space on the island with convenient access to the refrigerator." ANGULAR DESIGN For good or for bad, angles were a part of the home as a whole and they needed to be taken into consideration and worked with. "The entire house had 45-degree angles between each room it Photos: Christopher Davison, AIA The homeowners wanted a kitchen space that would better accommodate entertaining large groups of family and friends. The kitchen had a layout that wasn't fitting the owners' lifestyle or accommodating a family member with disabilities. COMPANY INFORMATION Realty Restoration LLC, Austin, Texas realtyrestoration.com Full-time employees: 4 Average annual revenue: $1-2 million Annual remodeling projects: 7-10 Residential: 95 percent Commercial: 5 percent Single-family: 100 percent Design-Build: 75 percent Bid: 25 percent PROJECT INFORMATION Talbot Lane Kitchen, Austin Completed: July 2012 Square footage before: 5,396 Square footage after: 5,449 PRODUCT INFORMATION Cabinets: Custom Countertops: Granite (Typhoon Bordeaux) Sinks: Julien Faucet: Hansgrohe Range: Blue Star Exhaust hood: Best Ovens: Wolf/Miele Drawer appliances: Wolf Refrigerator: Sub-Zero Freezer: Sub-Zero Wine cooler: Sub-Zero Dishwashers: Bosch/Fisher Paykel Microwave oven: Miele Ice/trash: KitchenAid Before After

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