Recently in Hello Kitchen Projects Category

Michael & Anna's Kitchen

By Cindy Black on August 26, 2010 10:51 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Anna & Michael live in an exceptional house designed by Paul Lamb Architect, located on top of one of Austin's tiny mountains overlooking the city. The house is distinguished by three pyramidal volumes, which contain the main functions of the house: the kitchen & dining area, the living area, and the master bedroom wing (a fourth rectilinear volume contains the second bedroom suite). Talk about good bones!... I knew when I first visited this house that it would be both a joy and a challenge design a kitchen that looked like it always belonged.

Since the house was originally built in 1994 for owners with different cooking methods and lifestyles, it was time for a renovation. During my first visit with Michael & Anna, we talked about how much they enjoy gathering with friends in the kitchen, which was hard to do with the existing layout. They cook simple, light foods with veggies from the garden, as well as plenty of specialties from Anna's home country of Sweden.

We also spent time looking at Paul Lamb's original drawings for the house, and it turned out that not everything was built as planned. So part of our goal was to restore the character to the kitchen that had been intended.

The most obvious problem was a huge pantry closet that separated the kitchen from the dining. The pantry 'box' had become sort of a party joke, with people always running around it in order to find each other. We all agreed that it had to go, and in its place came a new island.

Many of our decisions were based on sustainable design and a desire for green building materials. To minimize waste, we decided to use the existing cabinets rather than replace them. We did simple things to make improvements, like removing the upper doors and painting the cabinet walls green.

Working with our contractor, Risinger Homes, during the design process made this easy, since Matt Risinger and his team build with these materials all the time. We specified a satin-finish Bona Naturale on the white oak flooring, and no-VOC Eco-Spec paint from Benjamin Moore on the walls and cabinets. Michael and Anna didn't have to worry about noxious fumes or toxic materials while they lived there during construction.

Another design goal for the project was to bring the feeling of the garden to the inside. Lowering the pantry 'box' and creating the island really opened up views across the room. The stone terrace extends the dining area outside - Michael and Anna are going to have some fun parties here!

We spoke about the garden a lot during the kitchen design process. Michael and Anna have dedicated a lot of love and care to their landscape, working with Davis Jane on the design and Casey Boyter Landscapes for the continued maintenance (Casey is our neighbor and referred me to the project - thanks Casey!) The colors of the garden were largely the inspiration for the new green door and bar stools, and the bright, happy wall color.

The existing sink was situated in the corner with a view to the garden, so I designed this custom stainless steel sink to make better use of the deep space. The drain board off the back is useful as a drying rack area, or for a place to wash produce.

The new island is crisp and modern with the countertop edge flush to the side walls. The base cabinets were all painted a 'Vale Mist' to bring a little more color to the room.

The island countertop is a honed Seagrass Limestone, which complements the use of cut limestone block throughout the house. It's a fossilized stone, so you can see little shells and shapes in the surface!

I know Michael and Anna are enjoying their new cooking space and expanded views of their garden beyond. Thanks to Risinger Homes for doing such a great job (they wrapped up in just under 8 weeks) and be sure to check out Matt's awesome before & after video of the project on his blog!

photos by Valarie L. Campbell

Builder: Risinger Homes (512-535-4063)
Countertops: Architectural Tile & Stone (512-420-9989)

Appliances: Kiva Kitchen & Bath (512-454-4526)

Custom Sink available through Hello Kitchen and Ferguson Supply

pattern!

By Cindy Black on August 20, 2010 10:42 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Here is a perforated panel that I designed for a kitchen that is nearing completion. It's cut into an MDF board that is veneered with Sapele, an African wood similar to mahogany. Our cabinet maker used his CNC router to make the cuts, so they were able to take the pattern directly from my CAD drawing.

I love this stuff! The panels will be back-lit, creating a lantern effect in the kitchen. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Karen & Russell's Kitchen

By Cindy Black on July 27, 2010 9:39 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I'm so excited to show another Hello Kitchen project that just wrapped up in June. Karen and Russell's house was built in 1949 and has the vintage charms of split-face limestone, a low pitched roof, and casement windows. Much of the kitchen was original... well, except for the linoleum floor, do-it-yourself vent-a-hood, and c. 1980 ceiling fan. It was time for a change.

Both sides of the couple love to cook, and Russell worked his way through college in commercial kitchens as a line cook, baker, and even an exhibition cook at an oyster bar! So it was important for the new kitchen layout to have generous space for prep-work, ideally so that two or three people could be in the kitchen at once. The existing counter-space was very limited, and the tiled counter was not a very stable surface for cutting boards.

The big design move was to open the kitchen to the adjacent dining room - before, there was just a 2'-8" doorway, which was a constant source of human traffic jams. So our new 8'-2" cased opening frames the kitchen in a nice way, and the marble bar top provides a place for guests to sit and chat.

Where the old kitchen was cramped with cabinets around the windows, we wanted to open up that wall and accentuate the casements. It's such a nice feature to have an expanse of windows like this that bring lots of natural light into the cooking area.

We built a cabinet to surround the refrigerator that incorporates a pantry opening to the side. This new 12" deep, floor-to-ceiling storage makes it easy to grab food items, and would also work for small appliances like a blender or food processor.

The bar cabinet incorporates some more detailed brackets and bead board; usually, I try to do flat trim for a cleaner modern look, but it's nice to see ornamentation in small doses. We were inspired by French cafes of the 20's... marble, polished fixtures, clean whites and grays.

Looking back toward the dining, the 'before' view shows the old water heater and pantry closets. We moved both of those and opened up this wall to the dining area, creating a much-needed work corner and some open lower shelves facing the kitchen.

The vent hood was replaced with a modern and somewhat utilitarian KitchenAid. The subway tile (another nod to France) is actually a greenish-gray color called Celery, which complements both the Bianco Gioia marble and Rosemary Caesarstone.

The sink gets the sunny spot in the room, with a shiny new faucet by Grohe and a stainless steel undermount sink. Karen & Russell had a nice collection of vases and other fun kitchen accessories, and the simple corner shelves provide a spot for some color.

The custom cabinets, made by our builder Tonianne Soster and her team, have some nice details: solid maple drawer boxes with dovetail joinery; vertical storage for cutting boards & cookie sheets; and flush inside corner boards and ceiling trim. I got to meet with her cabinet maker before construction began to take a look at all the details in the shop drawings; this was a part of the process that I particularly appreciated!

Thanks to Tonianne, we were able to complete construction on the project in about 7 weeks - that's a lot of quality work in a short amount of time! And of course, thank you to Karen & Russell for your ideas during the design process and for outfitting the finished kitchen with such great character. I hope you guys are enjoying the new space!

photos by Valarie L. Campbell

Builder: Tonianne Soster of TAS Construction (512-825-3773)
Tile & Marble Countertops: Architectural Tile & Stone (512-420-9989)

Teresa's Bath

By Cindy Black on July 18, 2010 12:04 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Here's another Hello Kitchen project that just wrapped up a few weeks ago! Teresa has lived in her cute 1950 bungalow in north Hyde Park (aka Northfield, aka my neighborhood) for the past 15 years, and for most of that time, she has patiently awaited a major renovation of her bath. So when we first met about her project back in January, she was super excited about all the possibilities for the new space... hello bath!

The existing bathroom was already pretty small: 6'-6" x 9'-6", with the sink & toilet on one wall and the bathtub and linen closet on the other side. However, Teresa really wanted a shower in addition to the bathtub. The big move that allowed this to happen was removing the linen closet, which created another space for the toilet that was better hidden from view. Here's the plan of the new design:

Then the big challenge was how to make the tub and shower fit in a single wet area that measured just 4'-9" by 6'-6". Luckily, we found a pint-size tub (4'-7" long by 2'-3" wide) and the deck of the tub integrated with the extra-wide curb. The curb serves as a stepping platform, as well as helps keep the water from splashing too much into the open room - no cumbersome shower doors here!

Teresa loved the idea of doing simple, open shelving, since most of what she needed to store was pretty towels. She made it look even prettier with some lovely accessories.

The finishes were all determined during the design process, so we had time to think about how it would all come together. In our initial conversations, the word 'spa' came up a lot, so we naturally gravitated toward a neutral palette, with clean lines and a definite nod to luxury.

The glass wall tile is AKDO Icelandic blue, with a staggered pattern of clear and frosted tiles. The floor and tub wall is 9x18 Applestone, which is a soft limestone originating in Turkey. The shower floor is a 2" limestone hexagon pattern. The linen cabinet and open shelving are rift-sawn white oak, with a natural finish - the warmth of the wood helps to balance the cool colors of the tile.

We framed out niches on either side of the shower wall, so we had some little open shelves facing the sink...

... and the same detail facing the shower, for all the shampoo & stuff. The shelves, as well as the sink countertop, are made of a very durable Caesarstone.

This project was built by David Wilkes & crew, who obviously did a fantastic job bringing it all together in just under 6 weeks! And a big thanks to Teresa for being so patient and happy that whole time :)

Peggy's Kitchen: getting close!

By Cindy Black on June 28, 2010 10:56 AM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

For those of you following along, here is an exciting update on the construction progress out at Peggy's kitchen! For a little background on the project, before photos, and a collage of our finishes, click here.

This last month has been super productive: in early June, the pecan cabinets were installed, and the details turned out great. I got a thrill opening the sink drawer for the first time... this is some serious hardware! This aluminum drawer is manufactured by Blum, my favorite system for custom cabinetry. The sink drawer is U-shaped so that the drawer box can slide around the sink drain and disposal unit, but it provides an amazing amount of storage for dishsoap, towels, sponges, and other cleaning supplies, all in an easy-to-clean compartments. And the whole drawer unclips from its glides for easy access to the sink plumbing. Check it out!

I also liked how the vertical cabinet turned out: a very elegant set of 1/4" panels to divide the cabinet for cutting boards & cookie sheets. The adjacent corner cabinet will get a pull-out base drawer inside so that Peggy can access that hard-to-reach corner.

Next on my list was to select the soapstone for the countertops. I worked with an Austin stone supplier to find the right color, and they shipped it to Architectural Tile & Stone, who cuts and installs the stone. This slab is amazing, with dramatic white veining and a greenish tint. They wet down the stone for this image so we could see what it would look like with the oiled finish.

However, we wanted to avoid some of those big, triangular veining areas, so I worked with them to figure out the template. The white boards were placed on site (you'll notice them in the photo of the copper sink above), so that they have an exact fit for the stone. This way, we're able to place the template precisely where we want the veining to fall. We left room for the backsplash on top so the veining would be continuous.

And here it is, installed! The soapstone makes such a beautiful contrast to the pecan cabinets. The stone was oiled down with Mineral Oil, which you'll notice from reading the label that it is a quite versatile product :)

Here's a photo looking the other direction - you can really see the continuous veining. Even the guy installing the stone was like: "whoa... muy bonito!" That's always a good sign...

We're doing a copper top at the bar and ledge that will match the sink - a very elegant set of materials.

The shiplap walls at the bar were also installed, and they'll be painted a warm 'Buttercream' eggshell paint to match the adjacent paneled walls. We're trying to work with the existing finishes as much as possible - the panels, the brick, and the tile floor were all 'givens' for the design.

Finally, we installed the custom steel brackets to hold the reclaimed pecan shelving that will go in later this month. The 1 3/4" thick shelves will be drilled out so that they slide right onto those pipes. This way, you won't see the shelf supports, and they'll appear to 'float' on either side of the vent hood. These excellent pieces were fabricated by Vintage Material Supply in Austin.

* * * * *

Appliances have been ordered, and the tile and remaining hardware are on site, so the next site visit will be very productive! I expect to return on July 9th, so check back the week after that for an update!

under construction...

By cindy on June 5, 2010 7:30 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

Man... first it happened with March, then April, and now I'm sitting here and it's June 5th and I'm wondering what happened to spring!! The sad thing about being busy this spring is that I missed an opportunity to plant basil seeds. I've traditionally done this on March 5th... not because anyone told me to, but because the first year I attempted to plant from seed, we hit the perfect stretch of weather on March 5th - it was a post-frost, gorgeous spring Saturday, and I had time to work in the garden. Soon after that I had a crop of the most amazing basil plants you've ever seen, that continued to produce until late October, when I finally put them to rest in the compost bin. Based on this success, I have installed 'March 5th' in my memory bank as the ultimate day for seed planting.

So, the day came and went this year, and I kept missing opportunities to get out there and plant those seeds (I have a huge bag of basil seeds collected from the plants of years past). I would see the herb table at Central Market, overflowing with basil, and regret that I wouldn't have the perfect Margherita pizza topping growing in our garden. But let's step back a minute and review the possible reasons why I might not have had the energy for a little gardening:

At Peggy's kitchen, all the old cabinets were demo'd to make way for the new pecan cabinets and shelving. I've got a car-load of finishes - light fixtures, tile, faucets - to deliver out there this Wednesday:

* * * * *

At Michael & Anna's, the pantry was removed to make way for a new island, new countertops were installed, and the entire room was repainted with no-VOC paint (in very pretty colors!). Matt and his Risinger Homes crew have been awesome in working through these details!

* * * * *

We redesigned the kitchen at Karen & Russell's, with all new cabinetry, new marble and caesarstone tops, new plumbing and refinished flooring. Builder Tonianne Soster completed their kitchen in lightening speed... just under 6 weeks! Getting that marble in was a bit tricky... the bracket supports had to be pre-drilled, then the marble slid into place, moved over, and the brackets slid back down onto their screws.

Whew!!...

* * * * *

We're completely renovating the bath in Teresa's 1950's bungalow, and David Wilkes Builders is currently installing our luxurious finishes and doing a great job. We selected staggered glass tile, apple stone, 2" hexagon tiles for the shower floor, and caesarstone countertops:

* * * * *

At Lisa's house, we installed a custom-designed living room cabinet and floating shelves above, made from Lyptus (cut on the diagonal and finished with a black aniline dye and pre-catalyzed lacquer). Thanks to Jason of Bedre Woodworking for doing a fantastic job!

* * * * *

And finally, starting on a new project. I'm collaborating with interior designer, Christina Shipley of Maison & Bouquet, and we're renovating a kitchen that will have dark stained wood, Moroccan accents, and this combination of zinc, glass tile and Colonial Cream granite:

It's been an exciting spring, for sure. I've been extremely lucky to work with the talented folks above in each project. And during all that, a magical thing happened: remember those basil plants from years past? Well, the crafty little things left their seeds behind, and just at the right moment (possibly March 5th?) they sprouted new seedlings on their very own. So today I took this photo of my basil, plumped out and ready for summer pizzas!!

Peggy's Kitchen

By Cindy Black on January 22, 2010 12:13 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Here's a look at a Hello Kitchen project that's about to begin construction!

Peggy's 1950 brick farmhouse is in a small town about two hours outside of Austin, and though it's her hometown, she is currently living in the Middle East. Peggy is an adventurous traveler and has accumulated a great variety of objects, servingware, and European appliances through her travels. She cooks a lot and especially loves to bake.

This was such a fun design project for me to begin last fall. Peggy had a few requirements and ideas, but was otherwise open to the design process and seeing what evolved. We corresponded mostly through email, and her builder, Shayne, helped by sending me some as-built measurements of the existing kitchen.

The final design is a blend of interesting textures, deep colors, and natural materials - I think we were most inspired by the idea of a copper farmhouse sink, which is such a beautiful object and the centerpiece for the kitchen. Here is how the finishes have come together:

1. Existing Brick - this bold red brick wraps all through the living areas, forms a large fireplace and hearth, and continues into the kitchen. Because it's so integral to the house and has such strong character, much of our finish considerations relate to the brick.

2. Arc Brackets by Restoration Hardware: I love the rustic quality of this bracket that is modeled on architectural ironwork in old train stations.

3. The upper shelves will be made from reclaimed pecan from Vintage Material Supply; this particular batch came from the Shady Grove trailer park that was demolished in favor of a new condo building.

4. One of my favorite tile accents, pennyrounds from American Universal Corp will span the backsplash behind the range, adjacent to the brick.

5. A burnished copper countertop by Austin's Handcrafted Metal forms the bar and continues behind the sink, and provides a generous surface for serving ware, potted herbs, or produce.

6. Natural soapstone countertops are super durable and give great depth to the color scheme of the kitchen.

7. Grohe Bridgeford kitchen faucet with pull-down spray in oil-rubbed bronze has a vintage look and lovely shapes.

8. Copper farmhouse sink - this piece really anchors and transforms the kitchen from its former seventies self. The copper is finished with a 'hot French patina' that seals in the dark brown color and protects the surface.

9. Alder cabinets - the lighter color wood will help to brighten the kitchen and complement the existing porcelain tile floor. Chatham Door Pulls from Restoration Hardware give ornament to the slab doors & drawer fronts, but overall the cabinets will have a clean, modern look.

10. Hubbardton Forge pendants complement the hardware and faucet, and the linen shade brings a thoughtful sensibility to the space.

11. Here's what we hope to produce in the kitchen... (photo props here and here)

12. The Viking 36" Professional Gas Oven features infrared broiling to imitate the intense heat of restaurant cooking. I think this type of oven will work well under the range, while we specified a Dacor Wall Oven adjacent to the baking area (see plan).

This is the kitchen in its 'before' state: we liked the brick wall, but not so much the wood-paneled soffit, bulky refrigerator, disfunctional cabinetry, and limited counter space. We decided to move the wall oven to the opposite corner of the kitchen, where Peggy will have plenty of counter space for a bake prep area.

Instead of closed upper cabinets, we're doing open shelving supported by those awesome brackets shown in the collage. This will expand the space and brighten the kitchen, since the soffit will be gone and the new drywall will be painted a creamy white.

Another main feature that we're adding is the 12" deep copper countertop behind the typical 24" work surface - this will greatly expand the usable storage of the kitchen, especially for things like dry goods, small appliances, and ornamental objects that look great on display. The copper turns to form a 19" wide bar top facing the living area.

This rendered plan was our starting point for the design, and it has developed from there. But the basic elements are in the same place.

The construction drawings show all kinds of additional details, like cabinet and trim details, plumbing locations, electrical fixtures & outlets, and dimensions. I think I'll post more of those as construction progresses, so it will make more sense.

We hope to start construction at the end of this month, so I'll be going for regular visits to document progress and confirm that all is going according to plan. I'm looking forward to seeing the design realized, and I know Peggy is, too! I'll be posting entries here as things move along, so check back to watch everything come into place!

Rick Black Architect @ Nine-Sixty-Nine

By Cindy Black on October 27, 2009 2:13 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A new project has been posted to our architecture firm's website, Rick Black Architect. It's another one of our designs for Nine-Sixty-Nine, a modern residential development east of Austin.

Within a relatively small footprint (1479 sf), the house has a lot to offer: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and a huge roof deck over the carport.

The central focus - and of course, my favorite part - is the generously sized kitchen and dining in one big room, with a panoramic view out the ribbon of windows. With so much counter area in a bright, happy work space, this is truly a cook's kitchen!

See more project images here!

Let's get organized!

By Cindy Black on September 30, 2009 2:08 PM | 5 Comments | No TrackBacks

The first step to improving any kitchen is to clear away unnecessary items and re-organize. This may sound like a simple task, maybe something you can do in an afternoon, but things can get out of hand quickly if there are not some rules-of-thumb to follow. Here is the Hello Kitchen method to help you along:

D ownload it here and get started!

As you can see, it's pretty hard core in terms of what stays and what goes. Note that all items should fit on the allotted quilt space (albeit stacked, nested, or in crazy leaning towers). The list above is exhaustive, and at some point, a person with a smaller kitchen just needs to prioritize. For serious cooks (Julia Child, for example) the collection of cookery, gadgetry, and appliances will no doubt spill over. This is an indication that you need a bigger kitchen, and it will be worth it!

I also feel strongly about what kinds of cleaning products live in the kitchen. The standard seems to be for people to keep all manner of ammonia-based products and other toxins in close proximity to our food prep area... and this just seems like a bad idea. Find a new place for the cleaning supplies, like a hall closet, insulated garage, or powder room. Baking soda, dishsoap, and vinegar are all that should remain.

Another issue I have noticed is that people tend to keep a larger number of glassware or serving ware than they will ever use. Sets of 8 will easily accommodate a family of four who is on top of their dishwashing duties. Dinner parties with more than 8 people should trigger a call to the party rental supply... because if you're cooking that much food, you're doing plenty of prep already! Make it easy on yourself and let the rental place wash those glasses and silverware.

Finally, most categories have a 'specialty' item included: this might cover Aunt Bea's jello mold or Mom's fondue set... but don't let these items overwhelm your storage capacity. If you rarely use it, consider selling it on Etsy to someone who will!

So good luck, and off to Goodwill with you! Let us know how it goes.

Mark & Dana's Kitchen

By Cindy Black on September 4, 2009 6:11 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Mark and Dana live in Portland's Boise neighborhood in a 1930's bungalow. They wanted to update their kitchen, which was suffering an unfortunate early 90's renovation that lacked soul. The basic layout was functional for them, so we focused on making simple aesthetic improvements and introduced just a few new storage components.

The first item we tackled was the faded color scheme of the old kitchen. The pink-washed maple cabinets lacked punch and really didn't complement the daffodil-toned walls or Mark & Dana's taste for bolder colors. So, we decided to paint the cabinets with Benjamin Moore's 'Sparrow,' which provided a nice contrast to the yellows and ochres of the walls and new douglas fir floors.

Next, we addressed the awkward corner formed by an unsightly stair rail and a pair of trash cans. So we replaced the rail with a much more useful 12" deep cabinet that could serve a dual purpose for both the kitchen and the stairwell beyond. On the kitchen side, an open shelf gives Dana a place to store her cookbooks and a few decorative items. The cabinet next to the range was outfitted with new slide-out bins for the trash and recycling, so those are put away from sight.

Facing the stair, we opened up a cabinet space where they can store dog leashes, shoes, and other items to grab on the way outside. This made a great use of that buried corner, and gave a discreet home to items that are usually hanging on hooks, cluttering the entryway. I love how the new cabinet provides a solid corner to the kitchen, where it was flimsy and useless before.

On the opposite side of the kitchen, we made a few simple improvements to clean up the look and improve functionality. Mark and Dana were tired of the old stainless five-inch-deep sink and leaky faucet, so they found a re-habbed Kohler cast iron sink at the Rebuilding Center for $20, and replaced the faucet with a new, goose-neck of a traditional style, more appropriate for their bungalow.

To clear up the clutter, Mark and Dana keep the coffee pot and toaster in a cabinet when they're not in use. Serving bowls and vases were given a special home on a new shelf above the refrigerator, and the hefty fridge was given a simple face-lift by eliminating all but a few photos & magnets. They also got rid of a few objects that were cluttering the bay-window, and now the light enters through a clean, light-filled box.

The project took about 4 weeks and under $4000 to complete, including the cost for the new wood floors in both the kitchen and dining area. Mark and Dana did the demolition and painting themselves, and hired their longtime friend and master woodworker, Mark Dubois, to help refinish the floors and build the new cabinets.

The new design makes the most out of the typical bungalow material palette: subway tiles, butcher block countertops, traditional cabinets, deep colors, and native species wood flooring. Beyond that, we always kept in mind what would work best for Mark and Dana, and tailored the decisions accordingly. The result is a classic and sustainable kitchen that they will enjoy for many years.

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Hello! My name is Cindy, and this blog is my little side project to Hello Kitchen Design, which is originally my little side project from Rick Black Architect. I'm an architect, and I love to eat and cook, so this is my attempt to combine all good things!
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Recently in Hello Kitchen Projects Category

Michael & Anna's Kitchen

pattern!

Karen & Russell's Kitchen

Teresa's Bath

Peggy's Kitchen: getting close!

under construction...

Peggy's Kitchen

Rick Black Architect @ Nine-Sixty-Nine

Let's get organized!

Mark & Dana's Kitchen

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