These Kirkland homeowners love wine. When their 800-bottle-capacity wine fridge in the garage stopped cooling properly- coupled with the fact that their kitchen was long in need of an upgrade- the family decided it was time for a remodel.
First, Model Remodel’s in-house designer made plans to remove the half-height wall in between the two structural columns. This quickly improved the flow from the kitchen to its adjacent rooms, in addition to making the kitchen feel more connected to the living room. Then, she examined why the current kitchen wasn’t functioning well. After sketching multiple options, the best solution was to modify their existing layout. By pushing out the counter a few extra feet and moving the range, it allowed more than one person to work in the kitchen comfortably and vastly improved the space’s functionality.
The designer and the clients collaborated to customize the new kitchen—adding a bread drawer, a pull-out bin for trash, textured tile, a three-sided pull-out pantry, an air switch for the garbage disposal, outlets hidden under the cabinets, a Nest thermostat, and a dual-drawer dishwasher.
Of course the main conversation piece of the house is the new and improved wine storage. The space now comprises three wine fridges that can store a total of 239 bottles of wine. (Because the family didn’t want the wine storage to feel too commercial or overwhelming to the rest of the house, they opted for creating storage for fewer bottles.) A modern waterfall countertop encloses the two short fridges. Above them is a sleek upper cabinet with an awning door to store the family’s beautiful glassware. As a bonus, the space doubles over as a staging area for parties and entertaining.
The family loves their new kitchen and even threw a party to show off the new space (and drink off the extra bottles of wine). Now that the hard work is over, the couple can sit back, relax and have a glass of wine.
Photo credit: Cindy Apple Photography
