Creating A Bright and Luxurious Kitchen Design In Bristol, WI

Our clients Derek and Julie found a wonderful home for their large family in the Drumlin Creek neighborhood, in Bristol, Wisconsin. They contacted us after finding us online and set up a meeting to discuss their project.

While the home was a relatively new build and in great shape, the kitchen was just too dark to meet their functional and aesthetic needs. The previous owner had selected a dark design palette that included dark cabinetry, dark granite cabinets, and dark stained wood flooring. After some discussion, we all agreed that the big picture goal was to take the space and create a brighter, more cheerful feel while improving the kitchen's functionality.

Functional Design Solutions First

Before we could get into the aesthetics, we had a couple of functional issues to address. The biggest problem was the conflict between the refrigerator and the dishwasher. In the original kitchen design, they were opposite each other. If one was open, the other couldn't be open, and with a large family, this became a constant source of aggravation.

View More Kitchen Design Projects for Clients in Wisconsin

There was another functionality and aesthetic issue that needed to be addressed. The original kitchen design included a two-level island with an applied stone facing. It also had an organic curvy shape that didn't do a good job of accommodating the family. We wanted to salvage the flooring, and we were not sure if the stone was removable.

Thanks to the careful planning of the design team, and expert craftsmanship, we were able to remove the stone and clean and refurbish a portion of the floor. Our re-design transformed the island in a way that helped solve all of the functional issues in the kitchen!

Our new kitchen design moved and expanded the island toward the family room by a couple of feet. This allowed the dishwasher to be placed to the left of the sink, resolving the conflict. To keep the project on budget, we left the sink, range, refrigerator, and corner pantry in the same place as the original design.

Functionality Meets Aesthetics

By addressing the initial functional and flow issues with the kitchen, we were able to turn to the aesthetic design. Derek and Julie wanted a clean, bright kitchen. To open up and brighten the space, we used white Amish cabinetry handcrafted in Wisconsin with shaker doors in pure white around the kitchen's perimeter. We also extended the cabinets to the ceiling, with a top row of illuminated cabinets with glass doors. 

The addition of two-tier crown molding provides a distinctive horizontal line while keeping the main cabinetry below usable and reachable. The result is a kitchen that is bright and cheerful. The white custom cabinetry and stunning Daitile Carrara Veil quartz stand in beautiful contrast to the dark-stained, textured wood floors. 

Now that the functional challenges of the design were met, we could focus on the aesthetics. The kitchen is much more than a typical white kitchen. We brought in a pop of natural wood at the range. The range hood creates a visual focal point with a bold horizontal line of stained maple wrapped around the bottom edge of the vent hood cabinet. 

White MSI Highland Park 3x6-inch subway tile surrounds the room from left to right and continues behind the range hood to the ceiling. There is also a Dover gray MSI Highland Park tile accent at the range hood with 1x3-inch. The tile is installed in a herringbone pattern and to add to the design, we used carefully chosen grout colors. The white tile features a contrasting gray grout and the gray tile has a light grout tying the design together visually.

Finally, to add one more pop of color to our design, the back of the island uses a vibrant navy blue color. It is a perfect choice to add color to the space without being overwhelming, making our design timeless, not trendy.

An Under Budget Kitchen Leads To A Family Room Transformation

Because we delivered a beautifully transformed kitchen at the lower end of the client's budget range, Derek and Julie decided to continue their project to include an update to the family room. In the original design, the fireplace had cabinetry that matched the original kitchen cabinets. 

The shaker-style doors were still in excellent shape, as were the wooden countertops. The fireplace cabinetry was painted to match the new kitchen cabinets, which transformed the look of the family room. The horizontal line of the wood countertop echoes the line of the stained maple wood at the range hood, directly opposite it. We left the wood shelves in the left bookcase stained the same color as the mantle. This was the perfect design decision tying the kitchen and family room designs together.

The Bottom Line In Kitchen Design

The result? We created a contemporary, highly functional, and aesthetically beautiful kitchen. The space was transformed from a dark, unaccommodating room, into a bright and cheerful space with the perfect amount of contrast and a bright pop of color! By keeping the appliances in their original locations and moving the island to open the room, we could extend the project's scope to include the family room. The new family room ties in perfectly with the kitchen design and feels transformed. 

All in all, a successful project that our clients love and are beautiful, functional, and full of value! If you’d like to see more photos of the project, click here.

Are you seeking a new kitchen design for a home in the greater Madison Wisconsin area, give the expert designers at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call at (608) 846-5963. We work closely with our clients to provide a timeless kitchen design that meets all of their functional needs and looks beautiful!

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 9/28/2022.