A Major Update For This 1980s Arboretum Neighborhood Kitchen

Our clients Adam and Britney are doctors completing their residency on the West Coast and preparing to return home to Madison, where they both grew up. We had the pleasure of recently undertaking a whole home remodel on their beautiful 1980s contemporary in Madison's private and prestigious Arboretum Neighborhood. 

They contacted us after a referral from their realtor and said they were coming home to settle into their careers and were ready to commit to an amazing home with our help. They came to us with an extensive wish list for their new home. It encompassed a complete remodel and interior design makeover to transform the 1980s contemporary into a modern, mountain industrial home, with the feeling of a Utah mountain home, but not a typical cabin.

Their vision was for a complete update of the entire home that includes two and a half bathrooms, repurposing two screen porches, updating the rarely used solarium, a kitchen remodel, and reconfiguring the flow and functionality of the first-floor living space.

In this post, we'll look at the challenges and changes we made in this kitchen remodel to transform this 1980s kitchen into a modern functional space ready for the 21st century.

Challenges and Solutions to an Extensive Kitchen Remodel

While here at Degnan, we have been set up doing video meetings for several years. Immediately after our first video meeting together, the world was shut down because of the coronavirus. We understood that this would make the situation more challenging but, our clients were moving back to their hometown no matter what, with dreams of creating the perfect home.

All of the design and contract negotiations happened remotely. We were scheduled to meet in person for interior design and product selections. However, COVID caused their flight to be canceled, and they could not reschedule a time for this in-person meeting. As a result, all of our selections and interior design happened remotely. While it's now commonplace for companies to conduct video meetings, these clients were one of only two jobs where we never met in person until the job was underway! A great deal of trust and preparation is needed for a successful remodeling experience like this.

They desired to create the feeling of a modern mountain industrial home, something like you'd see in the Utah mountains. The long sloping rooflines of this home were perfect for that feeling, ensuring that the interior and exterior would be integrated when the project was complete.

The homeowners had a goal to let the home speak for itself in its design and functional elements. They felt that those should be the focal points of the interior design. They requested that we use and incorporate natural materials and bring outdoor materials indoors like stone, wood, and metal.

Updating 1980s Style To Meet Today's Living Standards

The kitchen is the heart of the home. Our clients wanted to update the space to improve the flow and functionality of their home, especially in the kitchen. Their vision was to improve the functionality while maintaining the clean lines of the original design. 

The original kitchen space was dark, disjointed, and isolated from the other main living areas of the home. While functional in the 1980s, the kitchen needed a major update to bring it into the 21st century by today's standards.

To achieve the look and functionality Adam and Britney wanted, we opened up the living space. We removed half walls in the loft and stairway to create a more modern vibe and an open floorplan. The space became more open and light-filled by connecting the once dark kitchen to the adjoining dining, media, and living rooms.

Creating a Modern Kitchen For Today's Lifestyle 

After opening the living space, we set about our kitchen remodel, redesigning the kitchen to meet the functional needs of 21st-century living. Our floor plan took advantage of the now open space to offer improved flow and better entertaining possibilities. 

The kitchen also had a screened porch off the back, complete with beautiful views, but only a single door connecting it. The new open floor plan creates expansive views of the interior. The new Andersen 9' multi-hinge patio door connects the kitchen to the new Dining Porch, creating a true indoor/outdoor living experience.

Adding Improved Functionality

Our design replaced the original dated cabinetry with new Northern Classics cabinets from Wisconsin Building Supply. For the base cabinets, we chose maple cabinetry stained a dark Java with modern slab doors. The countertops are a stunning edge-grain walnut butcher block in a natural finish from Southside Workshop in Chicago. The counter effectively met the client's needs for bringing natural materials into the home.

We also chose Northern Classics maple cabinetry with glass front doors for the uppers cabinets to make the room feel even more open. To complete the kitchen's functionality, the homeowner selected a high-end appliance suite from Thermador. The package includes a French door bottom freezer/refrigerator, a 30-inch Pro Harmony Dual Fuel Range, an Emerald Dishwasher, and a built-in Microwave Drawer.

Upgrading Aesthetics With A Kitchen Remodel

We added elegance with the cabinet hardware by Rochdale. It's from the Amerock Collection in graphite and satin nickel. To finish the aesthetic profile of the space, we added a stunning and luxurious backsplash. It is a 3x6-inch glazed ceramic subway tile By Color Wheel Classic in Arctic White. It is set in an offset brick pattern. The Bostik charcoal black grout creates a stunning contrast while tying in perfectly with the dark-stained cabinetry and natural walnut countertops.

The new kitchen remodel meets all the needs and checked off all the boxes for Adam and Britney. From creating an open space perfect for entertaining to opening up the house by creating an indoor/outdoor flow while highlighting the home's existing details and bringing in natural materials, this kitchen is the perfect heart of this special home!

Working with a design-build firm for your kitchen remodel is a great choice. If you live in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area and are planning a remodeling project, give the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call at (608) 846-5963. Their award-winning design team is ready to help you realize your creative vision. Call today and arrange a free consultation to discuss your upcoming project.

Award-Winning Project: We are proud to announce that this remodel has won the 2021 NARI Madison CotY award, and the NARI Regional Award, in Residential Interior $250K - $500K.

Click here to see additional photos of this completed project!