Pull-out cutting board

Our clients came to us wanting to update and open up their kitchen, breakfast nook, wet bar, and den. They wanted a cleaner look without clutter but didn’t want to go with an all-white kitchen, fearing it’s too trendy. Their kitchen was not utilized well and was not aesthetically appealing; it was very ornate and dark. The cooktop was too far back in the kitchen towards the butler’s pantry, making it awkward when cooking, so they knew they wanted that moved. The rest was left up to our designer to overcome these obstacles and give them their dream kitchen. We gutted the kitchen cabinets, including the built-in china cabinet and all finishes. The pony wall that once separated the kitchen from the den (and also housed the sink, dishwasher, and ice maker) was removed, and those appliances were relocated to the new large island, which had a ton of storage and a 15” overhang for bar seating. Beautiful aged brass Quebec 6-light pendants were hung above the island. All cabinets were replaced and drawers were designed to maximize storage. The Eclipse “Greensboro” cabinetry was painted gray with satin brass Emtek Mod Hex “Urban Modern” pulls. A large banquet seating area was added where the stand-alone kitchen table once sat. The main wall was covered with 20x20 white Golwoo tile. The backsplash in the kitchen and the banquette accent tile was a contemporary coordinating Tempesta Neve polished Wheaton mosaic marble. In the wet bar, they wanted to completely gut and replace everything! The overhang was useless and it was closed off with a large bar that they wanted to be opened up, so we leveled out the ceilings and filled in the original doorway into the bar in order for the flow into the kitchen and living room more natural. We gutted all cabinets, plumbing, appliances, light fixtures, and the pass-through pony wall. A beautiful backsplash was installed using Nova Hex Graphite ceramic mosaic 5x5 tile. A 15” overhang was added at the counter for bar seating. In the den, they hated the brick fireplace and wanted a less rustic look. The original mantel was very bulky and dark, whereas they preferred a more rectangular firebox opening, if possible. We removed the fireplace and surrounding hearth, brick, and trim, as well as the built-in cabinets. The new fireplace was flush with the wall and surrounded with Tempesta Neve Polished Marble 8x20 installed in a Herringbone pattern. The TV was hung above the fireplace and floating shelves were added to the surrounding walls for photographs and artwork. They wanted to completely gut and replace everything in the powder bath, so we started by adding blocking in the wall for the new floating cabinet and a white vessel sink. Black Boardwalk Charcoal Hex Porcelain mosaic 2x2 tile was used on the bathroom floor; coordinating with a contemporary “Cleopatra Silver Amalfi” black glass 2x4 mosaic wall tile. Two Schoolhouse Electric “Isaac” short arm brass sconces were added above the aged brass metal framed hexagon mirror. The countertops used in here, as well as the kitchen and bar, were Elements quartz “White Lightning.” We refinished all existing wood floors downstairs with hand scraped with the grain. Our clients absolutely love their new space with its ease of organization and functionality.

Jessica Glynn Photography

Kowalske Kitchen & Bath remodeled this Delafield home in the Mulberry Grove neighborhood. The renovation included the kitchen, the fireplace tile and adding hardwood flooring to the entire first floor. Although the layout of the kitchen remained similar, we made smart changes to increase functionality. We removed the soffits to open the space and make room for taller cabinets to the ceiling. We reconfigured the appliances for extra prep space and added storage with rollouts and more drawers. The design is a classic, timeless look with white shaker cabinets, grey quartz counters and carrara marble subway tile backsplash. To give the space a trendy vibe, we used fun lighting, matte black fixtures and open shelving.

Alan Blakely

Request Cabinet Quote from Showcase Kitchens Photography by: Erika Bierman

This French Country kitchen features a large island with butcher block countertops, black cabinetry with brass hardware, and open shelving.

Photo by Kip Dawkins

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Vintage Timberworks supplied the reclaimed wood beams in this beautiful Malibu home. The beams are antique hand hewn barn beams in various sizes from 6x6 through 8x8. Architect: Paul Brant Williger

Mike Tuell