Gourmet Kitchen
Michael Nash Makeover Named Category Best in Eleven States in 11 Southern States
For an inspired cook, there is no substitute for a well-designed kitchen.
For homeowner, Philip Breddy, though, his new custom kitchen’s particular relevance is how completely it fulfills a vision that began when he recognized that the 5,000 square foot Great Falls home he had purchased didn’t adequately support his passion for culinary art.
“I had been thinking about improving the kitchen since we bought the house three years before,” Breddy says. “As a lifelong cooking enthusiast, the restricted space was a problem– but then I didn’t like the aesthetics either, so we were just gathering ideas, looking for inspiration.”
As it happened, a chance visit to the Michael Nash showroom in Fairfax soon reignited Breddy’s still formulating plans. “There were so many relevant kitchen displays,” Breddy recalls. “Before we left, I had scheduled an appointment with the president, Sonny Nazemian.”
As Breddy tells it, Nazemian–who is a certified remodeler (CR), certified interior designer (CID) and certified kitchen and bath remodeler (CKBD)–established his bona fides as space planner shortly after seeing the house for the first time:
“Once we both saw that the professional caliber stove and hood I wanted would have to be attached to the wall between the kitchen and the utility room, Sonny developed a plan for moving the rear elevation further out onto the back deck. I would also need more space for a larger refrigerator, and a substantial food preparation island.”
To create the needed square footage, Nazemian proposed expanding the existing footprint in two directions. First, he would remove the home’s west-facing rear elevation and install an I-beam mounted on vertical shafts to support the second floor. The new elevation now extends the back of the house over 150 square feet.
Kitchen Island
The Breddy gourmet kitchen began with an analysis of square footage requirements for adding 4’x8′ food prep island, a 6 burner gas range and 72″ refrigerator & freezer. Ultimately, Michael Nash president and founder Sonny Nazemian proposed relocating the west-facing rear elevation four feet back onto a rear deck, adding over 150 feet of enclosed usable space. Removing ceiling-flush bulk-heading allowed for taller cabinets and a 20% increase in storage capacity.
Secondly, the remodeler deleted the pantry in the wall between the kitchen and dining room, claiming an additional 50 square of usable space inside the perimeter of the existing kitchen.
Revising the rear elevation also allowed the design team to remove ceiling-flush bulkheads housing plumbing and electrical. The conduits were re-routed up from the basement and joined to both a pot-filler above the new range oven as well as a work sink in the food prep island.
Increased headroom permitted space for taller cabinets– in fact, a welcome 20% boost in storage capacity. To improve visual linkage to the backyard, the new rear elevation features a 4’ x 15’ bay window above the sink. French doors with sidelights–replacing the former picture window– further increased available light and provide inviting access to a back deck.
Meanwhile, the niche formed by the pantry removal handily accommodates: a 72” refrigerator/ freezer, two new floorto-ceiling pantries, a beverage center with wine refrigerator and built-in cubbies, and a serving station a few steps from the formal dining room.
Overall, the plan unfolds “generously” in every every direction, Breddy notes. “It’s a place where we can entertain,” he adds, “and it works beautifully for that purpose. It’s also where the kids do homework while meals are being prepared.”
With the food prep island completing one leg in a work triangle that includes a clean-up station and the 6 burner gas range oven, the step-saving configuration facilitates all essential cooking and clean-up tasks.
Better yet, while all the cookware, food products and spices needed to explore sundry culinary styles are just a few feet of the cook’s work station, there’s an abundance of surfaces for allowing a dish to quietly marinate, gel or congeal.
“There’s a place for my cast iron wok; all the heavier serving dishes have their own drawers; even scrub brushes are independently stored, and out of view.”
Apart from its sublime functionality, Breddy says the new kitchen’s “transitional” style interior design conveys a particularly pleasing ambiance.
Kitchen Sinks
The cook’s work triangle is formed by a rear-facing clean-up zone, an interior wall with a six burner stove and griddle, and a food prep island with sink and built-in cutting board. The step-saving configuration facilitates all essential cooking and clean-up tasks.
Kitchen Stove
The “transitional-style” interior design scheme emphasizes textures and muted tones in conjunction with the stainless steel facings of key appliances. At Breddy’s request, Nazemian found a way to “hone” the Italian granite counter surfaces. The backsplash is a slightly “tumbled” Travertine tile
Kitchen – Outside
Designers replaced a picture window with French doors that open directly to the deck. Effectively framing focal points within the property’s leafy backyard was critical to the kitchen’s aesthetic success.