
HOME REMODELING
ASHBURN MAKEOVER THE BEST
re-configured kitchen wins CoTY award | By John Byrd
A space plan reconfiguration and makeover in an Ashburn residence has won a National “Contractor of the Year” (COTY) award for Michael Nash Design Build and Homes. The innovative design solution was judged the nation’s top kitchen remodel within a prescribed budget range by the National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI).
Among other space enhancement strategies, the remodeler converted a seldom-used breakfast room into a gourmet kitchen, removed a bearing wall between the new kitchen and adjacent two-level family room, introduced a food prep island and dining counter which seats six and formed a new dining room adjacent to a butler’s pantry that features custom-designed cabinetry.
The new living space now accommodates a professional-caliber cooktop range, a double door refrigerator/ freezer, a butler’s pantry equipped with wine refrigerator, a farm sink and many other amenities. The interior design is articulated in a warm “transitional-style” that balances traditional detailing with well-developed sight lines and a bold indoor-outdoor visual continuum.
Taken as a whole, the makeover transforms a poorly conceived first-level floor plan into a generous suite of rooms that segues directly to an open family room and re-located dining room.
In accepting the “best kitchen” honors, Michael Nash founder and president Sonny Nazemian praised his company’s design team and their cost-sensitive approach to helping homeowners make effective home improvement decisions.
“Since most of our projects are executed by Michael Nash employees, we’re able to offer fixed-price contracts,” Nazemian discloses. “Customers can select finish work materials from our showroom at-cost. These are among those components of our business model that allows us to consistently outperform our client’s budget.”
In the case of the recent “best kitchen” winner, grappling with a first-level plan ill-suited to the home-owner’s needs was the principal challenge.
“Most of our projects are executed by our employees, so we’re able to offer fixed price contracts; our customers can select finish work materials from our showroom at-cost.”
-Sonny Nazemian
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“The owners had purchased a model home, but soon realized the floorplan didn’t really work for them. This was partly because they had concluded that the kitchen was in the wrong part of the house,” Nazemian recalls. “ Our plan proposed switching-out the mid-house kitch – en footprint with square footage then-allocated for a sel – dom-used breakfast room to the left of the family room. The revisions added both square footage and natural light to the kitchen. It also opened up a contiguous relationship with the adjacent family room which features a two-level stone hearth.”
Other challenges: the existing cooktop island didn’t provide an adequate meal preparation surface; kitchen work triangles were space-restricted; severely limited storage; nondescript wall elevations and equally undistinguished tiling and backsplashes.
Executing the envisioned spatial reconfiguration was the real challenge from the outset, however.
“We began developing a working solution on my first visit,” Nazemian says. “ It was clear we could gain a much more expansive spatial presentation by removing a bearing wall between the family room and breakfast room, and reconfiguring the breakfast room as the footprint for the new kitchen.”
Following an on-site examination of owner needs, the Michael Nash design team proposed a re-configured first-level plan which incorporates the unneeded breakfast zone while co-opting enough square footage from an adjacent pantry to form the footprint for a far more personalized kitchen.

Page 45: Nation’s best kitchen remodel. A space plan reconfiguration and makeover in an Ashburn home has won a National “Contractor of the Year” (COTY) award for Michael Nash Design Build and Homes. The renovation was named the nation’s top kitchen remodel within a prescribed budget by the National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI).
Above: The “open” plan developed by Michael Nash establishes a much more functional relationship between the kitchen, family room and new dining room, while the custom-designed island supports food preparation, in-kitchen dining and food service to other first-level gathering places. The remodeler converted a seldom-used back-facing breakfast room into a spacious gourmet kitchen, removed a bearing wall between the new kitchen and an adjacent two-level family room and introduced a food prep island and dining counter which seats six.
Opposite: A load-bearing wall between the old breakfast room and two-story family was removed, while panel-encased steel beams mounted on vertical supports now hold up the second floor, opening-up visual linkage between the kitchen and rest of the house. A butler’s pantry and wine refrigerator is within an easy reach. The new plan greatly enhances family entertainment. Photography by June Stanich
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Deleting two bearing walls, the remodeler repositioned the main sink under large south-facing windows, opening up dramatic visual linkage to the backyard.
A load bearing wall between the old breakfast room and adjacent two-story family room was removed. In its place, a steel beam mounted on vertical supports now holds up the second floor, creating an open, expansive connection between the kitchen and the rest of the home. The design team next introduced a large island with prep sink, microwave and dining counter circumscribed by seating for six.
The solution, again, directly addresses owner requirements which had never previously been explored.
A six-burner gas cooktop positioned under a decorative arched hood and flanked by custom-designed glass-facing cabinets is the kitchen’s new focal point. The island component is perfectly integrated into a series of cleverly conceived work triangles that simplify kitchen circulation and work flow.
What results is an “open” plan with clearly defined activity zones within a visual continuum. The spacious new interior allows all to enjoy private pursuits while maintaining eye-contact with other parts of the suite.
“A family kitchen is always a fulfilling assignment,” Nazemian says. “It really keeps us in touch with how families interact. It’s an arena where our skills are especially well-applied.”

“A family kitchen is always a fulfilling assignment,” Nazemian says. “It really keeps us in touch with how families interact. It’s an arena where our skills are especially well-applied.”

The changes dramatically improved the functioning of a comparatively tight footprint which also found square footage for a guest room suite. With its eye-catching glass-tile backsplash, pin-drop pendant lights and espresso cabinetry, the bar is an elegant jewel amidst a panorama of gray undertones set off by wide-plank engineered flooring.
The linear gas fireplace and floating hearth under the home theater screen are at the center of a warmly inviting niche well-suited for family gatherings.