INTERIOR DESIGN
Open Kitchen with Golf Views
“BEST KITCHEN IN THE $60,000 TO $100,000” RANGE | BY JOHN BYRD
A kitchen enlargement and floorplan reconfiguration in a home situated next to a golf course has won a “Contractor of the Year” (COTY) for Michael Nash Design Build and Homes.
The makeover to an Ashburn residence was named “Best Kitchen in the $60,000 to $100,000” range by the National Association of Remodeling Contractors (NARI) metro DC chapter. Among other strategies, the remodeler eliminated an obstructive interior bearing wall, merged the existing kitchen with an adjacent porch, established a dramatic sightline linkage to the golf course, and gained wall surface for cabinets by deleting a dysfunctional pantry.
“A family kitchen is always a fulfilling assignment; it really keeps us in touch with how families interact; it’s an arena where our skills are especially well-applied.” –Sonny Nazemian
In accepting the “best kitchen” kudos, Michael Nash founder and president Sonny Nazemian praised his company’s design team and their practiced, 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 the components of our business model, which allows us to routinely outperform our client’s budget.”
In the case of the recent “best kitchen” winner, grappling with a floorplan ill suited to the homeowner’s emerging needs was the principal challenge.
“The owners were looking for both functional and aesthetic improvements,” Nazemian recalls. “They had decided that the sunroom adjacent to the kitchen which featured a stunning view of the golf course didn’t need to be a separate room since they used it as a dining area for much of the year.”
There was even a “pass-thru” between the kitchen and the porch–the main problem being that it was within a bearing wall encased with plumbing and other
ducting that routed to the second floor.
What to do?
“Since the home’s second floor rested on a midhouse bearing wall,” Nazemian explains, “we proposed alternative structural supports that would allow us to access more square footage inside the envelop of the existing home.”
In a nutshell, the Michael Nash engineers re-routed the HVAC, plumbing and electrical conduits, installed vertical supports attached to recessed horizontal steel I-beams, then shifted second floor loads to the new infrastructure and removed the offending wall.
The plan converts the former sunroom into an extension of the kitchen which now functions as a breakfast room.
With the bearing wall eliminated, new mahogany hardwood was installed to seamlessly connect the kitchen with the entire first level. Designers relocated the new dinette set into a spot still closer to the rolling view. Re-routing an air-return vent allowed the team to eliminate an obstructing knee wall and better unify the family room to the new kitchen great room.
The space plan called for: mid-kitchen food prep Island and dining counter; better locations for a new sink, two dishwashers, microwave, ice maker; developing
wall surfaces appropriate to adding capacious cabinetry; and designing activity zones where family and friends would gather, interacting easily with the cook.
To optimize the accessibility of a commerciallysized refrigerator/freezer, pantries and double oven, the design team re-deployed the room’s south wall. Shifting the entrance to the dining room generated the wall surface needed for a 48” range top crowned with decorative tapered custom hood and surrounded by an exquisitely articulated layered tile backsplash.
Among the most impressive interior design features: enchanting triple decorative chandeliers; an island and dining counter surfaced in an exotic white veined quartz countertop; and glass-facing backlit cabinets.
In short: a crisp, clean look in all directions.
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.”
“Since most of our projects are executed by Michael Nash employees, we’re able to offer fixed-price contracts.” –Sonny Nazemian