Once a cramped, walled off room with limited natural lighting, this Lake Stevens kitchen now benefits from an open concept and expansive lake views thanks to renovations led by Kelly DuByne of Distinctive Interior Designs. DuByne delivered a design that reflects ample input from the homeowners and rings true to the home’s 1960s mid-century architecture.
DuByne said that her first impression of the kitchen was that it was dark and dated, with very low, old cabinets outfitted with soffits. She focused initial design conversations on replacing the cabinetry. “When we’re selecting products for a kitchen remodel, I generally start with cabinets, because that is the material you see mostly,” she said. “So I help homeowners make their selection and then we work from there.”
She looked to one of her preferred vendors, Architectural Cabinets in Arlington, the oldest cabinet shop in Snohomish County, to design custom bamboo cabinetry with golden undertones and sturdy contemporary cabinet pulls with similar tones. She and her clients visited the showroom to select wood finishes and discuss custom details. One of their main requests was for a built-in espresso machine, and the custom cabinetry design even included a slender drawer that pulls out below the espresso machine to offer a countertop surface for preparing coffee. “It was all custom,” DuByne said. “That was a really special feature.”
Architectural Cabinets also built the kitchen island’s pillars to match the cabinets and trimmed them with cherry, as well as the cherry light box that illuminates the island, which was designed with input from the homeowners, who wanted industrial style lighting with metal rods.
DuByne worked with a structural engineer to design the load-bearing pillars, which took the place of a wall that blocked the kitchen from the rest of the main floor and its wall of windows that offered a premier view of Lake Stevens. She honored the homeowners’ wishes and incorporated into the design the kitchen’s original brick wall. The wall’s reverse is a brick fireplace. A piece of glass protects the brick behind the stove.
“My clients were comfortable mixing and matching finishes, which is kind of fun,” DuByne said. “I’m always happy to do that. I don’t like things to look too precise or over-thought.”
For example, the kitchen’s faucets are in stainless steel, while the cabinet pulls are a bronze finish and the bar stools are white vinyl with a chrome finish. A blue glass mosaic tile was selected for the backsplash and DuByne transformed the backsplash into an accent wall by taking tiling the wall to the ceiling. A white quartz countertop brightens the space.
Several custom details add a luxurious feel to the kitchen, including the under cabinet toe lights and heated tile floors. Combined with the built-in espresso machine, this kitchen makes for a mighty fine place to fix a steaming cup of morning coffee, while standing in warmth and comfort.
Interior Design Founder Kelly DuByne, Distinctive Interior Designs, Lake Stevens, distinctiveinteriordesigns.net
Cabinetry Architectural Cabinets, architecturalcabinets.com
Photography Distinctive Interior Designs / Jeff Krewson
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