Miller Kitchen

The Miller kitchen was one that I worked on this fall with Philip, another designer here at Ed Lank Kitchens.  The Millers were an older couple that wanted to remodel their kitchen while they went to their place in Florida and didn't have to deal with the mess of the project.  They couldn't have been nicer to work with and they allowed us to make a lot of decisions for them, which made the design process so much easier.  Their old kitchen was really run down and dated.  They had half tile and half carpet, and an eating table in the space, along with a lot of other antiques.  It felt dark and cramped, so we wanted to give them the complete opposite.  We selected a traditional raised panel door style with Antique White paint on Maple wood.  The countertops are quartz and the backsplash is glass tile with pewter accent tiles.  They had a railing seperating the existing eating area and their new living space that they had rescently remodeled.  We took out the railing and put in a partial wall and put matching paneling on either side of it with a piece of countertop on it to keep the seperation of spaces.  We moved the refrigerator away from in front of the basement door to help with traffic flow and open things up.  We also added an island with seating for two so that they can still eat in their kitchen when they want.  This kitchen has a lot of hidden accessories like a double pull-out trash can, cutlery dividers, pull-out spice storage, pull-out vegetable bins, and we even hid their telephone in an end cabinet to keep it off of the countertop.  The Millers were so excited to come home and see their new kitchen and they were very pleased with the outcome, as was I!

Before the remodel:

After the remodel:



My Inspirations...

I can take only so much credit for my designs.  I am inspired by so many magazines and online design websites, so I thought I would share a few with you.  A few of the magazines that I subscribe to or pick up when I can are, "Kitchen Trends" "Great American Kitchens", "Architectural Digest", and the "NKBA Magazine".  The websites that I frequent for ideas and inspiration are http://www.houzz.com/, http://www.hgtv.com/ (Candice Olsen is a genious!), http://www.fantastickitchensonline.com/ (which I have two kitchens on their website!), and a lot of times I just do an image google search for the particular things that I need inspiration on.  I have been trying to make a "cut file", which is basically a three-ring binder, of the kitchens and bathrooms that I like from the magazines that I get.  That way when I get stuck on a design, I can go through that and can usually find a solution to a problem I have or and inspiration at least to get me going. 

Bower Kitchen

The Bower kitchen was one that I worked on earlier in 2010.  As you can see from the before and after pictures, I eliminated her peninsula and gave her an island.  An island always helps with traffic flow and opens up the space more.  She wanted a two-toned look, as well, so going with the island allowed for that.  I picked up the light paint of the island in the crown molding treatment and some accent cabinets to try to bring the two together more.  She was very concerned with her granite selection, which I had little to do with.  The countertop company she chose decided to extend the ends of the granite to the door casing, which I would not have recommended, but it was what she wanted...you can't make people do what you want all the time!  Whitco Home Furnishings did their backsplash and floor tile and it turned out great!

Before the remodel:

After the remodel:



Nelms Kitchen

When my good friends Jake and Andrea Nelms approached me about remodeling their kitchen I was beyond excited!  I knew they would be great to work with and that we could come up with the perfect kitchen for them and their growing family.  Another contractor had suggested flipping the kitchen around and closing an existing entrance and making a new one...what a great idea!  So that is what we did!  This was a top to bottom remodel for the Nelms kitchen.  We tore out the existing kitchen and started over in the opposite corner of the room, once the existing opening was closed off.  New tile flooring, cabinetry, countertops, lighting, and tile backsplash were all selected.  One of the things we did that really helped with the space of the kitchen was to change the existing french doors to the porch into a sliding door, so that we didn't have to contend with a door swing in the kitchen anymore.  To me, the element that really sets this kitchen off is the tile backsplash.  The glass tile listello and the framed piece behind the range bring all of the finishes together.  We chose a neutral taupe for the walls, as to not distract from the countertops or backsplash.  I think it turned out beautifully and it was so much fun working with the Nelms!

Before the remodel:

After the remodel:

Jovanelly Kitchen

I was fortunate enough to work on my sister's kitchen for her.  She and Nate were very open to trying new things and to my suggestions for finishes.  We ended up with a dark cherry cabinet with a contemporary door style.  The "Costa Smerelda" granite that was chosen is really the jewel of the kitchen.  It has beautiful veining, like that of marble.  It is the "light" that the dark finish on the cabinets needed to set everything off.  We decided to keep the soffits to stay within their budget and made a last minute decision to tear out the existing built-in pantry and go with a matching pantry cabinet.  This allowed us to move the refrigerator to the end and make a lot more room for the dishwasher to open.  We then selected a pale yellow paint color for the walls to bring out the veining in the granite.

Before remodel:

After the remodel:

Huck Mantle

Here is the finished product for the Huck mantle and bookcases.  She decided to go with a Maple wood with a stained and glazed finish, and I have to say that I am glad we changed it from the dark cherry. 

Bennett Kitchen- Chattanooga, TN

I designed this kitchen for the Bennett's while I was working in TN.  She told me later that I got the job because of the display case that I designed that seperated the kitchen from the sitting area.  This was cherry wood with a painted finish with heavy distressing with black painted accents, also with heavy distressing.  I wasn't able to get finished pictures due to the fact that the jobsite was about 2 hours drive from Knoxville.

Lalley Kitchen- Towson, MD

These are from the Lalley kitchen that I did in conjunction with Stone Roots, Inc., the company that did the custom concrete countertop.  The client wanted a transitional look for his kitchen with a "wow" piece for the island.  I think we achieved that with the 7" thick concrete countertop.  Thanks Tony & Ben!

Internship Project- My mom's kitchen

How I got into Kitchen design and then some

My background and how I got into kitchen design....let's start at the very beginning.  It is actually in my blood to be designing kitchens.  My grandfather was a woodworker, my cousin is a woodworker, and, not a blood relative, my husband actually went to school for finished carpentry.  My grandparents lived in Kreamer, PA, right across the street from what is now Wood Mode, the custom cabinet manufacturer.  My great-grandfather actually owned the planing mill, Kreamer Planing Mill, that he eventually sold and is now Wood Mode.  So, needless to say, I have always known of Wood Mode and their quality cabinetry. 

I grew up not really knowing what I wanted to do as a career, so when it came time to go to college and select a major I knew I loved art and trying new things out with my bedroom, so I chose interior design as my major.  During my junior year in college I decided to do an internship for credit.  I had always been interested in kitchen design, so I did my internship at Advanced Kitchens in Mechanicsburg, PA.  During my internship, I was given the opportunity to do my mom's kitchen as my project.  It turned out beautifully, and from then on I was hooked.  My senior year in college I was told by a professor that I should reconsider being a kitchen designer and try a different focus, like lighting, because kitchen designers don't make any  money.  Well, at that point I not only decided that I didn't like that professor, but I didn't care about how much money I made as long as I was happy going to work every day. 

I was fortunate enough to get into a high-end kitchen design studio when I moved to Knoxville, TN, so the money thing wasn't really an issue.  I worked at Standard Kitchen in Knoxville, and sold Mouser Custom Cabinetry with some of the most talented designers I have ever met.  The designers I worked with became my family while I was there.  I had so much fun going on trips to Chicago, Atlanta, and even Las Vegas with them!  We would go to the National Kitchen and Bath show every year and we even go to go to market in Atlanta to accessorize the new showroom.  Through those trips I was able to see the latest and greatest in design and when I got back I was inspired and refreshed.  I miss my Knoxville family and hope to visit them soon!

In 2008 Joe was given the opportunity to go into sales for his company, and that position change brought us up North to Baltimore, MD.  I knew that I wanted to sell Wood Mode cabinetry (see above), so I looked up who the local dealer was in Baltimore.  That took me to Kenwood Kitchens.  I, again, was so fortunate to be offered a job there.  I worked in their Abingdon, MD location while I was there.  After about a year, Joe and I had the opportunity to move our family back to Harrisburg, PA, and we had to take it.  So, once again, we packed up our family and moved.

Thankfully, there was a Wood Mode dealer in the area with an opening and I was offered the job, thanks to my previous knowledge of the product and design.  This brings me to where I am now, Ed Lank Kitchens in Lemoyne, PA.  I am designing and selling Wood Mode cabinetry and I couldn't be happier!  I am looking forward to the multiple jobs that I have designed that will be installed this summer.  Visit Ed Lank's website at http://www.edlank.com/.

Starting Up

Well, here we go!  I have decided to set up this blog to let people know what I am up to and a little bit about myself.  I have been in the kitchen and bath design industry for 5+ years now and I am even more inspired to design than ever.  I love looking at design blogs for inspiration, so hopefully mine will inspire someone else!  I am now back in the Harrisburg area and working for Ed Lank Kitchens in Lemoyne.  I am working on a bunch of really exciting designs that I would like to share with you.

This is the mantle and bookcases that I have designed for the Hucks.  We are going to be using custom burlwood inserts on the top section of the mantle, as well as in the angled panels on the base cabinets.  We originally thought of doing this in a cherry with a dark stain with a glaze, but now the homeowner is thinking a maple with a carmel stain with a glaze.  I will post the after pictures once it is installed.