Ernst | Plumb Line - No.5

THE

NO 5

KITCHEN EDITION

In our 38 years of building homeowners’ dreams, it almost goes without saying: the folks at Ernst Brothers + Builders have spent a lot of time in the kitchen. No, we don’t “create” kitchens in the sense that we design the unique cabinetry and countertops, perfect efficient custom layouts, choose appliances and finishes, and put it all together with precision installation. That magic belongs to the luxury kitchen designers and install teams.

So, what does Ernst contribute to the creation of a high-end, state-of-the-art kitchen? What critical tasks are important enough to bring in a luxury builder with our skills, expertise and reputation for exceptionally fine work?

It doesn’t get any better than that.

All nine of these kitchens were designed and installed by the team at Bluebell Fine Cabinetry & Design in Wayne, PA, and represent a variety of styles, challenges and homeowner objectives. Interior designers and architects frequently partner with Bluebell for the appealing results you’ll see in these pages. We are grateful for the opportunities to work with so many fine professionals.

Stay in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Here’s the truth: chances are, you won’t really notice where we’ve been and what we’ve done for that new bespoke kitchen— though you would know had we not been involved. That’s why we collected nine of our favorite Ernst kitchen projects in this Plumb Line: to point out where we had a hand in what you see here.

We don’t mind working behind the scenes, because we know those amazingly creative designers and artisan-quality installers we partner with are counting on us to perform our own kind of magic so their work really shines. Collectively, we build spaces that delight families and fulfill homeowners’ dreams.

Jake Taylor, Managing Partner

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P.S. Did you know that Ernst artisans worked with Bluebell Fine Cabinetry & Design’s installation team to complete that brand’s magnificent 5000sf, 6-display, state-of-the-art showroom and design studio in Wayne, PA? Bluebell and Ernst invite you to stop by and take a look!

Tim Ernst, Principal Owner

Joe Ernst, Principal Owner

A new kitchen is often the most complex element of a home build or renovation project because it involves installing or moving all the mechanicals, cabinets, major appliances and expanses of countertop! So many things can go wrong, such as fitting a cabinet around a heating vent, keeping the new refrigerator pristine while floors are refinished, installing subway tiles on an old, uneven plaster wall…

And that’s where Ernst comes in. We fit out the space so the kitchen installers can complete the designer’s and homeowner’s

vision. We oversee any demolition, build and remove walls, reroute existing and bring in new mechanicals, electrical and plumbing as needed. We install new windows and lighting, lay tile and floors, paint walls and ceilings, serve as construction advisor to the kitchen designers and installers. And we schedule and conduct our construction tasks (“sequencing”) so the fixtures and features of the new kitchen aren’t damaged by other work done by us or any general contractor.

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V i l l a n o v a , PA

C H A L L E N G E : S E A M L E S S I N S TA L L

AWARDWINNING DESIGN KITCHEN DESIGNER Bluebell FCD’s Lori Kurnitsky, NCIDQ

PHOTOGRAPHY Rebecca McAlpin

INTERIOR DESIGNER Michele Plachter Design

STYLING Michele Plachter Design

The rest of this home had already been beautifully appointed by interior designer Michele Plachter when the owners became enthusiastic about a contemporary kitchen redesign by Bluebell.

Although the award-winning* kitchen design called for no significant structural changes, the project required a reliable, organized and capable general contractor to set up the work site for Bluebell’s skilled kitchen installers.

carefully reviewed the appliance specifications to ensure that the rough electrical and plumbing were precisely located per the design documents and we repaired any walls that had been damaged. In collaboration with Michele and Lori, we tiled, wallpapered and installed new lighting.

And that’s where we came into the picture. While the clients were still occupying their home, we carefully demolished the old kitchen which included making sure the existing plumbing, HVAC and electrical lines were intact. We

We gave Bluebell’s installers a pristine work site with all mechanicals, electrical, and plumbing (MEP systems) exactly placed and walls ready for the new cabinets, fixtures and appliances.

After Bluebell’s precision install, Ernst crews returned to paint, check the MEP systems, finalize lighting and finish the new flooring we laid.

*Bluebell Fine Cabinetry & Design and its designer received acclaim as a national winner in the 2023 Kitchen & Bath Design Industry Award

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For a seamless project and a steady workflow, every phase from scheduling to demo to the final finishes must be coordinated.

That also falls to the general contractor, and it’s something Ernst does very well.

As Joe Barta, Bluebell’s lead installer, says, “There were no issues, and that’s the point!”

Our herringbone floor rivals the kitchen’s spectacular window, in our humble opinion.

To help protect the European white oak, which must be laid before the cabinets and appliances go in, we install the planks, sand it, apply stain and two finish coats— and make certain the floor is adequately covered to protect it during the remaining installation. We return when the installers are finished to apply the final coat.

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N e w H o p e , PA

CHALLENGE: PERFECT SYMMETRY

NEW-BUILD ESTATE KITCHEN DESIGNERS Bluebell FCD’s Pete Cardamone & Lori Kurnitsky, NCIDQ INTERIOR DESIGNER John Eric Sebesta Interiors

PHOTOGRAPHY Christian Garibaldi STYLING Kristi Hunter

ARCHITECT Archer & Buchanan Architecture

The owners were clear: they wanted us to build their new 10,000sf home to graciously accommodate them— cooks and foodies themselves— and their dogs, houseguests and the few or the many who joined them at their country estate for dinner, small parties, large events or massive catered galas. The kitchen needed to support whatever it was called on to do.

when a few choose to gather around its zoned task areas. But its superior efficiency really shines when a big event calls for more hands and greater output. The zones are even subtly color-coded: In a very loose sense, everything in dark wood is open to visitors and everything in the metallic finish and white counters belongs to the professionals.

We worked closely with the designers to create a dreamy kitchen that’s warm and inviting

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Designed for those who are passing through, lounging by the fire or participating in meal prep without getting in the way, this sitting area holds a spot between the dining room and the airy stair tower leading to the owners’ private quarters. Ernst installed hydronic radiant heat, one of our favorite features of this home, beneath the large-format limestone tile here and throughout the first floor.

The wood-burning Rumford fireplace was built by one of our expert stone masons. He used the same stone from the exterior of the home to bring the outside in.

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Amid our construction of the other 9000-plus square feet of this amazing home, Ernst fitted out the kitchen space to support the owners’ and designers’ goals. Our fanatical attention to detail ensured the symmetry you see here. For example, our plumbing roughouts had to work seamlessly with the cabinetry design and electrical lines as well as match up perfectly with the correct holes in the sink!

Ernst collaborated closely with the architect and Bluebell to make certain that the showpiece hood was accurately centered and would meet up correctly with its ceiling ductwork. Among our considerations was how the hood and ductwork (and electrical and more) could impact the room’s lighting plan which we created for the entire home.

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L o w e r G w y n e d d , PA

CHALLENGE: FULL RENO

LET THERE BE LIGHT

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KITCHEN DESIGNERS Bluebell FCD’s Pete Cardamone and Victor Fernandez

ARCHITECT R.A. Hoffman Architects

Our homeowners fell in love with their dated ’90s contemporary home, its views of nature and the quiet seclusion of four acres of woods and meadows. However, the entire structure was worn, the surrounding grounds were overgrown, and it had been vacant for two and a half years. With the setting playing so significant a role in their decision to buy, the couple planned a whole-house renovation that would bring the outdoors in through windows and light.

This was also to be a home that supported and encouraged the couple’s shared and individual interests and passions. To that end, Ernst built a studio for the artist and a dedicated workshop for the woodworker. And together, Ernst and Bluebell gave the chef of the pair a bright, open kitchen full of many custom extras to “feed” his culinary creativity.

PHOTOGRAPHY Rebecca McAlpin

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Below, the expanse of living spaces open out from the kitchen. Along with our typical tasks to fit out a kitchen—demo, moving and adding MEP systems, setting the stage for the kitchen install—Ernst crews provided more extensive construction assistance. We reframed the skylight well, removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room and renovated the fireplace with a plastered outside face and new gas-logs insert.

Beneath the handsome wide-plank European white oak flooring by reSAWN Timber Co. lies the hydronic infloor radiant heating system, both installed by Ernst in the kitchen and throughout the entire first floor.

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Along with the pendant and sconce fixtures seen above, we installed an owner-specified, advanced recessed Lutron lighting system throughout the first floor and kitchen. The system’s technology allows the homeowner to customize each light’s Kelvin to daylight, warm yellow or steps in between, individually or in groupings.

Ernst built the hood over the gas rangetop, plastering over wire mesh on a wooden frame.

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H a v e r f o r d , PA

CHALLENGE: STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

UNOBSTRUCTED LIVING KITCHEN DESIGNER Bluebell FCD’s Lori Kurnitsky, NCIDQ

PHOTOGRAPHY Rebecca McAlpin

INTERIOR DESIGNER Michele Plachter Design

STYLING Michele Plachter Design

ARCHITECT R.A. Hoffman Architects

While this century-old iconic stone home on Philadelphia’s Main Line held many historic and architecturally fine details worth celebrating and restoring, virtually none distinguished the outmoded and inconvenient kitchen. When Bluebell’s Pete Cardamone walked through the space, the first thing he noticed was an unsightly column in the middle of the kitchen that would greatly impede the vision he had for a more open, modern concept. While other builders said this structural support could not be removed, a determined Joe Ernst came up with a way to replace the

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offending column with a 27-foot steel beam concealed in the ceiling.

The result: designers were able to fulfill the homeowner’s desire for a spacious, bright and efficient kitchen and add the large butler’s pantry shown here.

Just another example of Ernst using the team’s rich construction experience to identify brilliant alternatives when told “that can’t be done.”

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Because we carefully curate all our materials and partner with the finest luxury manufacturers, we can often source items that work perfectly with a designer’s vision or a client’s dream. For example, the kitchen’s new flooring matches the wooden floors Ernst refinished throughout the home. The butler’s pantry features Ernstsourced iron and glass doors and sidelights that allow light from the room’s window to reach into the kitchen. And the informal breakfast nook features new efficient windows and patio doors supplied and installed by Ernst to keep the home comfy no matter what’s happening outside.

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Provincetown, MA

C H A L L E N G E : S PA C E C O N S T R A I N T S

KITCHEN + LIVING KITCHEN DESIGNER Bluebell FCD’s Lori Kurnitsky, NCIDQ

PHOTOGRAPHY Christian Garibaldi

INTERIOR DESIGNER JAGR Projects

STYLING Kristi Hunter

Ernst didn’t build this sweet 1200sf condo retreat in Provincetown, but we were responsible for making it fabulous. When the new owners bought it under frame, Ernst came on as construction manager for the unit, overseeing the original general contractor hired by the condominium’s developer.

In addition to upgrading fixtures and

finishes throughout the condo, we collaborated with Bluebell to give the home a luxury kitchen.

The distance from Bluebell’s and our home bases didn’t hinder our skilled team from fully fitting out the space or Bluebell from completing the kitchen installation to its usual high standards.

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In general, a spec builder will build the kitchen with stock cabinets, generic appliances and a design that’s universal in form and function. Unlike Ernst’s and Bluebell’s attention to detail, most builders don’t factor in less obvious features such as outlet placement, which are significant in a luxury kitchen. High-end appliances also require precision specifications for their plumbing and electrical rough-

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ins that don’t come into play with more common brands and models. Ernst’s kitchen site prep included all that thoughtful planning to accommodate the Bluebell kitchen; this would have been outside the scope of the developer’s general contractor.

Ahh. Put your feet up. Enjoy the gas fireplace and its fine-looking limestone surround. With the same quiet paint color and Ernst-installed wide-plank oak flooring in both spaces, the owners and their guests can relax in the living room and not feel as though they’re sitting in the kitchen. Just the way they wanted it.

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B a l a C y n w y d , PA

CHALLENGE: WORKSITE ACCESS

TWO BECOME ONE KITCHEN DESIGNER Bluebell FCD’s Lori Kurnitsky, NCIDQ

PHOTOGRAPHY Rebecca McAlpin

INTERIOR DESIGNER Michele Plachter Design

STYLING Michele Plachter Design

ARCHITECT Archer & Buchanan Architecture

Ernst usually builds and renovates single homes, but some of our most interesting projects have been differently situated: apartments and condominium-style residences.

These generally present construction, design and kitchen installation professionals with unique challenges we infrequently experience in building and renovating single-family homes.

Ernst was brought into this project to combine two smaller Bala Cynwyd condos to create a single larger unit with the glamorous yet

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bright and cozy kitchen shown here.

Two factors confronted both the designers at Bluebell and our team at Ernst. First, the third-floor job site had only a small service elevator for access. Second, the condo’s limited footprint increased the number of creative work-arounds required to accommodate existing MEP systems and curved walls.

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During demo and renovation, Ernst identified issues that could impact how Lori planned the kitchen, such as fitting the island around a baseboard heating unit. Meanwhile, the kitchen’s design dictated where Ernst installed electric and plumbing to serve the kitchen’s traffic flow and its placement of sink, cooktop, ovens, refrigeration, small appliances and lighting.

Because of the elevator limitations, the cabinetry was created in smaller pieces. Once the pieces were onsite, assembly by Bluebell’s installation team had a few extra steps. Ernst arranged for a crane to raise the island’s 10-foot solid slab of quartz to a third-floor window because the owner had her heart set on a seam-free countertop.

These are solutions that we’ve discovered some, even high-end, builders are reluctant to adopt.

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The homeowner liked a little glitz, so lightly antiqued mirror tiles form the backsplashes behind the integrated induction cooktop, the sink and in the butler’s pantry just off the kitchen. The mirrored surfaces reflect the light from the large window and golden pendant lights, helping to brighten the whole room.

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P h i l a d e l p h i a , PA

CHALLENGE: STRUCTURAL CHANGES

RITTENHOUSE REVIVAL KITCHEN DESIGNER Bluebell FCD’s Lori Kurnitsky, NCIDQ

PHOTOGRAPHY Christian Garibaldi

INTERIOR DESIGNER Shophouse Design

STYLING Kristi Hunter

ARCHITECT John Milner Architects

The four-story-plus brick home south of Rittenhouse Square is one of the much-coveted Federalstyle row homes that helped alter the Philadelphia cityscape in the decade during and following the Civil War. Over the years, this home underwent several modernizations that altered the interior. None, however, matched the massive remodel that Ernst undertook, which included a wholly new kitchen

by Bluebell.

The homeowners’ overall goal was to create a gracious and comfortable home with luxury amenities and custom features to suit their young family. Along with high-end appliances and finishes, their new kitchen needed a substantial seated dining space as well as plenty of zoned areas for kitchen-adjacent activities for the parents and young children, adaptable as the kids grew.

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In one major structural change, we raised the ceiling in the basement to give the owners off-street parking beneath the building, which benefited the kitchen design, too: The added 14 vertical inches provided a larger uniform floor level on which to create the new kitchen and dining area.

Old homes weren’t built to accommodate modern MEP systems. Few remodels fully “fix” this. In this case, Ernst developed innovative options to place both new and existing MEP systems where needed— within beams, above ceilings, behind baseboards and toe kicks. In some cases, upgrades to the utilities had to work with cabinetry design and placement.

Abundant purpose-designed cabinets throughout the kitchen include a cupboard-sized family office center with a bulletin board inside the door and special cubbies and drawers for papers and supplies.

Ernst helped mitigate the issues of walls and floors that were uneven, not square and not plumb for tilers and flooring installers, as well as for Bluebell’s kitchen installers.

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P h i l a d e l p h i a , PA

CHALLENGE: WORKSITE ACCESS

PHILLY PENTHOUSE RENO

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KITCHEN DESIGNER Bluebell FCD’s Lori Kurnitsky, NCIDQ

PHOTOGRAPHY Rebecca McAlpin

INTERIOR DESIGNER Michele Plachter Design

STYLING Michele Plachter Design

Our second apartment-style kitchen remodel in this Plumb Line called for renovating a two-story city penthouse and a “pull-andreplace” kitchen and bar redesign.

The owner’s goal was to raise the interior’s features to match the standards of today’s high-end luxury real estate market—without a full redesign or changing the footprint.

New appliances, cabinetry, marble surfaces and flooring upgraded the kitchen to “party penthouse” status without moving any main mechanicals.

The biggest challenge for Ernst and Bluebell was the smaller-than-ideal elevator that served the 19-story building, creating added logistical planning to avoid skewing the owner’s timeframe. The old kitchen and bar units just fit going down during our demolition; the new cabinetry and stone countertops were a tight squeeze going up to their new home.

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In the role of scheduling and field management for the entire remodel including the kitchen and bar, Ernst oversaw the demolition scope and the kitchen fit out, aka preparing the space for the kitchen install. Our responsibilities here included ensuring appliance roughs were accurate, rough carpentry and drywall repair. These are less complicated, usually, in a remove-and-replace project.

Ernst brought in any additional plumbing and wiring needed to install equipment upgrades like the instant hot water system and enhanced thermostats, laid the flooring, installed new lighting—and painted those 20-foot walls and ceilings.

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C h e s t n u t H i l l , PA

C H A L L E N G E : S T R U C T U R A L M AT E R I A L S

DESIGNER’S DREAM KITCHEN DESIGNER Bluebell FCD’s Peter Cardamone

PHOTOGRAPHY Jason Varney

INTERIOR DESIGNER Hannah Dee Interiors

STYLING Hannah Dee Interiors

ARCHITECT Phillips & Associates Architects

Interior designer Hannah Dee was immediately drawn to this compact, boxy home with its industrialsized windows and open interior.

Designed by an architect in 1999 for his own residence, it had the quirks that often find their way into a creative person’s home— something Hannah appreciated and was inspired by.

yield. But what a great example of how the designer’s and builder’s vision and skills can intersect to create something altogether unique and stunning.

Here, the kitchen makes its own statement even as it blends into the art-filled environment of this amazing, eclectic home.

When she put this whole-house project in our hands, none of us knew all the challenges—and satisfying outcomes—it would

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Critically impacting renovation were the large, prefabricated SIPs (structural insulated panels) that “framed” the home. Basically, SIPs can’t be modified, forcing Ernst to work with and around their limitations. This included integrating two flush steel beams with the SIPs in the loft floor area to remove unnecessary walls and expand the wide-open feel of the two-story kitchen and dining area. Ernst also installed furring strips (lath) on the SIPs to create channels for wires, along with other work-arounds for running pipes and air conduits.

We restored the original stained and polished concrete floor of the main level, which reinforces the industrial feel of the huge windows and dark tiles on the kitchen’s only wall.

One of the defining features of the interior—that scene-stealing staircase—arose from the spaceplanning brilliance of Bluebell’s Pete Cardamone. Originally, the staircase sat in the middle of the kitchen; at Pete’s suggestion, we turned it 90° to open up the kitchen for its own starring role.

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Mark Pavelko Finish Carpenter & Field Manager

@ernstbrothers