Kitchen
Christen started with the kitchen, focusing on creating an open, functional space. The first step was removing the walls, including an awkward closet in the existing layout, and significantly opening up the kitchen. A large island was added, seating four to six people comfortably, which is ideal for the casual, on-the-go lifestyle often seen in lake homes. The island now serves as a central gathering point, much like a dining room.
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To maximize storage, extensive cabinetry was installed throughout the kitchen, including a large bank of cabinets on the left side with convenient rollouts. There’s also a dedicated side closet with space for a Dyson vacuum. In addition to the cabinetry, all appliances were refreshed, with Christen helping, the client selected new ones. A downdraft was installed for the range, which is now positioned in the center of the kitchen. The overall goal was to enhance the kitchen’s functionality while giving it a modern, updated look. Another key update was replacing the previous owner's peel-and-stick backsplash with a more durable, high-performance material. "The homeowner loves to use his [meat] smoker, so we wanted something that was high performance in keeping the area clean when using things like charcoal and brines while also not being high maintenance for him," Christen said. To address this, high-quality tile was used for the backsplash and extended to the breakfast nook for a cohesive look while improving the overall functionality of the kitchen space.