designers
Recipe for Success Kitchens By Design had already executed several projects for one of its affluent clients— a lake house and most of their Indianapolis home—so when these homeowners were faced with a “horrendous” kitchen they turned to principal Kristin Okeley-Balduino, who salvaged the space, revealing a new kitchen, butler’s pantry, breakfast nook and hearth room. The two islands (above) contain a variety of features including both prep and cleanup sinks, special drawer inserts. A soapstone inset in the granite tops is great for baking, while an end grain walnut butcher block top on a walnut pedestal add contrast to the neutrality of the cabinetry. An existing alcove (right) was used to create a built-in seating area with a custom table and padded fabric panels on the walls to soften the space.
case, although that is our reputation,” OkeleyBalduino says. “We’ve done $10,000 kitchens and $310,000 kitchens. I’m the owner of the company, and I’ll sell somebody a sink, if they need it. We don’t discriminate.”
ors, trim, detailing,” Okeley-Balduino says. “We selected and installed all the lighting, window treatments and furniture—everything. It really was a turn-key project. We’ve done the whole house that way.”
“I think our client is someone who has a reasonable budget given the scope of work and an appreciation for creativity, and is open to ideas and change.”
The homeowners were so delighted with the results that they opted not to sell the house and began entertaining at home again.
But KBD does have affluent clients, many of whom repeatedly seek out her company’s services. “We’ve gone room by room, over the past 10 years, and we’ve done every space,” says Okeley-Balduino about the home of one Indianapolis couple.
Another past project that garnered repeat business for KBD was a kitchen remodel. About two years ago, KBD interior designer Nancy Stanley redesigned and expanded the client’s kitchen, incorporating an unused dining room into the space and addressing a lack of wall area due to sliding glass doors installed by the homeowner.
Most recently, the homeowners hired KBD to update their kitchen, butler’s pantry, hearth room and breakfast nook. The eight-week-long project involved tearing up all old materials; removing bulkheads and walls; replacing all the materials and flooring; re-facing the hearth room’s fireplace; and other construction. “Demolishing the space was kind of an undertaking.” Okeley-Balduino says. Once the space was reinvented structurally, KBD redesigned the interior. “We specified and implemented the interior design—the wall col-
Additionally, Stanley was charged with creating a space that complemented the house’s simple architecture, yet also met the client’s request for a more contemporary look. The resulting product was a functional space that successfully combined both traditional and contemporary elements and offered the homeowner a place in which to entertain and relax. The client recently retained KBD to work on his new home. “One thing that makes us so successful is that we’ve learned how to over deliver on what we
tell people [we will do],” says Okeley-Balduino, but adds that the relationships her firm has forged throughout the years have also contributed to its success. “[Clients] allow us to do the $5 million or $10 million projects in Sanibel, [FL] or the Cayman Islands. You earn the trust of the people you’re working with, and you truly do develop friendships. As the years go by, it doesn’t even feel like work.”
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a message from Lee supply Lee Supply was founded in 1949 as a specialty plumbing supply house. Our showrooms feature luxury plumbing products, closet ware, cabinetry, counter tops, and accessories. The Carmel, IN showroom is located at 415 W Carmel Drive. Hours are: Monday-Friday 9-5, Tuesday 9-7, and Saturdays 9-1.
fall 2011
luxury home quarterly
61