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All is Calm by MARGARET ANNE FEHR photos by DUALITY PHOTOGRAPHIC
MAKE IT HOME WORKS WONDERS IN THE KITCHEN When Joan and Gregg moved into their Fort Richmond house in the early ‘90s, they were ecstatic about the kitchen. It had an abundance of cupboards with up-to-the-ceiling storage, a U-shaped work area and an all-important kitchen window that overlooked their spacious backyard. “When we moved in, it was like our state-of-the-art, dream kitchen and we just loved it,” says Joan. But time and trends move on, and the kitchen that had been their dream, started to feel heavy and claustrophobic. “The hanging peninsula provided lots of storage but it was the first thing we saw when we entered the kitchen and it felt oppressive.” That’s when the couple contacted Doreen Gauthier, President of Make it Home Ltd, to take on their kitchen project. “We found Doreen eight years ago when we wanted to put in a gas fireplace. She was so reliable and made you feel like you’re the only job she’s doing, so she was the natural choice for reviving our kitchen.” The kitchen was stripped down to the studs and reconfigured with a central oak-stained island with raised panel and glazed finish as the 38
Home Decor & Renovations | February–March, 2020
focal point. The island houses the conduction cooktop, pull-out spice drawers and soft-closure drawers that stores induction cookware compactly in one drawer. The island is capped with a solid walnut counter top. “It’s very durable, easy to clean and it looks so nice.” The adjacent kitchen countertop is a contrasting grey-tone quartz and the cabinetry features maple doors with raised panel. Joan is especially impressed with the appliance garage that tucks toasters and such out of sight until they are needed. “Having all the appliances on the counter took so much space. Now everything is in the garage, plugged in and ready to go.” The lower corner cabinet provides easy access storage for heavy-duty appliances and just as easily disappears when done. Best of all, the kitchen window over the sink was pushed out 12 inches and tripled in width to give Joan and Gregg a panoramic view of the lush greenery during warmer months and for spotting deer that appear in the yard during winter. The window is highlighted with oak wood trim and mullion-style glass panes that relate to the hardwood
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