Living Well

Living Well: A Beautiful Kitchen Makeover — Before and After

We love when a client emails us for help with a home renovation, and with all of the time we’re spending in our houses these days, this particular before and after kitchen makeover for our clients in Birmingham, AL, happened just in the nick of time.

It was quite the transformation.

We first renovated and furnished the entry, dining room, family room and the husband’s study.  After seeing how well they turned out, the homeowners focused on the back of the home and asked us to renovate the kitchen, dining, office and laundry.

The tired kitchen needed not only updated finishes and details but to function better for this active family.

Rework The Existing Space

There was a lot of wasted space in hallways and angled walls, so squaring off walls and moving others around was a must for more livable space.  Jason Robb did a great job drawing the plans.

We reclaimed square footage from hallways and created a walk-in office and a butler’s pantry that now connects the kitchen and dining room.

Stayed tuned on a future before and after post on the butler’s pantry- you won’t want to miss it.

KITCHEN AFTER:

Kitchen Renovation, Dana Wolter Interiors

KITCHEN BEFORE:

Quite the before and after kitchen makeover, right?

Create A Timeless, Functional Kitchen

To create a more timeless space that didn’t feel dark and heavy, we removed the dark painted cabinets and replaced them with quartersawn white oak ones.  They now feel more like furniture than built-ins.

A custom wax finish enhances the elegance of the wood and reflects the light beautifully.

Everyday appliances are cloistered behind paneled fronts to create a seamless yet functional space.  The La Cornue range is like the perfect accessory to a little black dress.

The large center island was also replaced and given a more elegant, furniture-like design with quartersawn oak legs and fluted details. The main sink was relocated to it and a prep sink installed under the window.

This is a great #entertainingtip so the island can be used as a serving area while prep is out of the way.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Kitchen renovation, Dana Wolter Interiors. 

Customize The Details Throughout

Unlacquered brass accents are found throughout in the faucets, pot filler, island lanterns  and on the black  La Cornue range and hood.  Tile floors were replaced with light blond oak to complete the light, airy palette.

The finishing touch is a large-scale, honeycomb coffered ceiling. It is an interesting detail that catches your eye but doesn’t distract from the timeless quality of the kitchen.

Home Renovation, Dana Wolter Interiors

Adjacent to the kitchen, we incorporated a breakfast area with a custom banquette that looks like a sofa.   It’s perfect for family meals or morning coffee.

Breakfast Room for family meals and coffee, Dana Wolter Interiors
Dana Wolter Interiors

I hope you like the before and after of this home renovation and kitchen makeover as much as we enjoyed working on it.  If we can help transform your home into one you love, email us here.  We would love to discuss your project with you.

Dana

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Living Well

A Childhood Home Renovated — Before and After

A Home Renovation, Dana Wolter Interiors
Home Renovation, Dana Wolter Interiors

 

We work on a lot of renovations, and every one is special in its own way.

This particular one is the wife’s childhood home.   As I shared with you here, we renovated to give it new life for their family to grow into it.  

I have no doubt many memories are waiting to be made.

Gone are the finishes of the 80s and it is now a chic, livable, family-friendly home that has made quite the transformation.   

Here are a few before and after photos:

 

Dana Wolter Interiors, Kitchen Renovation
Dana Wolter Interiors, Kitchen Renovation After Framing

 

Kitchen remodel
After The Renovation- A Functional, Livable Home For The Entire Family, Dana Wolter Interiors

Custom cabinetry and gorgeous marble slabs create a custom kitchen while the unlacquered brass hardware and lighting finishes the room.  

What a difference taking down walls and adding in new windows made, too. 

Its hard to tell in the picture, but the kitchen roman shade is green and charcoal gray.  Green is the homeowner’s favorite color, so we pulled it into her Dining Room.  

 

Dining Room, Dana Wolter Interiors

 

Powder Room, Dana Wolter Interiors

It gives me such pleasure seeing this cute family enjoying their new home and adding in items, such as her grandmother’s dining table, that are important to them.  After all, isn’t that the reason behind each of us having a home to call our own.

XO,

Dana

 

If we can help you renovate your home, contact us here

 

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Living Well

Living Well: 4 Problems With Your Home And How To Solve Them

With as many homes I am in and out of, I see recurring problems that come from everyday life and living.

I love seeing a home transform from one that’s cluttered, dark, and doesn’t work for a family to one that allows them to Live Well in their home.

And while your definition of Living Well may be different than mine or your neighbors’, I’m giving a few tips to solve some common problem areas.

  1. Clutter:  Organize your home so everything has a place.  Incorporate hidden storage where you can create a visual calm and remember to store alike things together.

If organizing overwhelms you, start by cleaning out a small space, such as the towel drawer in your kitchen.

 

wolterhome_2016_gyc_367-2484x3726
The hidden door under my stairs allows for all kinds of hidden storage for my family, Dana Wolter Interiors

 

2.  A room that is a catch-all for stuff because it isn’t being used

 Find a Purpose for every room in your home.  No room should serve as  a “walk-through” or a one that is used once or twice a year.  Once you give the room a function, take a step back and assess the items in it.  Do they bring you joy or are they useful?  If neither, it is time to give them away or throw them out.

This may also mean switching rooms around, or changing how the furniture is arranged in a room.

Take this home below that we worked on recently.   The living room was never used, the family room wasn’t working for the family, so we flipped the two.

Dana Wolter Interiors | Luxury Interior Design
Looking Into The New Family Room, Dana Wolter Interiors, Graham Yelton Photography

Because of where these two rooms are placed in the house, the family now finds themselves using both spaces on a regular basis.

 

3. Dark, cramped spaces that don’t function well.  

Find a Balance with how your home flows and functions.  To Live Well in your home, it should work hard for everyday living  while easily transitioning to host a party when needed. 

Does the kitchen allow for quality work space?  Is there a place for guests to sit and linger?  If not, it may be time to renovate your kitchen.

We took this outdated, dark, cramped kitchen and made it accommodate today’s living.  By raising the ceiling, taking the sunroom into the kitchen space and adding a wall of hidden storage, we created a kitchen that is functional, bright and works hard for this family.

 

BEFORE

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER:

Dana Wolter Interiors. Photography by Graham Yelton

 

I also love adding a banquette when I can in a kitchen.  It allows for more seating AND it adds a layer of softness to a room filled with many hard surfaces.

Recent Breakfast Room completed, Dana Wolter Interiors. Graham Yelton Photography

 

4.  Spaces in your house that don’t feel like home

What makes you smile and brings you joy?  Whether it is a sparse room, layered objects, bright colors, or a wall filled with books, use discernment in adding these touches to your space.   Find ways to add what makes you smile to bring you Warmth and Joy in your house.

Sentimental family photos are added into this new, casual space, Dana Wolter Interiors, Graham Yelton Photography

 

I hope these tips help you make an honest assessment about your home so you can find ways to add to your quality of life.

If you need help turning your house into one you love, reach out to us here.   We would love to hear from you!

Here’s to Living Well in your home, whatever your definition may be.

 

Dana

 

 

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Living Well

Renovating a Kitchen? This Post is for YOU!!

I had the best time in California last week for a Traditional Home/Thermador event.   A group of designers, print media, and bloggers across the country came together to discuss design trends.  Thermador was a gracious host and no detail was forgotten by them.

If you aren’t familiar with Thermador, check out their line of kitchen appliances here.   I have Thermador products throughout my own kitchen, and if you have been reading since day one, I listed my Thermador warming in my very first post as one of my top five favorite things in my home.  For a family on the run, it is a necessity.

I thought I knew their product line pretty well, but after an extensive tour, I learned so much more.

 

Here are a few quick pieces of information that stuck with me, and I hope you find them helpful:

1. If I was building again, I would incorporate a steam/convection oven into my home.  This is a super neat appliance that keeps food moist (and vitamins in) while browning and cooking at a faster rate.

Look at this 14lb. turkey they cooked for us in it.  Super easy and it was ready to eat after cooking for only 90 minutes.

 photo (54)

 

 

2. I have a Pro Range in my home, but I had no idea it could do this.   Yes, these are chocolate chips melting- on a paper plate– on its XLO setting.   I haven’t tried this yet, but when I do (AND I WILL!), let’s hope I don’t burn my house down.  YIKES!

 photo (56)

 

 

3. One of my favorite discoveries was the refrigerator columns in their line.  Because of their hinges, the front panel on all of their refrigerators can hold over 200 pounds, and I could not help but brainstorm about what I could cover the doors in.  In the right setting, how does antiqued mirror sound?

 

The trip was a lot of fun and I learned so much, all while making a few new friends.

photo (55)
Karen Williams of St. Charles New York cooking a Cherry Clafoutis with me.

 

I hope this info was helpful, and let me know your “must-haves”  in your next kitchen.

Take care and have a great week, everyone-

Dana

 

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