Old World Kitchen Has Plenty of Style in Store

DAVIDSON, NC— It has been said that obstacles are unrecognized opportunities, and Robin Dreher seems to agree.

When asked to turn an inefficiently designed kitchen into the 28'x18' Old World classic it is today, she realized the project was going to provide an exciting challenge.

Dreher, owner and kitchen and bath designer for Charlotte, NC-based Optimal Designs, LLC, explains: “The [homeowners] requested an area where they could entertain clients and friends, as well as a space where they would feel comfortable.”

But that was just the beginning of their wish list. The kitchen also required more space – including a more modern and functional cooking area with more storage. However, a stepped-out wall made it challenging to have a continuous run of cabinetry.

The clients also wanted to make better use of the space occupied by the seldom-used dining room off to one side of the kitchen.

But as every designer knows, challenges often present the best opportunities, and Dreher notes: “We decided to use this to our advantage and placed the wet bar in that extra area [to facilitate entertaining]. We also added a sitting/reading area at the end of the kitchen in front of a large, well-lit bay window.”

Dreher then removed the wall between the dining room and the kitchen, creating one long space.

“It made a great impact when we incorporated the cabinetry that was in the living room with the style and color custom made for the kitchen island,” she notes.

The soft color palette was continued throughout the space to maintain the Old World feel.

Next, a variety of high-end appliances was selected to create an eye-catching appearance while adding functional value to the space.

She reports: “The end result of this kitchen was not only a physically bigger space, but a lighter, airier one as well.”

Cabinet Collection

Dreher needed to create a design that would facilitate meal preparation and entertaining, and notes that the cabinet layout was key to this.

“I did not want to just have an extra-long galley kitchen,” she explains, because that could be visually monotonous.
She notes that the appliances played a very large role in the cabinet placement, since the homeowners love to cook.”

For the room, Dreher selected Harbor View Cabinetry, both for its aesthetic appeal and to maximize storage and accessibility.

“ Since there were so many cabinets, we chose to add glass to the tops of the cabinets to make the space appear taller and to break up the monotony of the cabinet runs,” she reports.

Another challenge involved opening up the pass-through to a cased opening for access to the living room. “Basically we needed to reinforce the pass-through because it was going to be a walk-through instead of a pass-through,” she explains.

Yet another challenge revolved around finding the right countertops to complement the cabinetry. She chose teak and granite for the island countertop and main area.

Dreher explains: “We had to find a wood that [would work in a wet area]. Teak is very durable, does not show nicks or cuts and is shiny when properly maintained.” However, she points out, “The challenge was making sure that it was finger jointed due to the length of the island. We did not want to have a large joint at the radius.

There was also the issue of the teak being a bit red. Since most people who use teak like to just clear coat it and oil it, we needed to make sure we could get a stain that would match the granite.”

Finally, the back side of the island was tiled with 4"x4" Regio Field tile to emphasize the length and curves of the island, and to complement the look of the teak.

She concludes: “The cooktop is the focal point of the kitchen, however the teak radius accented island lets the eye roam the entire room with its curves and angles.”

Storage Story

Dreher used every nook and cranny to create multiple storage options.