Crystal Design Winners Feature Eye for Detail, Style

Strohmyer integrated custom cabinetry from Crystal Cabinet Works, Inc. into a functional design for the client, who had requested that the cabinetry extend al the way up to the top of the 10'-high ceilings. To maintain function, Strohmyer uniformly lined the ceiling with uppers while specifying special mullion crosses for the custom-made, stained-glass inserts.

Adding to the personalized look, custom square corner legs were integrated into the island, hutch and peninsula end cabinet. Additionally, the custom drawer style used was designed to meet the client's taste, while wearing and a flat sheen were applied to further enhance the unique design. Granite Verde Butterfly countertops add a warm aesthetic to the space.

Strohmyer adds: "In order to give some weight and detail at the ceiling, I filled in the space with a panel bottom-edge-profiled to match the doors and large, deluxe, half-round (LDHR) molding."

Completing the product line-up is a KitchenAid dishwasher; Grohe faucet; Elkay stainless steel, undermount sink; Period Brass hardware; and porcelain tile flooring.

Furniture space
Fusing Mediterranean style with a unique furniture look, the design staff of Showcase Kitchens in Vancouver, BC, Canada, set this kitchen apart to earn third-place honors, according to Weinzierl.

Featuring Crystal's Elite door style in Red Oak with a black stain and Signature finish, along with cracking, wearing and distressing, the center island stands as the focal point of the design, she further notes.

Meant to look more like a table or furniture, the island blends with the overall design theme while creating a focal point for users through the use of 4"-thick French limestone countertops.

In describing the kitchen Weinzierl says: "This design displays a very good use of space, especially if you look at the back wall, the lighted cabinets [and] the crown molding detail along with the use of legs on the island. The massiveness of the design worked well with the space."

Adding a sense of elegance to the space, the design staff selected CGH with Signature Frosty White and Caramel highlights, wearing and distressing. To enhance functionality, the storage area was designed to mimic the aesthetic of a hutch, notes Earl Lawson, principal of Showcase Kitchens.

The design staff then integrated a 48" Viking refrigerator, range and dishwasher, as well as an apron sink from Kohler Co.,
and blended these products with hardware imported from England.

Complementing the appliances and the island is a custom-finished plaster hood canopy/hearth, which features wood moldings and lends a subtle warmth to the space.

Other Rooms
Featuring a personal library/ media center, an office and family room, winners of the Other Rooms category offer elegant and unique design applications, as well, Weinzierl notes.

Earning grand-prize honors was Leslie O'Connor of Bellevue, WA-based International Kitchens, who used Crystal's custom door style on cherry and a custom finish to create a visually stunning and inviting space designed to meet the client's needs.

Asked to create a space to house the client's many books, O'Connor designed a stunning floor-to-ceiling bookcase that is both out of the way, yet easily accessible. Enhancing the design, O'Connor integrated a desk on the right-hand side, as well as a television and fireplace, to increase the warmth of the space.

Describing O'Connor's design, Weinzierl offers: "The designer used the entire wall as storage space in a very unique way."
Receiving second-place honors, Mark Moyle of Craftman's Kitchen in Nassau, Bahamas, selected Crystal's Regent door style
on Birch with a natural finish to create a contemporary and streamlined look in his home office design.

"The overall clean look was well-proportioned in the space," explains Weinzierl.

Connie Strohmyer of CS Kitchen & Bath Studio once again used the Arts-and-Crafts theme of her second-place kitchen in her unique family room, earning her firm third-place Other Rooms honors in the process, Weinzierl notes.

Incorporating Crystal's custom door style on cherry with a Signature Nutmeg finish, she created a stunning media center for a family room, backlit over the top and complete with storage space, room for a television and shelves for family photos or collectibles.