Kitchen & Bath
Time to Party
A dark, secluded kitchen got the makeover it needed to get the party started.
BY
Allison Lind
PHOTOGRAPHY
Rachel Olsson

the kitchen before remodelTHE CHALLENGE:
Mitchell Chapman and Russell Powell love hosting dinner parties, but the kitchen of their early-1900s cottage-style home was no place for guests to congregate. With outdated décor and walls that cut it off from the rest of the house, this kitchen needed to refresh its wardrobe, open up and join the party.

THE SOLUTION:
Dick Pope from Creative Kitchen & Bath created a flowing entertaining space by removing the wall that separated kitchen and dining room. In its place, a new counter makes a distinction between cooking and dining spaces but allows the room to be open and inviting. A bar on the dining-room side provides additional seating. Cabinets of zebrawood (an environmentally friendly veneer made from African trees) make a bold design statement. Other finishes, such as the soft-green granite counters and coppery-brown wall paint, warmly complement the wood and echo the colors of a magnolia tree outside the kitchen window.

Design Details
Interior Designer:
Dick Pope, Creative Kitchen & Bath
(425) 672-3313, creativekb.com

Contractors: Creative Kitchen & Bath

DESIGN TIPS:
New, larger windows start lower on the walls, bringing in more light and offering a better view out.

The polished granite counter tops reflect more light into the room, even in winter.

Linoleum was traded for warm-hued hardwood flooring, used throughout for continuity.

Do you have a Room for Improvement?
Send before-and-after shots, along with SASE, to Room for Improvement, Seattle Homes & Lifestyles, 1221 E. Pike St., Suite 305, Seattle, WA 98122.