Modern tale

Every era leaves a design legacy that does not translate well. The 70s fashion for a large number of separate rooms, for example, no longer fits with our ideas of open-plan family living. But, with imagination, it is possible to create a modern home from an existing one.

The kitchen of this 1970s home needed particular attention, says designer Jacqueline Thelen of Thelen Design Build. It was tiny, and had a low ceiling.

"We raised the old kitchen ceiling and removed the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. We added a window to bring in additional light, as well as views of the woods outside," she says.

The new kitchen is twice the size of the original, with plenty of preparation and storage space, including a 9ft-long countertop underneath the new window.

Thelen then set out to create a modern twist on traditional design. One way to accomplish this, she says, is to use different materials and surfaces for visual interest and contrast.

The kitchen island is topped with a honed black granite, with lighter polished granite used for the perimeter countertops. The cabinetry is custom-made maple, selected for its unobtrusive grain and warm tones.

The owner chose a modern flat door design rather than traditional paneled doors, and a flooring finish created by soaking the wood before staining, to highlight the grain. For the kitchen island, which functions as a cooking and casual eating area, the maple has been painted a pale green to create a visual focal point.

"I gave the tumbled marble tiles of the backsplash a modern treatment, by adding smaller gold-colored tiles that complement the copper flecks of the countertops."

Thelen Design Build specializes in kitchen and bathroom projects, as well as other design and remodeling projects in the North Atlanta area.

For details, contact Thelen Design Build, 4720 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338, phone (770) 393 9008. Email: jackiethelen@yahoo.com. Website: www.thelendesignbuild.com.

Story by: Trendsideas