Kitchen Designer Episode 7 - Mark and Sherry's Kitchen

Ned Jones: Yeah, this is the heart of the home.

Rob Kircher: Yeah, definitely. And I absolutely love it. Is this unusual?

Ned Jones: It is in the sense that they've got dual islands which is not overly common. But they've also got the big one here for sitting so they don't have to have a separate table to sit at. So in my mind I really like it. I think it ties the whole house together.

Rob Kircher: It really does. It really is. Like I say it's so obvious when you walk in. But yet, it just seems to fit so comfortably into the design. I absolutely love it.

Ned Jones: Well they wanted a casual feel, so...

Rob Kircher: Well they're casual folks, I mean they really are.

Ned Jones: It's classy and rich, but it's casual.

Jim Gerard: Ned, you really had to kind of design this one from the top down though didn't you? I mean, first time I've been in here. Haha! But it seems to me when you're laying this out, you have to start with the size of your granite first, 'cause she said "no seems" so...

Ned Jones: Right, yeah and you have to have enough inset for people to sit around it. Gotta have enough support for the overhang going that way. So yeah, you've got to take a lot of things into consideration.

Rob Kircher: So this is granite, right? So your typical slab of granite is about this size? Does it come larger or is this about it?

Ned Jones: It's a little larger than this. But keep in mind this is one piece.

Rob Kircher: Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing. Okay, then this one over here, this is their prep island, right?

Sherry: Yes.

Rob Kircher: This was incorporated into having a refrigerator, your cooktop, and your sink all in a convenient area, right? Now what we didn't talk about, you did lose something on that big island, that you wanted to have, that you couldn't have. What was that?

Sherry: It was trash.

Rob Kircher: Your trash (inaudible). Okay, now where is that?

Sherry: It's over here in this island.

Rob Kircher: So you've got that over here now, okay. And under here (you can't see this folks) is a second dishwasher, right?

Sherry: Yes.

Rob Kircher: Now, are you allowed to have gas here or is it just electric?

Sherry: We are allowed to have gas.

Rob Kircher: And why did you choose electric over gas?

Sherry: I just feel more comfortable with electric. This is an induction and so it's just a preference.

Rob Kircher: Oh okay, alright. When Jim and I talked about this, we loved the "bump out" because you've got a lot of stuff going on here. You've got a big expanse. But yet this thing looks fantastic, architecturally.

Ned Jones: ...pull it out to capture the depth where you're cooking. But yet it gives it another distinct look as opposed to the rest of the... ...water wood on the outside of the stain where you can see through to the grain and the white paint. And then another alder wood...a little darker (inaudible).

Rob Kircher: This is really a wonderful design and your floor also was something that you incorporated into it right?

Sherry: Yes.

Rob Kircher: And Mark what kind of floor is this?

Mark: It's a tile floor, looks like wood.

Rob Kircher: Looks like wood, yeah it does. I love it. Okay. And then the other thing I wanna wrap around...

Rob Kircher: You guys wanted to have this kitchen really be an extension to like a buffet area, right?

Mark: Right.

Rob Kircher: Because you knocked that wall down and now you had this great expanse into your home and the head of your reason for this over here. And what were your thoughts on that? How did that evolve?

Sherry: We like the open concept and we wanted this area to be extended. So we had this beautiful blank wall. So we got this great idea to extend and wrap the cabinetry and the counter around for a little bar/buffet area and it worked.

Rob Kircher: It's a great place for your art as well, right?

Sherry: It is!

Rob Kircher: Yeah, I love that. As far as incorporating this into the design, that was just another element of listening carefully to the homeowners and designing something that they wanted, right?

Ned Jones: Yeah, they wanted some storage as well as things for serving, obviously their wine cooler.

Rob Kircher: Well let's take a walk a little bit. Oh wait, before we do that...now Mark, there was some conversation about these doors here, right?

Mark: Right.

Rob Kircher: I think you wanted them over there, is that right?

Mark: Right, that was my original idea, yeah. I was overruled.

Rob Kircher: That was overruled? Okay. Haha! But it's a cool thing to design because all of a sudden you just have these two glass doors, which I think is very cool. It kind of breaks up that line.

Ned Jones: It does, yeah.

Rob Kircher: Is that what you were thinking of?

Ned Jones: Yep.

Rob Kircher: And again, this has got the darker color cabinetry here, right?

Ned Jones: Yeah. This follows through with the same thing inside the kitchen coming out into this part.

Rob Kircher: So it's quite a challenge to be able to deal with this big expansive space, if you will. And then, keeping faithful to the color tones and how the transition works and all that, right?

Ned Jones: Yeah. But when you walk in the front door, this house just opens like a big V. So this catches and the big island here and it all flows together.

Rob Kircher: Okay. So, guys you wanted to have a wine cooler over here, right?

Sherry: Right.

Rob Kircher: Well, let's see what that looks like and then you had "doors and drawers" as well, as they say, right?

Sherry: Correct.

Rob Kircher: So why don't you go over there and then show us a little bit more about the wine cooler. Now you guys like to entertain so wine is an important part of that, right?

Sherry: Yeah.

Rob Kircher: Okay.

Jim Gerard: And you wouldn't know anything about that.

Rob Kircher: I wouldn't know anything about that!

Jim Gerard: I'm kind of surprised that you're saving this for the last part, the kitchen part. I kinda figured you'd want to start right here and then go that way, but...

Rob Kircher: Okay, folks. I'm a boozer that's the truth. Haha! I do like my wine. I don't age wine, we just drink it okay. And I'm guessing you don't age it as well.

Jim Gerard: That's a whole 'nother episode.

Rob Kircher: A whole other episode! Hahahaha! So are you wine connoisseurs or do you just kind of buy what you like?

Mark: Not really. But yeah, we buy what we like.

Rob Kircher: Yeah, I think most people do.... and how many bottles does that hold, by the way?

Mark: I think about 30.

Rob Kircher: 30 bottles, yeah?

Mark: Yeah. Maybe 40.

Rob Kircher: Well it works so well. And you use it as a buffet area, right? Is that true?

Sherry: Yes, yes.

Rob Kircher: Okay, and what's like the largest amount of people...I mean this place will hold a lot of folks. So what would be the largest number of guests you could have? Like 20 people or 30 people?

Sherry: So far we've had what? 24 I think.

Mark: It's like 24 or something else, yeah.

Rob Kircher: Now the other thing that is part of all this, right Ned and Jim, is they wanted to have this continue because you have the color palette here and you have cabinetry. But you wanted it to continue into their laundry room right? And also into their master bath. Is that correct?

Ned Jones: Correct, yeah.

Rob Kircher: So, that was another challenge that you had to incorporate.