Magazine Floor Plan Inspires Kitchen Makeover

I love to reminisce about my past design projects. Sometimes my stories (blogs) along with “before” and “after” photos are made to inspire, motivate, and give a much-needed inspirational nudge. After all, don’t we all love to see home remodels that show a grand aesthetic transformation—taking a space from dark and dated to bright and modern?

This story takes us back to year 2007. Back when I lived in Maumee, Ohio and I worked as an interior designer at a beautiful kitchen and bath showroom located in Swanton, Ohio. That’s when I got to meet her. The “her” in question is Lee Zelina. While living in Tucson, Lee and her husband, Matt had a chance and to buy her childhood home in 2007. “I never dreamed in a million years that I would return to my childhood home,” Lee said. So, accepting this awesome opportunity, Lee, Matt, and their two sons, Eric and Evan made the big move from Arizona to Whitehouse, Ohio.

Lee planned to update the 1970s-era house. She knew the kitchen was basically the same as it had been for the past 30 years. Lee happened to pick up a makeover magazine while at a home improvement store. “I just opened it up to this “before” picture that looked very similar to the setup at mom and dad’s,” Lee said. Matt and Lee decided to tackle the kitchen first. They knew they would spend a great deal of time in the kitchen.

Lee did exhaustive research to get the kitchen she wanted. She visited several stores to look for cabinets, countertops, tile, and flooring. Lee’s last stop was at Blue Creek Cabinet Company where I was employed. Lee told me, “This is what I think I want. What do you think?” Lee then handed me a tattered magazine, but miraculously intact. She showed me an article on page 61 which had captured her eye in the Fall, 2006 issue of Kitchen Makeovers by Better Homes and Gardens Special Publications. After looking at the article, Lee said, “Can you make my kitchen look like this?”

I recall telling Lee that I couldn’t make any promises before actually having seen the kitchen. So, we scheduled an in-home consultation. On the initial visit to the beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 bath home, I observed the existing dark and outdated kitchen cabinets with the poorly designed layout. The U-shaped kitchen had the usual wall peninsula cabinets which blocked the view into the eating area and family room. The ceiling hung cabinets added a barrier making it difficult for the family to cook and eat together. The heavily grained and dark cabinets made the kitchen feel even smaller.

After I measured the entire room, I then consulted with Lee and Matt. I had a wish list of items to check off for their newly remodeled kitchen. This wish list helped me to understand Lee and Matt’s requirements so that I could better meet their expectations and achieve their wildest dreams.

By using the kitchen’s existing measurements, I was able to design a kitchen very similar to the one that caught Lee’s eye without having to make significant structural changes. The new layout made the island a focal point and lets the cook interact with family and friends while working in the kitchen. I suggested we use Maple wood species with raised-panel cabinets from Showplace Cabinetry. The homeowners chose a light hazelnut stain and ebony glaze for a rustic and subtly aged look. The unique island was designed to stand alone as a furniture piece. Each base cabinet on the island was finished with a flush toe kick and large furniture base molding trim was installed to complete the furniture look.

Quartz countertops are sometimes referred to as “engineered” or “man-made,” but quartz is in fact a natural stone. Matt and Lee chose quartz for their countertops. It was an excellent choice because the quartz was non-porous, heat and scratch resistant, and supremely durable. We had a black double bowl undermount quartz sink installed. The finished kitchen features a sealed decorative tile backsplash that provides visual interest as well as wall protection and easy cleanup.

It’s no secret a fresh coat of paint can do a lot to transform a space. I wanted to somehow enhance the family room seen directly from the kitchen. And I wanted this to be a gift to Lee. So, I taught her how to paint using a terra cotta faux suede finish. Together Lee and I painted this technique on three walls to produce a three-dimensional look. This gave the entire space the look and feel of Tuscan authenticity.

The nation was invited to see Matt and Lee Zelinas’ kitchen. Just for inspiration, though. After I saw the beautiful transformation, I wrote a letter to the editor saying the Zelinas kitchen had been inspired by a makeover that was featured in a previous issue. The editor decided to run photos that I had taken of the Zelinas kitchen on the “Show & Tell” back page of the Fall, 2008, issue of what then was called Kitchen Makeovers. Did I ever dream of seeing my design work in a magazine? Honestly, I didn’t. Never in a million years did I expect to see my name and photos in a publication. And not just any publication, but in Better Homes & Gardens Special Publication magazine! I felt honored to see one of my designs showcased on one of the pages of a glossy national magazine!