01The goal

A kitchen that no longer suited how the family cooks and hosts, and a basement with no finished living space. They wanted one team to handle both, in two phases.

02What we changed

• Rebuilt the kitchen with a new island, cabinetry and appliance layout
• Replaced the counters, backsplash and flooring throughout the kitchen
• Finished the basement into a lounge, kitchenette, gym and storage room
• Added a hidden bookshelf door and built-in shelving downstairs

04Design & construction decisions

• White shaker cabinets to the ceiling for storage, with a charcoal island and veined quartz top as the one bold move.
• Glossy grey subway tile with a herringbone mosaic behind the cooktop, for texture where the eye lands.
• A tall stack of wall ovens and glass-front cabinets beside the fridge, plus a butcher-block bench in the dining nook.
• Downstairs: a stone fireplace wall, a kitchenette with a bamboo counter and bar sink, a home gym and a hidden bookshelf door.

05Challenges we solved

• Keeping the open sightlines. The kitchen, dining area and family room share one space with existing columns, so we sized the island and nook around them instead of fighting them.
• A bar sink in the basement. Water and drain lines were planned at rough-in, before the flooring and stone went in, so the counter could be finished cleanly.
• A bookshelf that opens like a door. We built and hung it as a door first, then finished it as shelving, so it swings true.