New Space New Look

With the precision of a plastic surgeon, Alex Marske, design consultant of AIM Kitchen & Bath in Beaverdale, took a nip here and a tuck there to create a stunning facelift for the kitchen of a West Des Moines family.

The wide-open look belies the former configuration. There had been a small dining room off the kitchen, the wife explains, but that space was used mostly as a playroom for the family’s two daughters. “I always said when we outgrew the need for a play space, we would remodel the kitchen.” The wall separating that room from the kitchen was removed. Also, a door into the adjoining living room was widened. The resulting space means the main-floor living area is wide open.

The former play space also now has a French door that opens onto the deck and pool area outside. “We entertain mostly in the summer, so this is great. People can get food inside and then go directly to a table outside,” the wife notes. “It works beautifully.”

In the family

The home was built in 1982 by the husband’s parents. When they decided to move, the younger couple purchased it.

Upon the recommendations of friends, the couple explored using AIM for the project. They said they so enjoyed working with Marske, and the showroom felt just right to them. The white-on-white palette is simple and direct, a look the couple wanted. Cabinets are white-painted maple, and countertops are subtle marble-veined quartz. The backsplash is beveled subway tile with a slight gray-beige cast.

A farmhouse kitchen sink stands in front of a window. In a move that gives new meaning to “window over the kitchen sink,” Marske replaced smaller windows with a huge plate glass window for a slightly dramatic look. Another such window is in the dining area so that diners at the table get lots of light and a view out the window. The wife says the two large windows and the French door at the far end of the room bathe the room in natural light. A sliding door near the dining table also opens to the outdoors.

A huge island

A massive 14-foot-long island gives extra work space, along with much more storage in drawers and cabinet space. A 48-inch 6-burner gas range fits in the island. A down-draft range hood pops up behind the range and slides back down when not in use, Marske explains.

A microwave oven is installed on the underside of the island. At one end of the island is a spot for casual dining. Four barstools, one on the end and three others on the back side of the island, provide seating. The island includes a handy strip of concealed outlets.

Numerous can lights illuminate the kitchen, along with three glass pendants over the island. They have exposed teardrop incandescent bulbs.

Endless storage

The storage seems endless. Besides upper and lower cabinets on the sink wall, there’s a commercial-size side-by-side refrigerator-freezer. The dishwasher has a paneled door that matches the cabinets.

Plus, there’s another bank of cabinets on the other side of the island. It has a base of cabinetry and two tall cabinet pieces above on either side of a wall-mounted television. Straightforward polished nickel knobs and pulls trim the cabinets.

At the other end of the kitchen is a smaller cabinet piece used as a desk. It’s near a mudroom area by a door to the garage. Also at that end is a floor-to-ceiling pantry that’s full of pull-out drawers for storing staples and food items.

The homeowners have been so pleased with the quality of work that they are having AIM come back, this time to do some bathroom remodeling. “We are impressed as to how they operate,” the wife says.

She, for one, is thrilled with her extra storage. “I used to have to store my Christmas dishes and other less-used pieces upstairs because I had no kitchen spot for them. Now I do. They’re in the kitchen all the time now. I love it.” •