Returning from a cycling tour of the Tuscany region of Italy, Elizabeth filled me in: She loved the neighborhood, the nearby schools where her kids were going were great, but her house needed fixing. The kitchen was small, and its separation from a "formal" dining room was not the way they really lived. She wanted a larger, gourmet kitchen that communicated directly to dining areas for entertaining both family and a formidable social list. Her recent adventure in Tuscany had given her a taste for heavily textured plaster walls and well-worn, antique furniture, and she wanted to incorporate these Old World aspects into her project. She opted to improve rather than move.

We removed a 10' X 20' patio cover and built a shell of the same square footage. Elizabeth wanted plenty of daylighting, so we replaced an existing window with a French door, added another French door in the addition and added 3 Velux skylights. The cabinetry was brought in unfinished. The doors, drawer faces and trim items were shipped up to Broomfield to the shop of master finisher Henry Sahlieh, owner of Professional Finishing. There, Henry, under Elizabeth's direction, applied his rub through, worm hole and chain-denting distressing to her satisfaction. Meanwhile, Elizabeth hired 2 skilled artists - a fellow good with a trowel applied heavy texture and glazing to the walls. A gal came in to stencil and created a trompe l'oeil in the adjacent powder room.

This kitchen features 3 undermount sinks - 1 main sink, a prep sink in the island, and another sink at a wet bar location. Counter tops are granite, and the backsplash is tumbled marble. The main 'fridge/freezer is a 48" Sub-Zero, and there's an undercounter Sub-Zero 'fridge for the kids snacks and juices. I built her a walk-in pantry of melamine maple with my Festool track saw, and we replaced the "tract home" trim with gorgeous Tabor style trim from - Tabor Lumber. This project was my first CARE (Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence) winner, and I am still proud of it.