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Original to their 1940s home, Brad and Cindy Lewis’s kitchen was small with dated white cabinets and little counter space. In the spring of 2008, the New Ulm, Minnesota couple decided to remodel and turned to designer Christine Carmichael for help. Originally, the plan was to focus on the kitchen but after discussing all the possibilities, they decided to open up the entire living space on their main floor.

“I think the new kitchen layout quadrupled the cupboard space,” Christine says. They removed walls and opened up the kitchen to add an island. They also added a new work counter that serves as an extra serving space and leads into taller storage cabinets which form a decorative hutch in the existing dining space. To give the room visual interest, Christine recommended using complementary surfaces. For example, they chose two different laminate countertop colors and two different kinds of cabinet finishes. White cabinetry was chosen for the main part of the kitchen to open up the space visually. Then, they chose Lyptus, a renewable wood from South America, for the island and remaining cabinets. The pulls are a polished stone.

Christine tried to meet two particular challenges to make the kitchen layout more user friendly for Cindy. One was to bring some of the high original kitchen cabinetry down to the countertop level where Cindy could access it more easily. This was done by stacking two levels of cabinets in the corner and adding eye level pullout upper cabinets on either side of the stove. Secondly, the original kitchen had Cindy facing a blank wall at the sink; she wanted to be able to view the nature outside her back windows. By adding a transitional corner around to the dining area and removing one upper cabinet, Christine was able to give Cindy her view.

The couple wanted the remodel to fit their Cottage / Craftsman style home and to appear as if it’s always been there. Working from the bottom – up, Cindy chose beautiful distressed

hickory flooring that looks like it earned its aged look. They stayed on budget by incorporating both natural materials and value-added (such as choosing laminate verses granite). “We used the more expensive surfaces in smaller amounts such as the marble mini-mosaics that decorate the stove backsplash.” Christine explains.

When the “typical couch and two chairs” arrangement didn’t work in Brad and Cindy’s living room, Christine recommended they use three apartment sized loveseats and a large rectangular ottoman. This arrangement allowed for a friendly seating area for six and created the illusion of a separate room. “The room is so inviting – it’s as if guests feel pulled to this area when they walk in,” Cindy says. To dress up the space and tie it in with the new elements in the kitchen, they surrounded the gas fireplace with faux-stone that was set by the project contractor/carpenters, Farasyn-Stueber. A Lyptus beadboard panel was recessed for dimension above the mantle.

Cindy adds her personal decorating touch by placing and changing the scene with her quilted projects and pillows. “The backgrounds were deliberately held more neutral to allow Cindy this flexibility,” Christine explains. “When planning the project,” Cindy says, “My main concern was that it felt homey, and that people felt comfortable when they came in. I didn’t want anything fancy or trendy, just a home that was inviting.” The remodel recovered much-needed space, embraced the home’s Cottage / Craftsman style and reflects Cindy’s creative vision. The home has a timeless charm.