46 30 YEARS / PLANO PROFILE / July 2013

/ interiors

Kitchen and bathroom remodeling can update your home instantly, transform it dramatically, and make you fall in love with your home all over again. Certainly that was the case for lilly and Don Schultz, who enlarged and redesigned their kitchen, and for Kathryn loo and Michael Meade, who turned a typical master bath into a contemporary, spa-like retreat.

But before taking on such ambitious projects, there are three important questions you need to address.

First, how long do you plan to live in your home? If you plan to move in a couple of years, it’s probably not worth the investment because you will not get your money back, plus you won’t have time to enjoy it.

Second, what is the driving force behind the change? Do you desire a particular look, require a specific function, perhaps want to focus your design around a predominant feature?

Remodel

This kitchen, extended by six feet, has ample room for cooking, creating, and displaying. The wine storage and coffee bar (above) makes entertaining a breeze. Proper planning turns dead wall space (far right) into attractive, conve-nient storage. x 3 / Mike Newman / Plano Profile

Want to fall in love with your home again?

July 2013 / PLANO PROFILE / 30 YEARS 47

By CINDy BOyKIN

And third, what is your budget?Once you know these key things, you

can plan, design and construct those perfect spaces in your home.

Gathering place / Having lived in their west Plano home for 15 years and with their children now grown, lilly and Don Schultz had the time and wherewithal to create their dream kitchen. They worked with Elite Remodeling to blend inventive practicality with creative vision. They achieved everything they wanted and more.

The driving force in this remodel was the desire for a large gathering place. John Todd, owner and general manager of Elite Remodeling, explains, “you can see very quickly that lilly wants to be able to have family and friends in here with her, therefore it became not only the social but emotional part of the house. So this piece right here, the island, became the driving force.”

After extending the kitchen by six feet, there was plenty of room to have an oversized island that provides ample storage, seating and workspace. Because of its prominence, it was very important to lilly to find the perfect counter surface.

lilly shares, “This is hard limestone. The pattern is called ‘Rainforest,’ and it has a leather finish. Since light comes through that window, what I really like

about this surface is the natural look. Had I picked a shiny stone, we would have a lot of glare.” Sliding her hand across the stone, she points out, “you can feel the veins in the limestone and it almost has the touch of leather.”

John notes how the stone selection complements the tile floor, which the homeowners already had in place and wanted to keep. In addition, lilly purchased a tile mural she wanted to incorporate into the backsplash, so the colors needed to blend with that as well.

John says, “Because we were going to have a lot of busyness with the limestone top, the mural, and the tile floor—plus lilly has a lot of antiques that she likes to

display—we had to be relatively quiet in the backsplash. We selected a natural stone, tumbled marble. Then we chose this paint and glazing for the cabinets.”

He adds, “They also wanted a clean look. We wanted to hide things, build them in, so you wouldn’t notice them.”

Illustrating his point, lilly pulls out drawers, “All my electrical appliances, which used to be really hard to get to, I can get to very easily without keeping them on the counter. I even put my toaster away. All my pots and pans used to be in one stack—if you wanted the bottom one, you had to dig down and get it. It was a good reason not to cook! But these pull-out drawers make it so much more

convenient.”Slim cabinets tucked away in corners and

along dead-space walls provide a surprising amount of storage. Near the kitchen’s back door is a tall closet that is no deeper than the wall. But in that narrow space, lilly stores a rechargeable sweeper—with electrical outlet conveniently placed inside to keep it charged—plus all the things she needs for her dog like leashes, food, and treats.

Next to the refrigerator is a slender closet with pull-out shelves that holds cooking and food items. John explains, “We were already adding a lot, but our intent was to leave no space unused. This could have been a dead wall, now it has spice racks. We designed the kitchen in the way she needed it to perform.”

Personal touches make a kitchen unique to the homeowner. lilly loves antiques, and displaying them was a priority in the design. One wall is lined with kitchen hutches with

beadboard paneling.“I wanted this to look like an old country store,” lilly says.

“I even have an old cash register.”Among the antique tin boxes, hand grinders, mixing bowls,

and keepsakes are sentimental pieces from her childhood days growing up in a small farming community in North Dakota. “These things are special to me,” she says.

John comments, “What I see is the blend of old and new. you have the antique pieces that fit into a brand new kitchen very nicely. It’s warm and inviting.”

Private retreat / Kathryn loo and husband Michael Meade moved into their home in October, 2003. Although they had the home built, Kathryn says the architect’s plan for the master bath just didn’t translate from paper to reality. In the years that followed, Kathryn frequently looked at magazine photos and read articles about master bath remodeling.

“I always had the desire to have a master bath that was as beautiful as it was functional,” Kathryn says. “I kept dreaming that someday we could make the changes, then finally I said, ‘We are not waiting until someday when we sell the house to make it great for the next family!’ ”

48 30 YEARS / PLANO PROFILE / July 2013

As it turns out, her desire for an updated, beautiful bath is shared by millions. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders of over 2,000 professionals, bathroom remodeling, at a staggering 78 percent, is the most requested home renovation. The couple contracted with Elite Remodeling for their project.

What finally drove her to making the investment of time and money for this project? “If only you could have seen it before! There was a linen closet as well as an enclosed walk-in shower which made the space seem very claustrophobic. So the big motivation was to give it a spacious feel while not losing storage. I also wanted to upgrade the shower space with body sprays and a rain head...I just love long showers! Plus the lighting was very bad in the old room, and there is nothing worse than not being able to see when applying makeup.”

Natural elements with koi pond vessel sinks create a soothing and luxurious feel.

The floor and shower surround is made of two-feet square ceramic tiles, which was risky because ordinarily that size is used in larger spaces; however it turned out beautifully. Stacked stone is also incorporated in the shower and tub surround. The counter tops and tub deck is stone, honed for a smooth, but not shiny, finish.

Kathryn purchased the koi pond inspired vessel sinks on the Internet.

She says, “Once I found the sinks, that actually dictated the color of the stone counter tops.”

The light fixtures are lucite with saw grass sandwiched in between. “I thought it was interesting to bring in the natural textures, while still

keeping it clean and contemporary,” she adds.

The fixtures and cabinet hardware are all brushed nickel, which look striking against the dark wood. “I think the dark wood brings a warmth to the room,” she says.

Speaking of warming up the space, she adds, “Did I mention the floors are heated?” Such touches are the things of which master bath dreams are made!

There is a lot to appreciate in this newly designed master bath. What is she most happy with?

“I’m most pleased with the shower,” she replies, “it’s so nice and spacious. I thought I would hate cleaning all the glass, but it hasn’t been bad at all. Also the gorgeous stone counter top. The stone is absolutely beautiful, and you can see actual fossilized sea shells in the stone itself. Also, the rich espresso finish on the cabinets makes a world of difference from the old painted cabinets.”

The uncluttered spaciousness of this room, along with the natural and peaceful ambiance, is a dream come true for Kathryn. In that way, she followed the advice of Henry David Thoreau, who said: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Kathryn Loo longed to transform her standard master bath into a serene, beautiful retreat—and she finally did! Koi pond vessel sinks, natural stone, oversized ceramic tiles, and rich espresso finish on the cabinets create a luxurious space. x 2 / Doug Handel

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