Rustic Chic
Humans have a natural tendency to congregate in the kitchen. That was a problem for Amber Van De Genachte and her husband, Anthony Molle. They had always found entertaining a little awkward in their 1957 rambler in Cherrydale because there wasn’t enough space. So in 2017 they hired Case Design/Remodeling to do some reconfiguring, doubling the size of their kitchen in the process.
“We took down a wall dividing the former kitchen and the old dining room, combining those spaces to create a 244-square-foot kitchen,” says Case designer Gizem Ozkaya. The dining room was relocated to an adjacent sunroom.
Now, the new kitchen connects seamlessly to its surrounding spaces in an open floor plan that’s ideal for social gatherings. Industrial-style elements like frameless cabinets, quartz countertops and a floating vent hood are counterbalanced with warm, natural features—hardwood floors, rough-hewn ceiling beams and a raised island breakfast bar made of reclaimed wood. The back wall has the organic appearance of weathered driftwood, but it’s actually a porcelain tile backsplash. “When we started…we knew we wanted a better use of space with lots of natural light,” Van De Genachte says. “The design is gorgeous, but it also completely changed the way we live in our house. We love to entertain now. The whole space flows beautifully and our kitchen is the true heart of our home.”
Project Credit:
Gizem Ozkaya and Michael Sass, Case Design/Remodeling, Falls Church, casedesign.com