• What was the client’s dream?

• The client’s dream was to have a beautiful, grand, family-centric kitchen that could comfortably serve a household of six (from teens to adults) who all love to cook, gather, and be part of the action. He wanted a space with instant visual impact: glamorous, elegant, and elevated enough to impress friends and guests while entertaining, yet grounded in everyday functionality.
  
  Aesthetically, the goal was a showstopping centerpiece for the home—rich in detail, high in presence, and designed to feel luxurious. Functionally, he needed abundant, intuitive storage for spices, cookware, and utensils, along with a layout that allowed multiple people to prep, cook, and move. His dream was a kitchen that looked breathtaking and worked seamlessly.

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• What’s a major challenge you solved?

• This kitchen began as a truly blank canvas—a new construction home with no existing framework or limitations. The challenge was transforming an empty shell into a space that fulfilled an extensive wish list: high impact aesthetics, maximum functionality, and exceptional storage capabilities.
  
  With no constraints, I had to establish the entire design vocabulary from scratch, balancing glamour with practicality, integrating hidden storage, and creating zones that allowed the family to cook together seamlessly.
  
  I solved this by developing a fully orchestrated, intentional design plan: concealed Spice Cabinets flanking the sink, Wall Pantry Pull-Outs on each side of the range hood, double storage Tall Pantry Cabinets, a simple yet luxurious door style that took on the role of a little black dress, reeded glass for layered dimension, and a design layout that supports simultaneous cooking, gathering, and entertaining. The blank canvas became an opportunity to design a kitchen that is both architecturally cohesive and functionally exceptional.

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• What’s your favorite thing about this kitchen?

• While it’s hard to choose just one, several details stand out as personal favorites for how beautifully they elevate the entire space.

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  • I love the Thornton Door. It’s a refined Shaker with the slightest design detail. Its minimal profile is incredibly easy to maintain. Paired with the painted Cottage color (a soft, neutral, whiteish-taupe), it delivers high-end, understated elegance. This Thornton Door is the kitchen’s version of the little black dress: timeless, versatile, and chic!

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  • I’m also obsessed with the top row of Cascade Reeded Glass Doors with integrated backlighting. The combination adds just the right amount of texture and dimension, necessary for a tonal palette. And it’s so impactful. The way the light bounces off the glass and softly illuminates the interior creates a warm glow that elevates the entire room.
  
  
  Together, these elements layer sophistication, texture, and subtle glamour, making the kitchen feel both expansive and intimate, functional and undeniably luxurious.

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• How did KraftMaid make it easy to complete this project?

• KraftMaid made this project easy by offering so many organizational accessories to create this efficient, functional, streamlined kitchen design.
  
  For their spice collection, I used the following:
  • Hidden, Integrated Wall Spice Cabinets flanking the window over the sink
  • Wall Pantry Pull-Out Cabinets flanking the Custom Hood
  • Base Pantry Pull-Outs and Tall Pantry Pull-Outs
  • Two Spice Drawer Cabinets used as decorative, yet functional fill-ins over the refrigerator
  
  
  For their pots and pans, I used the following:
  • Two Drawer Bases with three drawers each, including one next to the gas range
  • One 36” BCC36 Base Cooking Center, which is my favorite cabinet because it contains the Knife Section Cutting Center and the Wood Tiered Drawer Storage, plus two 7” deep drawers with Adjustable Drawer Dividers
  
  
  A “tall wall,” combining two Tall Pull-Out Pantries flanking the Extended Top Utility Cabinet with Pull-Out Drawers, has multiple purposes:
  • Finishes the cabinet run
  • Provides even more storage
  • Creates symmetry and balance with the opposing 48” refrigerator wall
  
  
  But the best way that KraftMaid made it easy to complete this project was allowing me to create my own custom version of a broom closet without sacrificing any space in the adjacent cabinets! I added this secret, hidden cabinet to the side of the refrigerator, which can be accessed from the hallway.

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• Any advice for next year’s contestants?

• Actively listen to your clients, and ask the correct, thought-provoking questions during the discovery process to uncover their wants, needs, and how they want the kitchen to look and feel. Clients will tell you everything you need to know to create the recipe for a successful, winning design.