A casual conversation between Jon and Annie Bielecki early in the pandemic led to this full kitchen remodel. With the family spending so much time in the house, the couple discussed how some of their original design decisions were not ideal now that they had two growing boys and two dogs. The original L-shaped island enclosed the kitchen and cut it off from the dining area, and they needed more storage for toys and dog food.
While discussing solutions, Annie simply asked, “Should we remodel?” They were both on board and started the process almost immediately. They love their neighborhood and want to stay until their boys are grown, and they reasoned that “the sooner it’s done, the longer we can enjoy it.”
After a friendly interview, the Bieleckis hired Elizabeth Berry & Adriele Graham from House Meraki to create their new kitchen layout. House Meraki has over 26 years of combined experience and specializes in full-service interior design. According to Berry and Graham, “We approach each project with Meraki – applying soul, creativity, and love to craft truly unique spaces.” They draw inspiration from photographs, architecture, natural elements, and emotion to create practical but diverse designs that suit the individual needs of their clients.
House Meraki worked with the Bieleckis to create a modern, eclectic style that strategically combined Jon and Annie’s preferences with family-friendly functionality.
The Bieleckis indicated, “We wanted to feel like we were on vacation at home.”
The Bieleckis are tall, so the design includes raised cabinets for ease of use and a complete floor-to-ceiling pantry for maximum storage. Berry and Graham removed the L-shaped island, creating a natural flow between the kitchen and dining area. House Meraki expresses, “This allows their kids to participate in family bonding while homework and cooking are happening.”
Jon says, “We wanted matching appliances of excellent quality and a slide-in range.”
Jon and Annie decided to purchase Bosch appliances from Fine Lines with the help of account manager Johana Corona. Jon says, “We wanted matching appliances of excellent quality and a slide-in range.”
As a result, they purchased a 30” electric slide-in range that fit perfectly into their new island. It has Genuine European Convection that allows even baking on several levels while temperature control maintains the heat to prevent burning. They also purchased a Bosch 800 series dishwasher that has RackMatic™; this enables the middle rack to switch between three different heights and nine rack positions. The CrystalDry™ technology can get dishes 60% drier by transforming moisture into heat up to 176°F. Another nifty feature is InfoLight® which projects a light onto the floor while the dishwasher runs and will turn off once it has completed its cycle.
“Order appliances as soon as you can and go with the flow....”
The Bieleckis completed their renovation during the pandemic
despite several delays. Jon’s advice to homeowners who want to
remodel is, “Order appliances as soon as you can and go with the
flow because things will not go as planned.”
Although it took longer than scheduled, Jon and Annie enjoyed
the process because they looked at the challenges as a puzzle that
they got to solve together. The Bieleckis love how the remodel
turned out and cannot wait to use it in the years to come.
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