The Harris Home

The Harris family's 1890 Victorian home truly is a labor of love. After undertaking several renovations to maintain and beautify its stately exterior, Georgia and Jerry Harris set their sights on the heartbeat of the home: their kitchen.

For many families these days, the kitchen serves as a frequent gathering spot. It's where cooking and dining takes place, but also homework, hanging out and entertaining. The Harris family, which also includes two growing daughters, is no exception. The Harrises' original kitchen was in desperate need of renovations to improve functionality. Storage space was maxed out and dispersed throughout the room, which made finding food, dishes and glasses an adventure. And all the clutter made cleaning a real hassle.

Georgia and Jerry came to Custom Contracting with a few key goals in mind:
Address the storage shortage.

Open up the space and improve traffic flow.

Introduce more light.

Enhance the view of the lovely deck and garden, located         off the kitchen.

Install appliances that work well and boost energy
        efficiency.

Make the room warmer.

Storage & Open Space Galore

The Harrises and Custom Contracting agreed on the importance of preserving the home's character. So, we installed a reclaimed pine floor in the kitchen to reflect the flooring elsewhere. We also added gorgeous bay windows mimicking the bay in the parlor and dining room.

New storage has arrived in several forms. Custom cherry cabinets come in both solid and glass fronts to showcase China and glass collectibles. A custom pantry with glass front-top doors built into the corner blends in seamlessly with the rest of the cabinetry. And a large ebony-stained island with a Cinderella blue granite countertop, undermount bar and prep sink anchors the room.

"Not only does the kitchen look great, but it's also highly functional," said Georgia. "In my old kitchen, I only had one drawer for cooking utensils and silverware. Now I have three! No more digging around for tools hiding under other tools. It's so easy to reach into one of the drawers surrounding my stove and pick the right tool for the job."

In order to create more square footage, we took up a bit of the back deck and bumped out the kitchen. This additional space allowed us to create a breakfast nook and desk area. In addition, it increased the amount of open space, which has worked wonders in terms of traffic flow from the side and back entrances.

The use of recessed lights, including undercounter lighting and puck lighting in the cabinets, has brightened up the kitchen quite a bit. So, too, has the installation of three large, arched casement windows over the large farmer's sink. The sink, one of Georgia's favorite parts of the original kitchen, now rests a little lower for better functionality. It's the perfect place to work while taking in the expanded view of the deck and garden.

No More Stress & Frustration

Saving energy was a priority for the Harrises, so we replaced the old kitchen appliances with stainless-steel, energy-efficient upgrades. The new dual-fuel stove offers major advantages in terms of energy efficiency and functionality, a real plus for Georgia, who is an active baker.

To solve the warmth issues in an energyefficient manner, we placed radiant heat under the existing flooring. The kitchen is now warmer and more comfortable, even during the most frigid winter nights.

Georgia lauds the "new beautiful tile, granite and cabinets" and is pleased that the renovations have eliminated the stress and frustration associated with the old kitchen.

"We love how our new kitchen functions, looks and feels," said Georgia. "I'm very happy with all my choices and felt in very good hands with Custom Contracting."

"Not only does the kitchen look great, but it's also highly functional. In my old kitchen, I only had one drawer for cooking utensils and silverware. Now I have three!" ~ Georgia Harris