november 2014 – award winning kitchen

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SUSQUEHANNA ST YLE | November 2014
When Marie Mooney moved in with her partner,
Bob, she immediately fell in love with his 1929
farmhouse home, situated on 80 acres of land in
a rural area of Berks County. What she didn’t love,
however, was the kitchen. Built for her mother-inlaw 20 years prior, it was small and well-suited
for a single cook. But Mooney craved a more open
kitchen, filled with light and people.
“I knew how I cook and how I function, and I
had a vision for the space,” she says. “The main
thing I wanted was to have what I needed in a small
area for cooking that was easily accessible.”
Mooney also wanted a larger area for friends
and family to congregate, sharing the space while
not infringing on her culinary conquests. She
thought that the adjacent sunroom, an underutilized space, could serve as the perfect spot for
an updated kitchen; she hoped to hire a kitchen
designer who could turn the vision into reality.
After interviewing several pros who she felt
weren’t considering her idea, Mooney met Eileen
Riddle, CKD.
“I clicked with her immediately,” she says.
“She listened to me. She wasn’t there to tell me
how they were going to design it for me. I wanted
someone whom I could collaborate with.”
With Riddle’s help, Mooney and her partner
found a contractor in August 2010 and began
the complicated conversion process, ripping out
everything from the sunroom. Two columns that
held a large beam were removed; a steel beam
was installed to carry the load. Then, homeowner
and designer exhaustively pored over each detail,
ensuring that the new traditional-style kitchen
design would suit the family’s needs.
Riddle was partial to that style herself. After
over 20 years in the business, she had grown to
love traditional concepts interspersed with clean
lines and industrial elements. She was ready to
tackle the challenge and give Mooney the updated
kitchen she imagined.
“It’s all about how you function in your space,”
Riddle explains. “That’s one of the main goals in
kitchen design: that it functions well.”
After visiting the home and taking
measurements, Riddle began to plot out the “zones”
of Mooney’s kitchen. She knew Mooney loved to
cook and have family around as she prepared large
meals. She also knew that the homeowner was
sentimental; Riddle hoped to include a butcher’s
block table from Mooney’s father into the design as
well. So the designer established distinct areas for
cooking, cleanup, baking and gathering.
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For the cooking area, Riddle installed a gas and
electric combination cooktop, using a barn beam
from the family’s property as a hood. Soapstone
countertops conjured up an old world look, while
a natural stone backsplash with fossil fragments
matched the designer’s palette.
“It played off the island color and tied it in,”
she says of the area. “And with the barn beam and
natural stone, it just fit. It felt like a win.”
Flanking the cooktop, upgraded appliances were
built into painted cabinetry, the integrated design
enhancing the pantry or furniture look of the room.
Three satin nickel lamps hang over the island, as
industrial stools give space for a breakfast bar.
For the baking center, Riddle took advantage of
the extra deep walls, fashioning doors to hide small
appliances, like the food processor and mixer. She
also installed two ovens and a warming drawer, and
incorporated open shelving to display ingredients in
containers.
In one corner of the spacious kitchen, a traditional
table and chairs are butted up beside a corner
banquette; eight tall windows allow light to stream
in and warm the nook. This zone allows family and
friends to gather while Mooney cooks. “I like to
create a friendly barrier,” explains Riddle, “where the
cook can function in her space and still have visitors
in the space.”
Elsewhere, a cleanup area features a deep,
soapstone farm sink, an integrated dishwasher
and a beverage center for wine and coffee. A builtin pantry with two glass doors houses Mooney’s
glassware and utensils, allowing for easy access and
better organization.
“It was one of the largest kitchens I’ve ever done.
Each client is different, and this is definitely Marie.
It’s just her,” Riddle says. “One of my main joys from
kitchen design is hearing the clients say that they
love their kitchen, that they function well in the
space. This is what I try to achieve.”
Mooney says her kitchen not only functions well,
but it has quickly become the most popular room in
her home. Guests lounge in white wingback chairs
and talk to her while cooking; others take to the oval
table in the corner to relax.
As she thinks back to the start of the project,
Mooney remembers Riddle’s freehand drawing on a
rendering sheet of what her new space would look
like. Years later, she is still amazed. “If you looked
at it now, you would think it was drawn after the
kitchen was built,” she says. “It was the best choice
I could’ve made. I’d never have that kitchen without
her, and I’d work with her again anytime…except I
don’t need any kitchens for now.”
Resources:
AS
DESIGN: Layout, cabinetry and concept inspirations
by Kitchens By Eileen; additional contracting work
by Steven L. Edris
POT FILLER: Delta
CABINETS: Painted cabinetry, white and stone sage
FREEZER: Thermador
COUNTERTOPS: Soapstone
DISHWASHER: Bosch
FLOORING: Refinished oak
COOKTOP: Gas/electric combo by Wolf
BACKSPLASH: Natural stone
BAKING CENTER OVEN: Thermador
LIGHT FIXTURES: Satin nickel fixtures
STEAM OVEN: Thermador
STOOLS: Restoration Hardware
BEVERAGE COOLER: KitchenAid
HARDWARE: Antique pewter, hand finish
WARMING DRAWER: KitchenAid
REFRIGERATOR: Thermador
SE
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FAUCETS: Delta Victorian
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SUSQUEHANNA ST YLE | November 2014
November 2014 | SUSQUEHANNA ST YLE
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