The renovated kitchen in the home of Kay and Roger Wiegand of Edgeworth features an extra long island with a notch for seating. Interior designer Kay Wiegand cooked up a fool-proof recipe for adding a little Italian flavor to her very traditional, very American, Edgeworth home. The house, a girls boarding school during the Civil War, has all of the architectural elements you would expect from something built in 1833 -- deep molding, high ceilings, original glass and two-story plantation-style colonnades along the front porch.
What you don't expect to find is an airy, 900-square-foot kitchen with a decidedly contemporary manner. It was a bold move incorporating something so modern into something so old school, but Mrs. Wiegand and her husband, Roger, are not timid when it comes to thoughtful updating. The kitchen was small and cut off from the rest of the house, so the couple decided to open things up.
"My personal philosophy is if you have a great old house and you tear it apart, you want to make sure you maintain some historical integrity and retain a sense of flow," says Mrs. Wiegand, owner of the design business Kay Wiegand Inc.
The main ingredient used to tie the differing styles together is color.
"Kay is known for her sense of color," says Stacy Weiss, owner of Weisshouse.
More information
Weisshouse on South Highland Avenue in Shadyside has a Poliform Varenna kitchen showroom and samples of cabinet colors and woods. Information: 412-441-8886.
The furniture retailer represents Poliform Varenna, the Italian manufacturer Mrs. Wiegand chose for her kitchen. In it, the dominant rich caramel plays off the sleek Ovangkol touch-latch wood cabinets, giving the room a warm, welcoming feel rather than the cold clinical look some contemporary kitchens take on. It also connects well with the more traditional rooms, which are done in vibrant blues, greens and deep coral.
"I like crayon colors, and I enjoy using color wherever I can," explains Mrs. Wiegand.
Because four smaller rooms had to come down to create the new kitchen space, planning alone took about five months.
"We worked with Kay and architect Bill Childes from Ohio and Ron Reinheimer, who helped sketch out the plans for the kitchen," says Ms. Weiss.
As walls came down, steel beams were added to shore up the ceiling.
"We had a leak from the chimney, which caused the ceiling to crash down on the floor. It was a disaster, but we ended up with radiant-heated floors because of it," Mrs. Wiegand says.
The ceramic-tile floor is very cozy underfoot now. An 18-foot-long island with a notched area for seating at one end is a gathering spot for friends and family, including the Wiegands' three children and four grandchildren. The extra-long island is practical, too, loaded with storage space and appliances. Blizzard-white stone countertops on the island and sink are easy to keep looking new, unlike more high-maintenance stone such as marble and granite.
"I didn't want this space to be fussy," notes Mrs. Wiegand.
No fuss but lots of storage were some of the directives she gave to the Weisshouse team.
"I really didn't want to lose the storage space I had with the four rooms that were removed," she says.
All of the drawers and some doors open with just a touch, and other cabinets have only streamlined horizontal bars for latches. The result is a clean, seamless look. Behind the sleek surface is room for everything, including a water cooler, an icemaker, a trash smasher, a dishwasher, two sinks and two refrigerators. In keeping with the uncluttered aesthetic, all plugs and switches are hidden under the over-counter cabinets and recessed lighting makes the coral-colored glass tile backsplash glow. White lacquered cabinets above the main sink also set off the tiles and add another dimension to the room.
"We pored over hundreds of different tiles looking for just the right color," says Mrs. Wiegand, adding that it was one of the harder decisions.
Icon Construction was the general contractor on the project and Carpenter Construction installed the Poliform cabinets.
What to do with the little basement door was another dilemma. It was solved with a nod to the nautical -- a porthole-style window. The stair rail to the right was done in horizontal stainless steel, making everything look ship-shape.
"We added a stainless-steel countertop under one of the kitchen windows with a basin for plants, which can be watered without worrying about ruining the countertop," Ms. Weiss notes.
A built-in banquette done in camel leather piped in cream surrounds a large oval Saarinen table from Weisshouse, and an oversized ottoman is strategically placed near the in-wall gas fireplace surrounded by rectangular bamboo tiles.
"I love how it has turned out," declares Mrs. Wiegand.
Patricia Sheridan can be reached at psheridan@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 3, 2009 at 12:00 am
Read more: "Modern Italian meets classic Edgeworth" - http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09003/939266-30.stm#ixzz0GARVRCWW&A
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