Home 6: 2737 Quentin Ave., St. Louis Park, MN 55416
ASID Designer Kitchen Tour April 22 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and April 23 – noon to 5 p.m.
Designed by Lisa Antenucci • Shelter Architecture
It was all about sleek, clean lines in this kitchen, originally built for an architect who designed the home in the 1950s. The homeowners hired Lisa Antenucci of Shelter Architecture to remodel their outdated space. Once a modified layout was determined (including incorporating a double oven and large refrigerator), they moved to finishes. “We took inspiration from the mid-century style of walnut, and accented with high-gloss tile and accent cabinets to give it a modern flair,” she says, adding that the unique light fixtures were sourced from Filament Lighting. By removing a partition that closed off the kitchen from the main living area, the homeowners gained a considerable amount of space, allowing for the creation of a bar area and office nook. The end result? A greatly improved workflow and warm, inviting, stylish, and elegant space.
Q&A with Designer Lisa Antenucci:
Where do you typically find design inspiration?
Art, furniture, architecture, history, and pop culture.
How do you guide homeowners to help find their own design style when they aren’t really sure what their style is?
The phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words” holds true in helping clients figure out what they like and, equally important, what they don’t like. Upon starting a project, we give homework in sourcing out images that homeowners find appealing, whether it be colors, fixtures, cabinet style, etc. From there, we take what they have gathered to help them hone in on the style that suit them. If they have no idea where to start, we begin the process for them, and ask them to respond to what we have gathered.
What is just ONE thing you would recommend a homeowner do to completely change the look of their kitchen without doing a complete revamp?
Paint! Whether painting the walls or the cabinets themselves; paint is an inexpensive option to change the look of any room. Pay particular attention to the wood species the cabinets are made of to make sure the desired outcome can be achieved with the existing cabinets.
What’s one of your favorite trends right now?
As we implemented in this project, one of our favorite trends right now is using large-scale tile. This is great in kitchen applications to avoid small grout lines and eliminating extra cleaning time. Along with the size of tile, we also like how tile is being used on the whole wall instead of just underneath the cabinets as a standard backsplash.
What would you tell someone who strongly dislikes their kitchen but is too intimidated to hire a professional to help?
I would tell them that working with Shelter Architecture is a team effort comprised of the designer and the most important player: you! We strongly encourage collaboration between designer and client. Our end goal is to assist you in making decisions to get the kitchen of your dreams. If you don’t yet know what that dream could be, we can help you envision the possibilities and go from there.
For more information about this project on the ASID Designer Kitchen Tour, visit http://midwesthome.com/events/2017-asid-designer-kitchen-tour/tour-kitchens/shelter-architecture/. For more information about Shelter Architecture, visit shelterarchitecture.com.
Tickets to the ASID Designer Kitchen Tour April 22 and 23 can be purchased for $15 in advance or $20 at the door ($10 for single home visits). Purchase tickets online here: midwesthome.com/events/2017-asid-designer-kitchen-tour/kitchen-tour-tickets/.
By Chrissy Sarinske
