Sue Hunter is Featured in ID-DIGEST.com

· Sue Hunter

Published 03/31/2009 - 2:02 p.m. CST

Your Name: Sue Hunter – Home for a Change

Company Name: 17801 Leemans Drive, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345

612) 701-0101

Context Questions

What room is being described? The room is a kitchen / great room. This was an addition to the home, all spaces from the posts at the island toward the dinette is new space. The entire space was gutted and designed from the bare walls to completion by Sue Hunter of Home for a Change. Architect designed / planned additional space including the posts that needed to remain as support. The island was built to work with the existing posts.

In what city and state is this room located? The home is located in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

In what kind of building is the room? A private residence.

How is this room used and by whom? The home owners are in their early 40’s, and their 3 children are aged 8, 10 and 12.

General Questions

At the beginning of the process, what did the client want done to the room? By the end of the process, how much had that changed? This home was very contemporary in style. There was an unused round dining room and a very narrow, long galley kitchen. The space was small and difficult for a family of 5 to live in. The owner, although appreciating contemporary design, felt the old space was too contemporary for their design style. Although they did not want to go the other direction to traditional, they wanted a space that was warm, comfortable and family-friendly for homework, dinners together and entertaining their large, extended family. The client did not want white cabinets, but also did not want the cabinetry to be dark or traditional. We came up with a design that worked for them. The main cabinetry was done in a soft golden, painted and lightly distressed finish, giving it the warm glow of wood, but keeping it light enough to work well in the space. The center island was done in a darker finish to create some dimension and strength to the center of the room. The overall finished product was just what the client had wanted, but was unable to envision on her own.

What is the overall style of the room? The overall style is somewhat casual yet with a definite style all its own. We added some finishing touches with some lighting (chandeliers) with some crystal to give it a touch of elegance and European style. The barstools in rattan, keep the feel casual and family friendly. The large farm table is spacious enough for homework and family dinners, but done in a lighter wood and painted tones to keep it airy and fresh, not allowing it to compete with the darker woods of the island.

What mood or feeling did you achieve in the room? The mood is warm, cozy and friendly. It is very welcoming and allows for plenty of space for guests all in a pretty and understated setting. The room says, “Come in and sit down; don’t be afraid to spill something. Make yourself at home.”

How long was the process from consultation to completion? From consultation to completion was approximately 6 months.

How was this project unique from others you have done? There were so many spaces to work on aside from the kitchen / great room. We also did new furniture in the living room, the sitting area of the great room, new accessories throughout and new carpet, furniture and window treatments in the lower level. We also did 2 new bathrooms in the lower level and new paint throughout. We were working on many new spaces with new colors, design and window treatments. The designing of the kitchen cabinets was my favorite part of the project; from the sketches, to color samples, to working with the amazing cabinet builder, to installation.

Was there anything about this project that was a first for you? Anything that took you by surprise? Anything that didn’t go as planned? Any “mistakes” that you turned into positives? I have designed kitchens before, but this was probably the largest one so far. We really had no mistakes to speak of, and really no surprises. We worked as a great team, the contractor called me often to update and the cabinet maker and I were in constant contact.

Specific Questions

Color Scheme:

Wall Color(s): We chose a warm golden tone for the walls to compliment the dark wood floors and warm golden tones of the cabinets. To cool the room down, I chose “French blue” for the ceiling in the kitchen area and for some of the accents.

Is there any special treatment on the walls? The backsplash is tiled in small warm

brown and cream mosaics. This kept the backsplash interesting and blended

fantastically with the granite.

Flooring: A dark, wide plank wood floor in a deep brown created a fantastic base for some of the lighter cabinet colors and countertops. The countertops are granite in a golden/copper/brown and cream color.

Furniture pieces: The dinette table was found a t a European style store. We liked the light painted base and chairs with a practical wood top for heavy use from the children and also for entertaining. The rattan barstools added some texture and comfortable seating for kids and guests. The style of the table leans toward French country while the barstools have more of a straighter line. I liked the mix of these two styles.

Lighting:

- Window treatments: The fabric was chosen for its soft tone on tone texture and

color, a soft muted “French blue” to coordinate with the kitchen ceiling. The

style was chosen to keep an open view to the amazing scenery that is just outside

the very large bank of windows. A soft shaped roman shade worked well to add

some curves to the room and large windows along with side panels in a soft,

loose design.

- Lighting fixtures: The lighting was chosen for efficiency (task lighting recessed, etc.) and beauty and ambiance. The pendants over the island are both efficient and pretty. I wanted to keep them somewhat simple, but with the European elegance of having a few crystals. The bowl style fixture over the table is large enough to work with the oversized farm table, but simple enough not to overpower the design of the room. The small crystal chandelier in the bake center at the end of the kitchen creates a special look all its own without compromising the room’s integrity. The fixtures were all chosen in brownish/antique tones to keep the color scheme warm and friendly.

Artwork:

The art at the end of the room (over the sideboard) was selected for its depth, color and theme. I felt the piece had great movement and enough color to add more interest to the room without being too strong or overwhelming. The art is neither traditional nor contemporary, another one of the clients’ requests.