February
10
2- Hour Designing Solutions: Debbie Dishes Kitchen Advice and More
A semi-weekly collection of stories from Debbie’s 2-hour Design Solutions
I live in Alexandria, Virginia, and recently decided to do some much-needed upgrades. I wanted to make some changes to both my living room and kitchen, but my kitchen was my main focus. I had contacted a kitchen designer who came in to talk to me about replacing cabinets, countertops, flooring, etc. While it sounded great to get some much-needed upgrades to my 1959 kitchen, I felt uninspired. I would spend a lot of money for basically the same kitchen with some better materials. I felt I needed the advice of an interior designer and, after looking around, chose Debbie for her background, style and reputation. Debbie did not disappoint.
She came in, listened to my ideas and got a feel for what I was looking for. She quickly went to work, making drawings of my kitchen and shooting out ideas for a new design and materials. Some of her ideas included taking down a wall between the kitchen and dining room, installing a peninsula with a white marble top and installing a beverage refrigerator on one side of that refrigerator for quick and easy access to water, wine and other beverages (I do a lot of entertaining) and bookcases on the other side for all my many cookbooks (thereby eliminating an ugly free-standing bookcase). She spoke of using frosted glass to break up some of the wood, thought up a cream colored farmhouse sink (brilliant) and a counter-depth refrigerator to replace the one jutting out past a doorway. She put everything on paper from where the LED recessed lighting would go to how to store my many spice bottles. But she didn’t stop with the kitchen.
She knew I also wanted some changes to my living room and she went to work moving this, moving that. She used the same things I already had, but with her changes, she created a much more open living space for me, my family and our dogs. She found the perfect rug for my long entryway (matched my existing oriental rug to a T), talked of paint and color ideas and bookmarked on my laptop some great resources for lighting and furniture. She had my son drag outside a much overwatered plant and advised me on how to bring it back to life.
I am SO GLAD I called Debbie before making any changes. Now I have a redesigned living room and, most importantly, a kitchen design I am excited about. She even mapped out two phases since I told her I couldn’t afford to do everything at once. I would recommend Debbie and her 2-hour Design Solution consultation to anyone who needs some advice on anything in their home, from small projects such as new curtains to major renovations. She knows her stuff!
