Home and Hearth
Story by Stephen Treffinger
Photography by Erin Kelly
babbandmackdesign.com
mcqueenbuildingcompany.com
Designing the perfect kitchen can be a stressful and complicated process, but for one Pittsburgh couple, choosing the right people with whom they could work—and having a clear sense of what they wanted—helped make the process go more smoothly.
They began with Babb & Mack Design Co., who proposed the overall layout and chose some of the finishes. The firm then connected them with McQueen Building Company, who updated the design for both functionality and cost, helped make the final selections, and executed the build itself. But even with the right team, it’s never easy if you’re a busy working couple.
“She’s got a baby and a toddler and she has a lot going on, so she knew she had to stay organized to remain on top of the project,” said Christine McQueen. To keep everything humming along and to accommodate the homeowners’ hectic lifestyles, McQueen Building used Buildertrend® software (buildertrend.com) which allowed them to upload each selection for approval by the homeowners at their convenience, saving endless e-mail chains.
The homeowners were also in sync—something of a luxury. “They both agreed on pretty much every selection. There was not any struggle or ‘okay, you win this one, I get the next one,’” said Christine. The kitchen is less than 25 years old but had some issues. Everything was a bit worn, and the island was too small. For the active owners— who really love to cook a lot and to cook often—the kitchen is both a refuge and a place they put through its paces.
“We enjoy simply being together in a space that allows us to care for each other and our two young children through the preparing and sharing of good food,” said the wife.
They love to prep pizzas for the backyard oven, make decadent holiday meals, or even heat up leftovers for a weeknight family dinner. The layout, which features an impressive expanse of countertops in Cristallo Quartz from Mont Surfaces and a large island, allows them to prep, cook, and entertain with abandon. The kitchen proper shares a space with a cozy fireplace area, a place for them to read a book and enjoy a glass of wine.
One challenge was the presence of several openings—two doors to the rest of the house and another to the backyard in the middle of the space, near the area between the fireplace and kitchen. The McQueens shuffled a few things around to be able to retain these doorways for aesthetic as well as practical reasons.
“We worked out the furniture layout so that we could keep both of the exterior openings to the back because their house is brick and anytime you fill in brick, it looks like you filled in brick,” said Christine.
This also kept everything open, an advantage for spirited children. Their whole first floor is so great for little kids. When the doors are open to the office, the boys can ride and run around the whole first floor."
When it came to appliances, the owners requested two dishwashers, which they realize might seem excessive, but ultimately saves time. Because they spend so much time in the kitchen and hope to enjoy it for many years to come, they spent money on professional-grade appliances and uniform finishes.
”The panel-ready refrigerator/freezer and dishwashers make the full kitchen feel 'furnished' while also being highly functional,” said one of the homeowners. The couple also wanted to have an especially large refrigerator—in addition to one they have in the basement. “They love to have people over. It’s very much an open-door home— everybody can come in and they’re so inviting and hospitable. This layout allows them to have a lot of people over and care for them,” said Christine.
The pro range with its uniform top grate and the combination microwave-convection oven also lets them unleash their inner chefs. McQueen also guided them through the process of having a custom copper hood made, but kept it from being an over the-top addition. “It's not overly fussy, but it’s a really good counterbalance to the stone of the fireplace on the other end, which is original.” Although the fireplace was left largely as is, a beverage cooler and sink were added to the fireplace area, preventing extra trips into the kitchen.
Overall, the kitchen mix is a balance of high and low. For the backsplash, McQueen ended up finding an inexpensive tile the homeowners fell in love with, and the decision was made to do the whole wall in it, rather than only a strip of backsplash.
“I think it really completed that whole wall and gave it purpose. It added texture everywhere,” said McQueen. The high and low, she said, works because the high elevates everything.
Charlestown wall lanterns from Visual Comfort flanking the window over the sink were a splurge—and ended up being one of the owners’ favorite elements. Floors were redone in French oak hardwood from Home Depot, bringing warmth and a unifying presence to both the living and kitchen areas.
The homeowners chose a creamier-toned paint than the bright or even slightly warm white typically used these days for walls and cabinetry: Steamed Milk by Sherwin Williams. It coordinates better with the rather traditional style of the house, as do the antique copper cabinet handles, pulls, and faucet from Signature Hardware. The crown molding and ceilings were painted a cooler white for contrast and to highlight the architectural details.
One of the most striking of these is the coffered ceiling, which everyone wanted to have a clear focus. It was therefore decided not to have a pendant light over the island. It keeps sightlines clear, but has an added benefit: the husband is quite tall and would have been constantly banging his head.
Appliances
Sub-Zero 48" Classic Side-By-Side Refrigerator/Freezer
Thermador 36" Pro Grand Gas Range
Thermador Emerald 6-Program Dishwasher
Bosch 5-Cycle Panel Ready Dishwasher
LG Stainless Steel Combination Wall Oven with Speed Oven
XO 15" Beverage Center/Refrigerator
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Founded in 1971, Don’s Appliances is a family-owned, independent appliance retailer based out of Pittsburgh, PA. Don’s has since expanded to 10 locations selling, delivering, installing, and servicing all major appliance brands. Large enough to offer competitive pricing yet small enough to continue offering the “white glove” service we pride ourselves on, our focus is always on the customer experience — from the first step into a showroom to the purchase transaction to well after your new appliance has been installed. When our customers are remodeling or building a new house, Don’s has all the expertise, product knowledge, inventory, brands, displays, and services to meet and exceed your needs. And in the event an appliance breaks, we are there, right on time and with the right product, delivery, installation, and service.
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