Behind the Scenes of a Kitchen Photo Shoot

When we have finished a project we like to snap a few photos for our portfolio, the blog and also to send out to different media outlets for potential publication. These photo shoots are fun to do but very time-consuming. Each scene is carefully laid out, lit and accessorized to draw the viewer’s attention to the details of the interior. We have a lot of fun when we are doing a shoot and I thought I would share what goes on behind the scenes with you.

These photos are from a very recent shoot we did to document a French Country Kitchen we recently completed.  The kitchen is spectacular and a cooks dream! We are going to enter it into a kitchen design contest hosted by Sub Zero and Wolfe appliances. This contest recognizes not only the best kitchen design in Western Canada, but across North America too. This particular kitchen really is a miraculous transformation and one that was a lot of fun to design. Our client had a vision of a traditional but updated style and was thrilled with how we managed to capture that in our kitchen design.

Here I am arranging some flowers before the shoot. Flowers are a must in a photo shoot! There is just nothing better to add instant colour and texture. One of the arrangements for this photo shoot was featured in a previous blog post I wrote called “How to Make and Easy Floral Arrangement” .

Miriam and Meghan, who are associate designers at my Calgary Interior Design firm, Corea Sotropa, are placing some accessories on the mantle above the range.  Nice job ladies!

A final clean up before the bulbs start to flash!

Every detail has to be just right. Here I am adjusting the blinds behind the kitchen table.

Because we are entering this kitchen into a contest, we need to clearly illustrate where the appliances are. We wanted to prop open the fridge so that you could see where it was in the kitchen. Miriam had to get down on the floor and hold open the door.  Talk about dedication to your work!

Thanks Miriam! The shot turned out great! We even go so far as to organize the contents of the fridge so that it looks nice in the picture.

I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek behind the scenes!

Cheers!

French Country Kitchen

We just completed the renovation of this lovely Lake McKenzie home in Calgary.  We had previously helped this client with an addition several years ago so we were thrilled when they called us back in to help them with phase two of their renovation. However, there was an interesting development.  Since we had last worked with them they had been relocated to Scotland and currently the Calgary house was being rented. They decided to return to Calgary and wanted a large part of the construction finished before they returned.  This meant that we had to communicate over email and phone calls, ship samples of finishes to them and use the internet to illustrate our ideas and plans.  Logistically, it was going to be tricky!  The scope of work included enlarging a second floor bedroom and attached bathroom for their teen daughter, refinishing the ensuite, turning the existing living room into a dining room, and completely gutting the old kitchen and expanding the new kitchen into the old dining room space.  Whew!  It was a lot of work but we were ready for the challenge!

Here is what the main floor of the house originally looked like.

Here is the new layout for the main floor.

This kitchen is vastly improved by expanding into what was once the dining room. For a client with four children it was important that the kitchen be large and functional.  One of our client’s major complaints about the old kitchen was the tiny pantry and appliances.  This plan also incorporated a butler’s pantry area between the new dining room and kitchen and small desk for computer use.  Two islands were designed to keep good flow throughout this massive space.  This kitchen is divided into distinctive functional areas – prep and cooking zone, a clean up zone and a storage zone.

Our client adored kitchens that had French Country flair.  She showed me many inspirational photographs most of which featured a mixture of cream and wood cabinets and a range with a stone façade and mantle.  I was excited about the stone surround as it would be a gorgeous focal point to the room.  We went with the Wolfe dual fuel 48” double oven range.  Since we were making the range a major design factor in this kitchen it was important to use something very substantial and eye catching.

Here are some photos of the finished product!

Denca Cabinets took our design drawings and created these beautiful cabinets for us. We have worked with them many times because of their attention to detail and careful craftsmanship.

We suggested using leaded glass cabinets between the Subzero freezer and refrigerator and had them made locally. They really help to emphasize the old world look of this kitchen.

Since our client likes to bake we wanted to incorporate a lower countertop that was at the perfect height for rolling dough.  We dropped this end of the island to 33” instead of the standard 36” height to accommodate this.  The counter tops on the islands are Juperana Amber from Icon Stone and Tile. We used a dark antique finished countertop called Picasso on the other counters.  It was important to have some contrast between the cream cabinets and the stone counters on either side of the range and between the fridge and freezer.  This particular stone has a silky matte finish which is absolutely stunning!

The stone around the range looks great! We used some niches on either side for easy access to spice racks. The pot filler is a Moen model.  The backsplash tile has a really subtle crackle finish in the glaze.  We switched the tile layout in the niche above the range to a herringbone pattern for an understated look.

Kohler makes beautiful farmhouse ceramic sinks. I love the simplicity of this one.

The desk makes use of the angled space under the windows.  There was an area that was previously used to house a china cabinet which we incorporated into the pantry. Aren’t we so clever! Pantries are a necessity, but so much nicer when they are not obvious!

The bench seat was added during this renovation.  We had some pillows made from outdoor fabrics so that they would not fade in this sunny location. The pretty cream and black floral is available through Stroheim and Romann. The fabric used on the bench seat cushion is called Kersika by Jab. Using outdoor fabric indoors is a little trick that we employ often when we are worried about fabrics fading. They are also great to use in family friendly interiors because they are so easy to clean.

This kitchen truly is something that we are all very proud of. Our client is absolutely thrilled with it. Creating a beautiful and functional space that is just what our clients wished for is the best part of designing!

Cheers!

The Subzero That Drew a Tear

I am currently renovating my own house and I am near the finish line. It has been an interesting project and a great reminder to me of the ordeal that my clients endure as they remodel their own homes. I always council my clients before we begin a reno that they are messy, stressful, always late, always more expensive then expected and generally inconvenient. My own renovation has followed this model to a “t”. I guess even interior designers are not immune to the pain of a reno. However, there is absolutely nothing better in the world then completing your home renovation and moving back in after the dust has settled to a much more beautiful, functional and happy home. I am just about to move back in, and when I saw my amazing new appliances being installed, especially my new fridge, I had to fight back the tears of joy.

When we moved into this house it was brand new, never lived in. I was pregnant when we purchased it. It was either the vision of our soon to be born son riding a tricycle down the hallway or pregnancy hormones that made me want to buy it despite all its flaws. It had a lovely layout but I knew that all of the finishes needed to be changed since they weren’t to my taste. The existing appliances were high end, but not exactly what I had in mind. So we began the insanity of ripping the brand new place apart and redoing everything.

In the kitchen we removed the existing dark painted cabinets and replaced them with custom made walnut cabinets. We replaced the granite counters with honed Calcutta marble.  The existing appliances were removed and replaced with a new Wolf 6 burner dual fuel range, a new drawer microwave, a Miele coffee machine, an Asko dishwasher, and 3 new Subzero refrigeration units – a 27” freezer, a 27” wine/beverage fridge and the object of my affection – a new 36” fridge. This is a pretty amazing fridge, and something that I have been longing for since we contemplated this kitchen renovation. Strangely, I think that my cooking will be better, I will be more organized and life will be less hectic all because of this fridge. It is a talisman of good things to come for us and a sign that soon we will be back home. I can hardly contain my excitement and complete joy!

Cheers!

Jacqueline