After more than 10 years living in their Lawrenceville home, Michael and Margaret Fields were tired of their cramped kitchen and wasted space on their main floor.
“Our kitchen before was not really smaller, it was just set up really weird,” said Margaret. “We were finally like we have to do this kitchen. It’s awful. It’s ugly.”
The couple worked with contractor John Stephansen of Metro Mitigation to open up the room, adding taller shaker cabinets, opting for drawers and removing some of the counter to make the space more open. White cabinets and backsplash also make the space seem airy, while Blue Flower Granite counters from Easy Stone installed by Master Granite ground the space with streaks of darker color.
“I love it. We have so much more room,” said Margaret. “I don’t think I ever want to move. I can’t find another kitchen that I like this much. It’s still a small kitchen but it’s very functional.”
When they remodeled their kitchen, Michael and Margaret also decided to rearrange their living areas, making their old family room their new dining room, creating a reading room space and eliminating the formal living room.
“I think it’s the perfect setup with the floor plan we had, without tearing down walls,” said Margaret.
Snapshot
Residents: Margaret and Michael Fields and their dogs, Bubba and Sadie. Margaret is a Gwinnett County substitute teacher and a realtor with Virtual Properties Realty, and Michael is a manager at AT&T.
Location: Lawrenceville
Size: 2,200 square feet with four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms
Year built: 1993
Year bought: 1998
Renovations: Renovation of the kitchen in March 2020
Project consultants: John Stephansen of Metro Mitigation
Architectural style: Traditional brick
Favorite architectural elements: Vaulted kitchen ceiling, because it makes the small kitchen feel open and airy.
Interior design style: Eclectic contemporary
Favorite interior design elements: Local art and antique pieces that mix for an original style.
Favorite outdoor elements: Pond that the homeowners installed themselves in 2010.
Resources: Furniture and decor from Havertys, Anthropologie, Wayfair, Cost Plus World Market, IKEA, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Sugarboo & Co. and JCPenney. Art from Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Jeffrey St. Romain, Alison Shaw Gallery, Matthew Platz, Craftworks in Martha’s Vineyard, Anastasia Fine Arts, Jonna White Gallery, Millie Briggs and R. L. Alexander. Lighting from Lowes.
CONTACT US
If you have a beautifully designed home in the Atlanta area, we’d love to feature you! Email Shannon.N.Dominy@gmail.com for more info.
About the Author
