Fine Redesign: Emelle Studios

Home and Garden

Walk through a kitchen redesign at interior designer Mishael Lake's Stone Mountain home. She and husband Derrick spent two years perfecting the vacation home feel.

ABOUT THE PROJECT: Interior designer Mishael Lake, of EmElle Studios, and her husband, Derrick, purchased their Stone Mountain home in 2004 with the intention of remodeling the entire structure. The couple wanted their home to feel like a vacation destination. PRICE TAG: Though Lake receives trade pricing because she is a designer, she estimates her kitchen redesign would retail at roughly $80,000.

COMPLETION TIME: The kitchen overhaul was a labor of love, beginning in 2004 and ending in 2006. The original kitchen was 50 years past its prime, with yellowed linoleum flooring, laminate countertops and faux copper light fixtures, Lake said.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Redesigning the layout. Lake demolished the wall between the former kitchen and dining room to open up the space. "It's a galley kitchen without a wall," she explained. The new island is topped with cream, white and silver Brazilian "Zeus" granite, and Lake had the chocolate-stained cherry cabinetry custom built. MOST EXPENSIVE ITEMS: The appliances, which Lake designed to be built into the drywall, keeping the room light and airy. Retail cost of appliances: $20,000.

UNIQUE FEATURE: On the other side of the kitchen island, Lake designed a banquette at her husband's request. "I like the idea of facing a window, but not being up against it," she said. The couple installed red-stained oak floors throughout the kitchen and living area.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY: "Simple and modern. Everything in it's place, and everything has a place." Though Lake keeps few appliances on her counters, she designed this raised bar at the end of the island to serve as a catch-all for cookbooks and other items. For more information, visit EmElle Studios at www.emellestudios.com. Reporting by AJC Staff Writer Katie Leslie.

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ABOUT THE PROJECT: Interior designer Mishael Lake, of EmElle Studios, and her husband, Derrick, purchased their Stone Mountain home in 2004 with the intention of remodeling the entire structure. The couple wanted their home to feel like a vacation destination. PRICE TAG: Though Lake receives trade pricing because she is a designer, she estimates her kitchen redesign would retail at roughly $80,000.

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