As
president of Schenck Distributing, a major beer distributor in
Orlando, Jeff Schenck carries out a demanding role when he arrives
at the company's headquarters. All the more reason Jeff and his
wife, Minter, require ultimate comfort and convenience when retreating
to their home, located on Lake Virginia in Winter Park.
The
decision to take on a complete renovation of the kitchen was
initiated by the fact that the couple frequently entertain and
Minter enjoys gourmet cooking. Although the home, built in the
1920's, had since been updated with a modern, efficient kitchen,
the layout did not allow for the natural flow of guests throughout
the home. Minter also desired a kitchen that would allow her
to maximize her
creative cooking talents.
The
Schencks' decision to renovate rather than buy another home or
build was based on the importance of a home's "location,
location, location," as Jeff explains. "Our home is
close in proximity to downtown Winter Park, we can walk to a
lot of places, and the charm of the house is hard to pass up,"
Jeff says.
In
recalling the initial planning meetings with PSG Construction,
Jeff says, "It was extremely easy to convey to [PSG] how
we wanted to preserve the architectural integrity of the house.
They were great to work with."
"We
also wondered about security [during the renovation], but the
[wood partition] wall was put up," Jeff says. This sectioned
off the construction area from the rest of the house, and put
any concerns the couple had to rest.
One
of PSG Construction's most challenging tasks in meeting Jeff
and Minter's goals was to give the kitchen a 1920's feel without
sacrificing comfort or function, and create a pleasing blend
between the newly renovated kitchen and the rest of the house.
Vaulting
the original 9' ceiling into the attic space above the kitchen
significantly opened the kitchen area by creating a 16' voluminous
space at the ceiling's highest point. A new access door joining
the kitchen to the living area creates more accessibility to
the rest of the house as well as better traffic flow for party
guests.
Kitchen
and bath designer Sandra Linn worked extensively with Minter
to create the exact kitchen layout she desired.
Another
challenge was creating adequate storage space for Minter's collection
of cooking equipment and serving pieces. Because the couple love
to entertain, they needed a lot of storage space for things they
wouldn't normally use on a day-to-day basis. Taking inventory
of every serving piece, kitchen utensil and all cooking equipment,
Linn worked with PSG to create storage space using extra tall
cabinets on the vaulted side of the room. These cabinets store
serving pieces and pots and pans that would not be needed on
a daily basis. Linn worked with Minter to figure out where every
item would be stored before any cabinets were designed. Linn
also made use of pull-out drawers for easy access, designing
a special pull-out cooking oil rack next to the cooktop to store
Minters collection of cooking oils and vinegars.
During
the course of renovation, a small cubby hole that had been completely
closed off, was opened up to create a pantry area for additional
storage space.
The
newly renovated kitchen now features a Dacor double wall oven
and cooktop, Asko stainless steel dishwasher, and stainless steel
Sub-Zero refrigerator. Counter tops and backsplash are granite.
Lighting was thoroughly planned with plenty of undercabinet task
lighting. "It's an actual cook's kitchen," Jeff says.
The
newly renovated kitchen spills onto an outdoor multi-tiered brick
patio overlooking Lake Virginia. Also constructed by PSG Construction,
the patio along with the kitchen allow the couple to entertain
in ways they were unable to prior to the renovation.
"We've
already had eight to ten dinner parties that we couldn't have
had before," Jeff recalls. "We typically invite six
people to a dinner party and thoroughly enjoy it."
Jeff
and Minter enjoy returning home at day's end and withdrawing
to the calming refuge PSG Construction helped create for them.
PSG
SOURCES
Design - Sandra Linn
Appliances - Sub-Zero Distributors & Southeast Steel
Window - Garner Window & Door
Arched doors - Residential Building Supply
