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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-05-08, Page 15Hearth and home Windows on the south side have made a bright, cheery dining area perfect for family dining any time of day. You'll love the results! • rakes • shovels • brooms • mini ties • lattice • treated deck & fence materials • paint, stains, rollers, brushes., • picnic tables - pressure treated & spruce A MANNING'S BUILDING SUPPLIES 120 Hamilton St. E., Blyth (519) 523-9305 Receive 10% off* your tune-up Extended to May 15. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1996 PAGE 15. Home & Garden '96 Kitchen makeovers focus on family living Continued from page 14 Hoegys did not jump into the reno- vation without a good deal of con- sideration. Rhonda began looking at plans in 1991, before taking the plunge in early March 1995. "Our appliances were starting- to break down, which was giving us some problems, so the decision was made." The original kitchen had been strictly a workplace; Rhonda, Merle and their three children, did- n't even eat their meals there. One of the first conceptions, therefore, was to transform it into a welcom- ing, homey environment to meet the needs of today's busy family. Once the couple had decided to proceed the first step was to get permission from the county to move the garage and driveway as the home is located on a county road. Rhonda says that original concerns about dealing with gov- eminent were assuaged at the off- set. "They were quick and helpful; very easy to deal with." Work began on June 30. The new driveway was dredged into the north side of the house and the garage framed in. Contractors then moved to the south side. The four foot cement porch was extended, with large windows installed to cre- ate a spacious, airy breakfast nook. The family coped during the work by transforming their tiny den into a makeshift kitchen. The advantage of a double stairway allowed them to completely block of the kitchen while the work was being done, limiting the negative effect of dust and mayhem to the rest of the house. Dishes were done in the upstairs bathroom. "We broke a lot of dishes during that time," recalls Rhonda. In addition to drywalling, rewiring and installing new plumb- ing, the Hoegys switched their heating to natural gas. The renovation increased the cupboard space by at least six times the previous amount. Some of the features chosen were roll out draw- ers in the panty and several spa- cious cupboards for extra room. The cabinetry is white, the majority of which have glass fronts. "I liked the look, because it felt old," said Rhonda, who said she got the idea from visiting several her- itage homes out west. Selecting a counter top was a bit of a challenge. "I wanted some- thing with definite colour to pick up the tones from the rest of the house and maintain a certain flow," she said. The colour chips, howev- er, did not make selection easy. "Things start coming in all at once, it gets a little overwhelming and I just couldn't tell what anything would look like from those tiny chips," said Rhonda. The Hoegys eventually travelled to the factory to see the actual sheets, which made the choice much clearer. The flooring is tongue-in-groove hardwood to match the rest of the house. With a laser baked urethane finish, any tiny dents can be fixed with a wood filler. For anyone thinking of a kitchen renovation, Rhonda notes that old habits die hard. Finding herself still doing the majority of her tasks in the same area where she had previ- ously done them, even though counter space is limited, she sug- gests that when re-designing con- sideration be given to where you are accustomed to working. That is only a minor hitch in an otherwise user-friendly design Let the sun in Moving the garage to the north side of the house and extending the porch has created a welcoming space to the Hoegy's renovated kitchen. however. The Hoegy's kitchen is a place built for work and for enjoy- ing. "As a family we spend practi- cally all the time in the kitchen," says Rhonda, adding that the chil- dren often do their homework around the centre island while she prepares the family meal. Guests as well gravitate towards the same area. "We hardly ever use the other rooms now." Making pantry kitchen familial Frank and Susan Backhaus and their two sons, Troy, 10 and Gar- rett, seven, own a majestic Victori- an home, built in 1915, along the banks of the Maitland River in Brussels. With its large front rooms it was a house meant for entertaining, but like so many families today, the Backhauses often found another area was the centre of activity. Designed in a time when hosts would never dream of greeting guests in their kitchen, in the 90s this is not the case. "We are origi- nally from Toronto, so we often had overnight guests. In the morn- ing it was nothing to have two of them perched on the staircase lead- ing from the kitchen, while the oth- ers would stand around," says Susan. Having lived in the house for seven years, the family decided last June to begin work on the kitchen. In addition to being quite small and having no drawer space, there were three windows and two doorways, making the makeover challenging. Susan said she consulted several experts before finding one who seemed to understand what she wanted. "I heard many people who not only tried to talk me out of (my plans), but wouldn't even try to work with me on them." The project included new cup- boards, the installation of a small eating area extending from an east- erly wall, and a window to open the room to the dining area on the opposite side. The cupboards, in light oak, doubled the existing stor- age space. A pleasing added feature is a decorative coloured strip of wood at the top of each cupboard which can be changed at any time. "I picked a fairly neutral colour so it would be easy to match for quite some time," said Susan. With rambunctious sons and the proximity to the river — and its muddy banks — the Backhauses wanted a flooring that would wear well,, so they chose a durable, easy maintenance linoleum. Susan agrees with Rhonda's assessment that choosing the appro- priate counter top is a daunting task. "There are so many choices and with such a tiny sample, it's not easy to tell what the overall look might be." 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