Home 4: 6720 Rosemary Lane, Edina, MN 55439
ASID Designer Kitchen Tour April 22 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and April 23 – noon to 5 p.m.
Designed by Liz Schupanitz, Associate ASID, CKD • Liz Schupanitz Designs LLC
After spending many years cooking and entertaining in a brown kitchen, this homeowner knew one thing: She wanted a bright, white, modern kitchen to make the space feel bigger and more open. She hired local designer Liz Schupanitz with Liz Schupanitz Designs to help transform her space. They talked about styles and colors the homeowner liked and disliked, using examples from Houzz and Pinterest, as well as magazines, to find what best captured her personality. But they didn’t start with colors and styles, Schupanitz explains, they began with the floor plan. “I don’t always have a vision for the materials and how it will look until I get to the elevation stage,” she says.
Once the floor plan was determined, Schupanitz and her client discussed the possibility of combining soapstone and marble. “I love the contrast of soapstone on white and thought it would be great to have a similar contrast on the marble island,” she says. “That’s how the blue island came about.”
Shades of blue were carried throughout the kitchen, on the wall, in the open spaces of the hutch and mudroom, and in the Urban Electric lantern over the table, painted in the custom light blue color of Yarmouth Blue. A lantern over the sink was added to complement the bigger lantern, taking the place of recessed sink lighting. “In the evening, it adds charm to the exterior view,” Schupanitz comments.
She found the classic French modern Windsor Counter Stools at Hickory Chair Furniture Co., adding a sophisticated and stylish feel. Her favorite element of the project, she says, is how the kitchen is its own space, but opens to the (once-brick, now-marble) fireplace wall and sitting area. “The fireplace wall and hutch were very fun to design—a surprise element in a very practical cook’s kitchen.”
Q&A with designer Liz Schupanitz:
Where do you typically find design inspiration?
Everywhere—museums, travel, nature, and of course magazines. Southern designers and architects are my favorite inspiration. I was an early adapter of shiplap because I vacationed in Seaside and Rosemary Beach on the Florida panhandle in the 90s and most of the vacation homes in those planned communities had walls and ceilings constructed with shiplap. I used it in the mudroom in this year’s ASID Designer Kitchen Tour project.
What is just ONE thing you would recommend homeowners do to completely change the look of their kitchens without a complete revamp?
Paint the cabinets a color, or—if it’s a dark kitchen—paint the cabinetry white.
What are your favorite trends right now?
I love encaustic cement tiles [whereas the ceramic tiles are not a product of the glaze, but of different colors of clay] with strong graphics and patterns, and painted cabinetry in deep blues, greens, and black.
What would you tell someone who strongly dislikes their kitchen but is too intimidated to hire a professional to help?
I would tell them to look for someone they feel comfortable with, someone they feel will listen to them. I think some people are afraid of saying no to a designer’s ideas … that’s a matter of finding the right personality for them. If they’re intimidated by price, I would let them know that a designer can save them time and money by directing them to resources they might not have known about. And as professional designers, we can help them come up with a unique design they may not have thought of on their own.
For more information about this project on the ASID Designer Kitchen Tour, visit midwesthome.com/events/2017-asid-designer-kitchen-tour/tour-kitchens/liz-schupanitz-design. For more information about Liz Schupanitz Designs, visit lizschupdesigns.com.
Tickets to the ASID Designer Kitchen Tour April 22 and 23 can be purchased for $15 in advance or $20 at the door ($10 for single home visits). Purchase tickets online here: midwesthome.com/events/2017-asid-designer-kitchen-tour/kitchen-tour-tickets/.
By Chrissy Sarinske
