Tory Patrick is scrambling — eggs that is. It’s likely this 16-year-old will be successful; she’s cooking on a Cadillac of a stove, crafted to coddle her meal to a perfect finish.
The state-of-the-art, two-oven, six-burner cook center, clearly a focal point in the Patrick kitchen, is just one perk in this handsomely renovated space. Her simple scramble will soon give way to her dad’s gourmet skill.

“Dave’s the principle cook in this household,” says Sandy, Dave’s wife, who lets her husband do most of the work in the kitchen.

“It’s fun to cook in here now,” says Dave, adding that the kitchen was less than optimal until recently, when they hired designer Anne (pronounced An-nay) Hatakka and contractor B&B Carpentry to completely redo it. 

The Patricks are no strangers to remodeling, having completed one of their own before moving from Chicago to Kansas City three years ago.

An idyllic two-story in Mission Hills captured the family’s attention. “We loved the house, except for the kitchen,” says Dave, noting it was well past dated. “Initially, we were drawn to the home’s open floor plan, particularly the family room, which was designed with a vaulted ceiling defined with heavy timbers. This gave us the idea of duplicating that type of rough-textured beamed look in the kitchen.”

Sandy had the good fortune to meet Anne on a home tour and the two immediately clicked. 

“I met with the Patricks and took time to discover their lifestyle and design preference. It was totally a collaborative affair engaging not only Dave and Sandy but their children in the process,” Anne says.

“We conveyed to Anne that we wanted a ‘forever feel’ to our kitchen, a space that was not only functional but filled with warmth and texture,” Sandy says. 

After considerable research, Anne presented her design interpretation for the 22- by 11-foot room. “I knew that the Patricks wanted to emphasize texture, so I designed a plan to reflect a strong combination of various metals, stone and wood.” 

Reclaimed limestone sets the tone for a European cottage look underfoot, which complements the casual elegance of knotty pine throughout. Hand-blown glass inserts add an artistic touch, and plenty of built-ins fit the ergonomics of the space.

To provide additional texture while gaining work space, Anne used generous slabs of heavily veined green- and gold-flecked granite for the countertops.

Form and function merged as Anne moved the cook center to the opposite side of the room. This area, now a focal point highlighted with a metal riveted copper hood, is set against a hand-cut stacked stone backdrop.

In addition, she redesigned the room by opening up a wall and making room for a staircase to the second floor, gaining a pantry and a bookcase in the process.

To enhance the European cottage feel, Anne added a bead-board ceiling structurally defined by heavily distressed posts, pegs and beams. “Then we took it a step further with the addition of a copper-lined farm sink, French pewter countertops next to the cook center and hand-blown pendant lights above the island,” Anne describes. “At this point, the room really bloomed.”

The Patricks are pleased with Anne’s diligence and the skillful expertise of the subs during the seven-month renovation. “Needless to say, our kitchen is now very up-to-date. It’s definitely our family gathering place, and we’re delighted with the results,” Dave says.

KITCHEN RENOVATION IN YOUR FUTURE?

• Research ideas by sifting through publications and by visiting showrooms and showhouses.
• Determine your budget.
• Call on professional associations for recommendations on a designer.
• National Kitchen & Bath Association, nkba.org
• American Society of Interior Designers, asidmowestks.org
• International Interior Design Association, iida.org
• National Association of the Remodeling Industry, remodelingkc.com
• Discuss options with your designer. Respect your own taste — you want a kitchen that looks like you.
• Make sure your designer gets the most precise construction bids possible.
• Plan ahead. Allow four months minimum prior to construction to hire your designer and review plans. It will take 10 to 12 weeks for cabinets or other custom features to arrive after ordering; therefore, your designer should have all presentation boards with material listings and a timeline ready to go.
• Be prepared to live without a kitchen for eight to 10 weeks. Designate a place where you will use a hot plate, microwave and sink (such as a laundry room, garage or basement).
• Expect the best from people. “A respectful attitude goes a long way to ease the entire process for you, your designer and construction crew,” Anne notes.