The Walnuts, a Country Club Plaza icon that boasts one of Kansas City’s most fashionable addresses, has long been synonymous with sumptuous living. Home to spectacular condominiums and pieds-à-terre of urban dwellers craving refined living, the Art Deco-inspired towers exude elegance and intrigue from ground level to penthouse.

The patina and craftsmanship of The Walnuts continue to attract savvy buyers seeking high-rise Plaza living; one such Kansas City couple downsizing last year purchased a unit and embarked on a nine-month odyssey of transforming the space into a stunning residence.

The homeowners hired Kansas City’s J.E. Meyer Construction Company and Colorado Springs-based interior designer Roberto Agnolini to create a stylish environment that was still warm and inviting. “My clients wanted a fashionable home, but not one where everything was merely for display,” Roberto says. The spacious, dramatic apartment has many distinctive rooms — including a show-stopping library, serene master suite and elegant master bath — that flow into one another with a comfortable and confident continuity woven throughout.

Roger Gregory, a project manager with J.E. Meyer Construction Company, worked closely with Roberto to execute the complex design. “The scope of the renovation included specialty finishes, custom-made glass panels and myriad details that aren’t included in every job I oversee,” Roger says.

The traditional kitchen — nirvana for any gourmet cook — is a mini art gallery with original, hand-painted work by Polish artist Wesley Solski that Roberto commissioned. Twenty-two panels of the custom-made cabinets lining the kitchen’s south wall feature exquisitely detailed renderings of vegetables, including a pair of plump aubergines, a single leafy carrot and a bunch of ruby-red radishes. The motif creates the striking effect of a mural with larger-than-life produce, a definitive focus of the kitchen.
The artist also painted the two small walls flanking the kitchen’s arched entrance into the dining room with delicate trees in Italian-style urns. Roberto said the homeowners knew they wanted original painting throughout the home and were proactive in working with a collaborative team. “It was a unique experience for all of us to work with the artist,” Roberto notes. “He is a former professor of art at a university in Poland and a consummate professional who needed little direction.”

Often, renovations at The Walnuts are painstaking — not just because the homeowners demand perfection, but also because the buildings are old and must be retrofitted to meet today’s lifestyles.  The kitchen design in this condo required special ventilation for the electric range and its hood.

A large, custom-built, granite-topped island with ample storage is in the middle of the room, accented by a shimmering chandelier the homeowners transplanted from their previous residence. The island, which doubles as a breakfast bar and a food preparation area, features deep drawers with a handsome cross arrow design on the front.

Roberto chose warm and vibrant yellows and golds for the walls, which are offset by the coolness of the marble floor. The kitchen’s north window overlooks The Walnuts’ formal English gardens that are replete with gorgeous flowerbeds and overflowing urns.

“The kitchen is a beautifully functional room in harmony with the ambience of the entire space,” Roberto acknowledges. “It’s a room that beckons activity but also invites reflection with its one-of-a-kind art … a place to drink a cup of coffee or sip a glass of wine.”

Resources
Specialty finishes: Darrel Wingo Interiors
Kitchen cabinets: Quality Wood Products
Marble floors and countertop: Midland Marble
Electrician: Harris Electric Services   
Plumber: Conard Plumbing   
Plumbing Fixtures: Dorfman Plumbing