Remodeling the Heart of the Home

Remodeling a kitchen adds instant value to a home, often increasing its resale value, but that is not the only reason homeowners do so. Many choose to stay put and remodel for other reasons. According to NAHB, “aging in place” renovations that make a home safe and accessible for any age or ability and “green” remodeling that improves a home’s condition and energy efficiency are also leading reasons that homeowners choose to remodel.

When Connie and Joe Garner of Brandywine decided to remodel their kitchen, the couple had no plans to sell the brick rambler they built on a serene five-acre plot in 1987. Over time, with the additional purchase of surrounding property, their land grew to adjoin 150 acres of farmland that has been in Connie’s family since the 1950s. Connie and Joe both grew up in Southern Maryland, with Joe’s family’s 200-acre farm just five miles away. “We didn’t want to move. We just wanted to improve and update what we have,” said Connie, who shared her vision with Carol Miller of Carmike Kitchens to make her dream kitchen a reality.

Working together on the design and construction for more than seven months, the Garners and Miller brought the kitchen from its outdated 1980s style and function to 21st-century luxury and efficiency. “Connie clearly had a sense of what she needed,” said Miller, pointing out an expansive 5-by-8-foot center island that accommodates both Joe’s taller height and Connie’s shorter stature with a two-tiered working surface. Already open to the living and dining room, the kitchen’s sense of space was expanded even further when the Garners raised the ceiling into existing attic space, affording the new kitchen a ceiling height of nearly 12 feet. “Everything came together perfectly,” said Connie of the construction choices, warm color palette, dark traditional cabinets, wood flooring and warm-toned granite counter tops, as well as the energy efficient new appliances that she and Miller collaborated on.

For Mary and Marty Boley of La Plata, collaborating on the remodeling of their 1990s kitchen involved family members, including their daughter, Samantha Boley, a kitchen designer with Custom Kitchens & Baths. “Samantha knew what I liked and I have an appreciation for what she likes,” said Mary, whose remodeling goals included expanding storage and counter space in their kitchen, which opens into the family room of their two-story colonial home. The Boleys achieved that goal by removing the wall between the kitchen and the home’s unused formal dining room, giving the kitchen additional square footage and more space for cabinets and work surfaces, including an 8.5-foot island that serves as a storage, preparation and eating area. “We focused on work stations,” said Samantha, referring to the areas dedicated to food prep, cooking and cleaning as opposed to the traditional kitchen triangle. “It’s transitional in style,” she added, describing the combination of cool gray-toned walls, dark-finished custom cabinetry with satin nickel hardware, glass mosaic tile backsplash, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and hand-scraped dark birch flooring.

“We’re definitely not selling after this,” said Mary, whose husband agrees with her that their daughter’s design choices have made the kitchen a favorite family gathering spot. “Everybody hangs out in the kitchen,” she said.

Remodeling their 2003 kitchen gave Laurie and Frank Battaglino of Owings a bit more family gathering space when they expanded their kitchen’s existing footprint by taking square footage from the garage. “Moving the wall four feet into the garage gave us more storage space,” said Laurie, who had a hand in the home’s original kitchen design and thought that if the couple had it to do over again, they would make some different design choices. “We really thought things out this time,” she said.

Working with Beautiful Kitchens, LLC, the Battaglinos removed dark traditional cabinets and replaced them with lighter wood tones accented with a black painted range vent hood and coordinating black kitchen island that houses Laurie’s new baking center, complete with an under-counter stand mixer. Adding a bar and entertainment prep sink, as well as a built-in espresso center, to the roomy kitchen that opens into the home’s family room makes entertaining their large extended family a pleasure for the Battaglinos. “It’s my favorite thing,” said Laurie of the kitchen’s espresso bar. “It’s the center of focus when company is over.”

Hosting their grown children and grandchildren at their home away from home is a favorite pastime for Steven and Judy Goozh of Breton Bay. The couple, who reside in Bethesda, found the perfect Southern Maryland waterfront retreat in 2003 when they purchased Foxes Point Farm and began renovating the entire main home, which actually consists of two homes that were built side by side and joined by a central foyer in the early 1900s. “The house had a solid foundation and was built well,” said Steven, whose vision for the home included maintaining its existing historical features while updating systems and spaces to accommodate the 11 members of the Goozh family. Working with builder Mike Mummaugh of Paragon Properties and local master carpenter Keith Hammett, the Goozhes have renovated the entire 5,000-square-foot home. Most recently, those renovations resulted in a fully updated, expanded kitchen-and-great-room combination, which comfortably seats the entire family for meals at a large antique harvest table overlooking the water. To complement the water views Judy selected green granite countertops that mimic the color of sea glass, and to brighten the space she coordinated white cabinetry with stainless steel appliances and natural oak flooring.

In the end, the Goozhes transformed the home’s once separated, small utilitarian kitchen into a large family gathering and entertainment space, all while maintaining the integrity of the home’s historical character. Of the simple, yet elegant and timeless design choices the Goozhes made to bring their kitchen into the 21st century, Judy said, “The kitchen fits the style and period of the home.” ✦

Local Resources

Whether you’re considering a minor kitchen update or remodeling on a grand scale, Southern Maryland has the resources to help. Here is a sampling from the tri-county area:

Full Service Design Centers
Beautiful Kitchens, LLC (Calvert Co.)
2015 Chaneyville Rd., Owings
410-286-7340; www.beautifulkitchensinc.com

Beautiful Kitchens, LLC (St. Mary’s Co.)
23725 Three Notch Rd., Hollywood, Md.
301-373-4880; www.beautifulkitchensinc.com

Carmike Kitchens
9405-B Chesapeake St., La Plata
301-392-0036; www.carmikekitchens.com

Cord’s Cabinetry, Inc.
29770 Three Notch Rd., Charlotte Hall
301-884-4909; www.cordscabinetry.com

Creative Karpet & Kitchen Designs, Inc.
40955 Merchants Lane, Unit 14, Leonardtown  
301- 475-5600; www.southernmarylandkitchens.com

Custom Kitchens & Bath
6750 Crain Hwy., La Plata
301-934-8700; www.laplatakitchens.com

Dean Lumber Kitchens
24425 Three Notch Rd., Hollywood, Md.
301-373-2111; www.dean-lumber.com

Miller Cabinetmakers
28308 Point Lookout Rd., Loveville
301-475-5041; www.millercabinetmakers.com

Southern Maryland Kitchen, Bath, Floors & Design
23415 Three Notch Rd., California, Md.
301-866-0337; www.somdkitchenbathfloors.com

Stuart Kitchens
11750 Business Park Dr., Suite 202, Waldorf
301-374-2744; www.stuartkitchens.com

Appliances
The Appliance Source
8307 Old Leonardtown Rd., Hughesville
301-274-2570; www.theappliancesource.com

Countertops
The Solid Rock Company
4205 Ray Dr., La Plata
301-375-8300; www.solidrockco.com

While these are some of area’s larger companies with design showrooms, our list is by no means complete. Many local companies offer kitchen remodeling products and services.