River Forest kitchen wins design award
By Felicia Dechter Columnist February 9, 2012 9:42AM
A kitchen in a River Forest recently won first place for Remodeling Excellence from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Greater Chicagoland. The renovation also received a 2011 Master Design Award.
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Updated: March 11, 2012 8:23AM
They’re cooking over at Normandy Remodeling.
Kitchen designer Leslie Lawrence recently won a second award on a kitchen she designed for a River Forest home.
“It’s very exciting,” said Lawrence, who grew up and lives in the western suburbs.
Normandy Remodeling is a Design/Build remodeling firm servicing the entire Chicago Metro area, with an 8,000-square-foot showroom in Hinsdale.
Lawrence, a certified kitchen designer for the company, developed a kitchen that she said creatively maximized storage space, enhanced functionality, and maintained a strong focus on aesthetics.
The design recently won Lawrence a First Place Remodeling Excellence Award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Greater Chicagoland. The renovation also received a 2011 Master Design Award.
Lawrence used her design magic on a variety of updates. Appliances were hidden with cabinet panels to streamline the new kitchen. White painted cabinets with a soft glaze, exotic granite countertops, and stained glass mosaic backsplash tile complemented and enhanced the finishes. Accent cabinets with glass fronts prevented the kitchen from feeling too small while providing additional storage and display space, Lawrence said.
The new room also includes pull-out spice cabinets that look like a bank of drawers, vertical platter storage, pot and pan drawers, roll out shelves, and blind corner cabinets with pull-out baskets for infrequently used items. Peg drawers for the storage of plates and bowls are directly adjacent to the dishwasher and close to the table for ease in setting the table and loading/unloading the dishwasher.
“I always liked kitchen design,” said Lawrence, who was headed to nursing school before stumbling into design. “I love to cook.”
She had also grown up watching the TV show “This Old House” with her dad.
“I really liked the first and last episode,” said Lawrence. “I didn’t like the technical aspect, it was more like, ‘What does it look like’?”
She also had a teacher who encouraged her to pursue an artistic career, and now has an Associate of Technology in Interior Design from Harrington Institute of Interior Design. After college, Lawrence started focusing on the kitchen and bath industry.
She said the River Forest homeowners wanted to create a kitchen ideal for family gatherings with their children and grandchildren. After raising a family and living in their River Forest home for nearly 30 years, these empty-nest homeowners had thought about moving but decided to stay close to their kids and grandkids, and they were ready to create the kitchen of their dreams.
“She got what she always wanted,” said Lawrence. “It just made sense to them.”
Lawrence called the renovation a “great experience.”
“I know these people well,” said Lawrence. “They ran with what I had to say. They trusted me.”
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