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Project Case Study { Spotlight on creative, problem-solving kitchens and baths } EMPERADOR DARK MARBLE ACCENTED BACKSPLASH By Kim Berndtson Creates continuity with marble used in the freplace in the adjoining family room Gutted Home Gets New Life W hile this suburban home in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, was less than 25 years old, its poor design and even worse physical condition left Ramsin Khachi with a lot more than he bargained for. "Making a space look good is easy. Making it function well…that's the challenge." –Ramsin Khachi Khachi, the principal of Khachi Design Group, also in Oakville, purchased the home to renovate, then sell. While he anticipated a reasonable amount of renovation, after discovering black mold in the walls, he gutted the entire home…top to bottom and inside out. "It was a great opportunity to look at the home and ask, 'what does today's homeowner really want,'" he says, noting that the renovation was done to be broadly marketable and with a fctional family in mind since no one was living in the home at the time. "I could look at what was wrong with every room and see how I could improve its function and make it the best room it could be within the space." Keeping a realistic budget in mind – "because no one has endless money," he notes – Khachi assessed the neighborhood so he could carry out the renovation in a way that would retain the charm and heritage of the home, which was originally part of the Eaton Estate from Toronto's 'royal' family who owned Eaton's department stores. "There's a certain charm and heritage that goes with homes in this community," he says. "That's what I took as my inspiration." At the heart of the renovation is the use of materials and design ideas that promote fow and continuity, warmth and livability, functionality and durability. "Where things connect, how things meet is important," he says. "Everything has to meet right and have a purpose. It needs to look like you took every detail into consideration, with subtle continuity so the style fows throughout the house." For example, to enhance the fow between the kitchen and adjoining living room, the backsplash behind the cooktop combines Cambria quartz, which is used on the countertops and island, with Emperador Dark marble, which is used on the freplace in the adjoining family room. With regard to warmth Photos: Roy Timm Photography A complete renovation of this suburban home promotes functionality and durability while retaining historical charm and heritage. www.sagehilldesigns.com Collingwood Collection www.sunnywood.biz Branden Collection Fine Kitchen & Bath Furnishings - The Difference is in the Details. Circle No. 27 on Product Card 30 | Kitchen & Bath Design News September 2013