Renovation Inspiration Contest cooked up tasty kitchen renovations

Alina Keebler's renovated 1915 Arts and Crafts-style home in Morningside includes cabinets from IKEA and low-maintenance Silestone quartz countertops.

The kitchen is the heart of a home, so little wonder it remains one of the nation's most popular remodeling projects. Between cooking, eating, socializing and simply hanging out, it not only gets used (and used and used) but also abused over the years, requiring the occasional upgrade.

Adding fuel to the kitchen renovation fire is the never-ending supply of cool products dished up by designers and manufacturers that promise to make our culinary lives more efficient, more comfortable and more fun. This was demonstrated by several finalists' projects in this year's 2011-12 Renovation Inspiration Contest.

Co-sponsored by the Post-Gazette and Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, the annual competition sets the bar high for homeowners and the older homes they've reimagined. In addition to projects that feature age-appropriate materials and great construction, judges look for practicality and functionality. In short, the updated spaces have to truly work for the families who live in them and not just be showpieces.

The best of the best also ooze with creativity -- in essence, rooms that inspire admiration along with a touch of envy. We want to walk away thinking: "If only I'd thought of that in my kitchen!"

Kevin and Alana Kulesa's remodeled kitchen in Ross, winner in the small category (less than $50,000), was one such project, wowing with its clever mix of repurposed items and unusual finishes. The vintage steel hospital cabinets that jump-started the renovation and mandated its design (everything had to be customized to fit around them) were salvaged from Construction Junction. The island counter is similarly eco-friendly. Mistaken for natural stone, it's actually Eco by Consentino, a manmade surface utilizing 75 percent recycled materials. In the office area, a half-inch-thick piece of tempered glass serves as a desk. Tying it all together is the bright splash of red on a hand-painted glass backsplash above the cooking area.

The homeowners of a mid-1800s rowhouse in the Mexican War Streets chose a more subtle color scheme for their sleek new kitchen, opting for creamy white concrete countertops crafted by Outlaw Studios in the Strip District to play off the custom chocolate-brown cabinetry and reclaimed wood floors.

What makes this ultra-modern room designed by architect Heather Wildman Figley of Moss Architects really "pop" is the natural light that floods it through a dramatic glass opening at the rear. Originally a brick wall, the 14-foot-wide expanse of glass effectively blurs the line between inside and out. The major project also included removing a wall between the dining room and kitchen to create one large open space, and a deck with a west-facing pergola that steps down to a small garden.

The challenge in Paul Gould and Lori Boyle's Sewickley kitchen was how to make a small room with four doorways, three windows and a chimney that couldn't be moved into something that didn't just look good but also wouldn't break the bank. Architectural designer (and good friend) Junko Higashibeppu came up with hit on both cylinders. An awkwardly placed center island was removed, along with part of the wall leading into the dining room to allow for more counter and storage space. She also wrapped open shelving around the chimney and replaced a badly deteriorated linoleum floor with radiant heated ceramic tile.

Complementing the white Vermont granite countertops and subway tile backsplash is rift-sawn red oak cabinetry handcrafted by master furniture designer Arthur Reitmeyer, who just happens to be married to Ms. Higashibeppu. Other updates include a radiant-heated porcelain tile floor, recessed LED undercabinet lighting and stainless-steel Bosch appliances, including a new-fangled induction cooktop. The result is a kitchen that feels fresh and modern, but also looks like it's always been there.

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Renovation Inspiration Contest cooked up tasty kitchen renovations