Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021 - 53

LEFT " During our first meeting,

the clients expressed how
they wanted to stay true to
the time period of the 1920s
and would love to incorporate
the building's Art Deco vibe, "
said the designer, who used a
black palette for the bathroom
with brass hardware.

BELOW The designer and

clients originally wanted a
specific vanity console, but the
lead times for the brands they
wanted were too long. They
eventually settled on this unit
from Restoration Hardware
and outfitted it with a custom
marble countertop so it would
match the one in the powder
room.

" We were able to block the sidewalk below the building, and fewer people
out and about meant more available parking spaces, " said Reesor, who is with
Briarglen Construction. " Traffic enforcement was also suspended, allowing
for free parking. "
Although the team didn't have to pay for parking, there were only four
spaces, and Hutchens said with the nearby major construction taking place,
the alley behind the building was often blocked off.
CHALLENGE 2: FINDING A SUITABLE CONTRACTOR

A lot of the contractors Hutchens originally talked to submitted bids that
were too high and/or decided the project was over their heads before anything
could get started. She eventually found Reesor through an appliance specialist
and was pleased to learn that he was not only reasonable and organized, but
he also had his own opinions about the project.
The challenge here was that the contractor's partner is in a high-risk
category for COVID standards, so he had to complete the project without
his help. Reesor decided to suspend work on any other jobs during this tight
timeframe so he could instead allow a greater focus on this single project.
CHALLENGE 3: DANCING AROUND COVID-19

Hutchens selected the contractor in March 2020 - just as everything was
shutting down because of the pandemic. As such, the team had to make fast
decisions on selections before the showrooms started to close down and to
allow more time for delivery.
" Even with advance ordering, there were items that couldn't be delivered
in a timely manner for completing the project, " said Reesor, who explained
that when material delivery services stopped coming into residences, he had
to make separate arrangements to get certain products into the condo. " For
some items, we put temporary fixtures and finishes into place to allow the
owners to move in sooner. "
Hutchens said they were able to pull a few strings and had preplanned the
cabinets, but that when products became available, they had to jump on those.
" Thankfully,having a designer who could manage the minute decisions with
the homeowner took the time off my hands for other aspects of the project, "

SOURCES
DESIGN TEAM: Rachel

Hutchens, CKD
(designer & owner) &
Jenette DiFazio, AKBD
(design assistant),
Maven Home Interiors;
Jared Reesor, Briarglen
Construction (contractor);
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ann
Parris Photography

KITCHEN

APPLIANCES: Sub-Zero/
Wolf; BACKSPLASH:
Mosarte; CABINETS:

Peppertree Kitchen and
Bath; COUNTERTOPS:
Silestone; FAUCET:
Brizo; FLOORING: Artistic
Tile; HARDWARE: Top
Knobs; MIRRORED TILE:
Bedrosians

BATHROOM

FAUCET & SHOWER
FIXTURES: Brizo; MIRROR,
HARDWARE & SCONCES:

Restoration Hardware;
TILE: Bedrosians;
TOILET: Kohler; VANITIES:
Peppertree Kitchen & Bath
& Restoration Hardware;
WASHER & DRYER: Asko

said the contractor, who explained that many of the
subcontractors wanted to minimize COVID-19
exposure and would not work in the small spaces
with other tradespeople. " Having a good working
relationship with the subcontractors was essential
in being kept at the front of the scheduling line. "
Near the end of the project, the homeowners
had to move out of their temporary housing, and
some of their furnishings took up space before
the team was finished. Reesor explained that to
maintain a workable space, quite a bit of juggling
took place.
" It was so hard toward the end because we did not
make their original move-in date with the threemonth delay, but luckily the landlord extended the
lease of the unit they were renting, " said Hutchens.
" They were incredibly understanding and gave me
a lot of design freedom. The wife has told me that
she can't believe she gets to live there. "
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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021

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