Nick and Kate Krueger had found their dream home in the heart of midtown Omaha—the home was situated in the perfect neighborhood, it boasted original character throughout, and it provided space for their growing family. But there was one problem. The home was outdated, and small updates made over the years did not give the home quite what it needed. The house also lacked a functional kitchen—the fridge wasn’t even in the same room as the kitchen, rather it was placed off the kitchen towards a back door entry. Despite these challenges, the couple could see past this and envision the home’s potential. 

The couple enlisted the help of architect Steve Cramer of Cramer Kreski Designs and interior designer Courtney Otte of The Modern Hive Design Studio to design and update the kitchen into a dream space where they would create memories as their family grew. 

The challenge was to create a modern kitchen layout with modern finishes, yet maintain and incorporate elements that reflected back towards the age and character of the home. 

Otte worked with the couple’s fun aesthetic and selected materials that were up-to-date, yet classic in nature. Some of these features included maintaining an old doorway opening that led into the kitchen from the hall by turning that space into a wall bar with a luxurious beverage cooler; incorporating a recessed tin ceiling above the new island; installing crown molding; installing decorative furniture feet on the cabinet bases, and classic shaker paneling details throughout the kitchen cabinet doors; and using subway tile for the backsplash, a longstanding classic, but with an added twist of modern with its cool blue hue. 

The couple love to host guests and cook, especially Nick, and the team designed the kitchen with that in mind. The new layout is perfect for the couple to cook and entertain at the same time. Guests have space to sit and mingle while someone cooks. Nick’s current specialty is baking homemade macaroons and pasta. The couple selected an oven with a French door, which is perfect for his cooking experiments.    

“One of our favorite things about the kitchen after the remodel is our little drink/bar nook area,” says Kate. “We are so glad we decided to maximize the space in that old doorway and are happy with how it turned out. We get lots of compliments on that space. Another favorite is our converted pantry area. It’s nice to have a dedicated walk-in pantry space tucked away. I also think we took a risk with the colored tile backsplash but I’m glad we did. I love that it brings some soothing color to the room and people often comment on it.”

This article was printed in the June 2019 edition of OmahaHome. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

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