When the Smith family embarked on transforming an old elementary school into a full-time home, they envisioned the kitchen as the aesthetic centerpiece. Designer Jackie Koval took the 450 square-foot space and revamped it to fit the needs of the four-person clan. The redo was certainly a challenge, as the space formerly housed the cafeteria of Mount Morris’ Perry Elementary, which had been built in 1960 and closed in 2010.

Cafeteria-inspired style

The Smiths bought the 23,000 square-foot school on its 11-acre lot in 2015 and turned it into a four-bedroom, six-bathroom residence.

“When we bought the school, the original dishwasher was still in there, the drains were in the floor, there were pipes coming from the roof, and there was a walk-in freezer and fridge. The kitchen was just off the gymnasium,” says homeowner Crystal Smith, who lives with her husband, Rick, and their two teenage daughters: Jaclyn and Paige. “I wanted to keep it more cafeteria-style, with no upper cabinets but shelves instead, to encourage everyone to help themselves. I would say we were going for industrial modern with a little bit of a farmhouse feel.”

The aim of the reworked layout was to accommodate the Smiths’ busy, family-centric lifestyle. “I like to do a lot of baking and entertaining. We have about 20 kids here every weekend. And we do a few parties throughout the year for our employees and friends,” Crystal says. “It’s probably the most functionally laid-out kitchen I’ve seen. It flows very well now.”

A Nostalgic Design

When Koval initially approached the space, she was flooded with elementary school nostalgia. “It brought back memories of being in the cafeteria and eating in the gym, so we tried to keep that flow in the project, and my idea was to go with an industrial feel,” says Koval, who has been designing kitchen projects for the past 35 years. “I’m so proud of how it looks now. It was such a collaboration. It was me leading her and her leading me, and that’s how I try to work with all my clients. They get to be a huge part of the process.”

A major part of the collaboration was cherry-picking the appliances, which now include a Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator column, a Sub-Zero integrated freezer column, a Scotsman under-counter icemaker, a Sharp microwave drawer, a Bosch Benchmark dishwasher, and a Wolf dual fuel range. Complementing the look of the appliances are white countertops with gray accents, two islands, Omega cabinets with a brushed finish, a ceiling with custom dark walnut beams, copper sinks and cabinet handles, bronze faucets, and rustic dark walnut floating shelves.

Bringing family together

Inspirational artwork with the words “Be kind. Speak truth. Love others. Show grace. Work hard” brings the space (and family) together. “Those words pretty much sum up our family and our values,” Crystal Smith says. “This is definitely my dream kitchen. When I walk in, I stand there and smile and think ‘Oh my gosh, this is exactly how I always envisioned it.’ I can’t believe it’s a reality.”

APPLIANCES

Sub-Zero 36" Integrated Refrigerator Column (IC-36RID-RH); SubZero 36" Integrated Freezer Column (IC-36FI-LH); Scotsman Undercounter Ice Maker (SCN60PA-1SS); Sharp 24" Microwave Drawer (SMD2470ASY); Bosch Benchmark 24" Dishwasher (SHV88PW53N); Wolf 48" Dual Fuel Range (DF484DG).