Like many young families living in older houses, Ryan and Chelsea Pasquali of Bloomfield Hills wanted to change their 1974 ranch-style homeβs layout and design to accommodate a more modern lifestyle.
They wanted a flowing floor plan and the ability to entertain family and friends comfortably. For the kitchen, must-haves were lots of dining space, a massive cooking and food-prep area, and an open design so they could see their children (Marco, 4, and Mariella, 6) playing in the adjacent family area.
βWe asked ourselves, How can we create something where people will want to be here? How [can we] make it comfortable?β recalls Chelsea, who is an intellectual property attorney for the law firm .
Last year, the couple called on interior designer Kristen Eleni Shellenbarger of Bloomfield Hills-based . Shellenbarger likes to consider a typical day in the life for her clients.
βThe kitchen has to work for everyone,β Shellenbarger says. βI consider who cooks β do family members cook together? Sometimes they need a dual-height island.β
Besides the kitchen, Shellenbarger also worked on the familyβs mudroom, master bathroom, office, and family room. Ryan owns and played a huge role in renovating the home, which is now has a craftsman-style design.
The following elements transformed the Pasqualisβ kitchen into the heart of the home.
![](https://cdn.hourdetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/08/HOUR-PASTA-2-1024x683.jpg)
Filled up
Ryan loves the pot filler, especially on sauce and pasta days. He also appreciates the islandβs utility sink.
βTheyβre both so useful,β he says.
Bay watch
Chelsea adores the sink by the front window. Shellenbarger created a design that extended the countertop depth behind the main sink for a bay window-style space that Chelsea uses for growing flowers and herbs.
βItβs the original bay window, but we shortened it and ordered new windows that meet the countertop,β Shellenbarger explains.
Counter cache
The countertops, from , are made of quartz.
βThe Pasqualis wanted clean and simple, so we went with white,β Shellenbarger says. βQuartz wonβt scratch or stain.β
Island time
The full-slab island can accommodate six chairs and is just shy of 120 inches long, while the width is 60 inches. It also has a pop-up outlet and utility sink.
Fine finish
The Shaker-style cabinetry, part of a Medallion line from in Madison Heights, features two finishes. The perimeter cabinetry is white paint (Medallionβs Sea Salt) on maple, while the island cabinets are stained in a shade called Biscotti.
βThe perimeter cabinets have a double-stacked crown and extend to the ceiling to create a feeling of more height,β Shellenbarger says.
Mix it up
The island hardware is black, while the perimeter cabinetry features gold hardware. A Champagne gold finish for the faucet adds a nice gleam to the space. All faucets and hardware are from .
Light the way
The dark floors were replaced with light flooring. βWe love it,β Chelsea says, βespecially because we have two dogs and a cat β weβll always be a house with animals β and the dark floors showed everything.β Shellenbarger selected a prefinished, all-wood style by . βItβs a European-style white oak and is on the first and second floors,β she says.
Making dough
The whole family enjoys βpasta days,β when they make it from scratch with an βold-school pasta-maker from Ryanβs dad,β Chelsea says. They typically make one of their favorite traditional family recipes, cappelletti, which is a ring-shaped pasta that resembles a hat (cappello is the Italian word for βhatβ). Cooked in a broth, the pasta is filled with meat. Meanwhile, the kids love to play with the pasta dough.
βMariella will use little cookie cutters and make things like stars,β Chelsea says.
Italian cooking
Ryan takes pride in making a special pasta sauce for friends and family. His secret is to braise short ribs and cook them in the sauce. The couple often refer to a special cookbook, La Cucina di San Marino, from The in Troy.
Ryanβs family on his fatherβs side is originally from San Marino on the Italian Peninsula, and the club holds a special place in the coupleβs heart. In fact, the two were married there. The cookbook was created by the clubβs womenβs auxiliary group and was a gift to the couple from Chelseaβs mother.
This story is from the August 2023Μύissue of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit magazine. Read more in our digital edition. And click hereΜύto see more metro Detroit interiors.Μύ
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