Designer Profiles: Ashley Smittendorf

"I had a lot of fun using so much color throughout the house. I love the versatility of Medallion, and how I can incorporate both Silverline and Gold in a design if I need to. "

What was your favorite part of this whole-house remodel project?

I had a lot of fun using so much color throughout the house. The homeowners wanted to use a variety of bright colors in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. For the kitchen, they were looking at a custom color before Marine was available. Once they found out Medallion was coming out with more new colors, they saw that Marine was really close to the initial custom color they had picked out. It’s a beautiful color and using it in the kitchen saved my clients time and money. We also used Onyx in the master bathroom, and Billow in the laundry room. In another bathroom, the customers chose Valspar’s Island Orange and I used the Finish Select program for that.

Did you face any design challenges? How did you solve them?

Yes, my clients were concerned about hiding appliances—they didn’t want anything on the counter tops. I used the bake center cabinet to hide their microwave since the pocket doors mean they don’t have a cabinet door in the way while they’re using the microwave.

What are some of the functional storage solutions you chose?

In the kitchen, I included a blind corner cabinet with pull-out storage, as well as a base with pull-out storage and a canister base pull-out. I also had to find a way to incorporate a second small cooktop – they cook a lot of rice, so I had a smaller cooktop installed next to the larger one specifically for cooking rice. The rice cooktop is a 12” and the larger cooktop is a standard 30”.

Why did you select Medallion for this job?

I collaborated with local builders who I’ve been working with for ten years and Medallion is a favorite of both mine and theirs. It was actually the builder’s suggestion since they sell the most of it and it’s a great brand with great product. Since the homeowners wanted so many unique colors, having the capability to do custom colors was key. With Medallion, our clients could get everything they were looking for in their home that they couldn’t get through another brand.

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What is your favorite part of designing with Medallion?

I love the versatility of Medallion; I love how I can incorporate both Silverline and Gold in a design if I need to. Medallion is very customizable to what customers want and need, and it’s an all-around good brand. Medallion is so versatile, there are so many options available: the color options, the door styles, and more. There’s a lot we can do with the cabinetry, which makes designing a lot easier. I love Medallion so much I have it in my house! In my basement, I used a combination of Potter’s Mill/Lancaster in Smoke for the lower cabinets and Irish Creme on the upper cabinets. I also just got new cabinets delivered for my kitchen and I’m hoping to share photos with you when it’s done!

Any advice for kitchen designers who are just getting started? Or advice for anyone designing in 2020 and beyond?

Communication is key for anything. Right now, lead times are extended for not only cabinetry, but also countertops and other suppliers. Make sure clients are fully aware of anything that could possibly happen in the design process. Since sometimes cabinets need to be moved out or certain countertops aren’t available, setting expectations with clear communication is definitely the biggest thing. Make sure everyone is on the same page and take it one day at a time. Every day is a different crazy mess!