Christina Dragota, lead product specialist in the Monogram Design Center in Chicago, talked with homeowners Siobhan and Jody Young about their recent kitchen remodel, why they chose Monogram appliances, and what they learned during the process.
Why did you decide to remodel your kitchen?
We were very unhappy with the overall layout of our old kitchen. It was dated and very dysfunctional. We had large areas that were tremendous wastes of space. We also greatly disliked all of our white, outdated appliances.
Tell us about your design process for the kitchen.
Initially we went to a cabinet company to do our layout. Because of the strange shape of our kitchen it presented many challenges. Finally, my husband who is s structural engineer, decided to lay it out himself. We knew we wanted to maximize the space and wanted a design that was functional with our three kids. We needed storage, display area, and wanted to increase the value of our home with a gourmet kitchen. I knew I really wanted white somewhat traditional cabinets that would last the test of time. We knew that we wanted stainless steel appliances with an industrial look. Mostly we wanted a beautiful kitchen that would be the focal point of our very lived in home.
Why Monogram appliances?
We were attracted to Monogram appliances when we visited Chicago at Easter time. We went to the GE showroom and met with Christina who showed us the functional features and industrial gourmet look we wanted. I was most impressed with the induction cooktop especially with the speed and evenness of cooking. The Advantium oven was also another huge seller. I needed the bonus of additional oven and the functionality of a microwave and toaster all in one. My husband was sold on the 48” refrigerator, it was enormous and absolutely amazing looking. It became the focal point of our pantry wall very quickly!
Which appliance are you most excited about?
The Advantium!
What would you have done differently with the remodel?
In the remodel, the only thing I would have done differently would be to add a wine cooler to the pantry wall. We are avid wine drinkers but struggle with getting the perfect temperature in both reds and whites. Currently, we are undertaking a remodel in our laundry room (our final downstairs project) and are exploring adding a wine cooler in there. A Monogram cooler is on our wish list.
Save Room For Design by Monogram Appliances 