Firehouse Remix

a project with KSI Kitchen & Bath & Martin Vecchio

writing by Dave Karras, KSI Kitchen & Bath

For many years, Martin Vecchio Photography has been Maison and KSI's professional photographer of choice when it comes to capturing our designers' amazing work - so we were honored and delighted when Martin came to us for help in designing his new kitchen!

Martin and his family bought an old firehouse in Detroit to realize his dream of creating a live/work studio.  He wanted to retain the firehouse's charm and character while incorporating his modern and creative style (I mean, he is a photographer!). Martin was handling all of his own install; they spent a great deal of time fixing up the firehouse and restoring original details such as wainscoting, flooring, and trim.

When it came time to design the kitchen, Martin had a specific aesthetic in mind and came to KSI to help bring his vision to life. We explored inspiration, ultimately selecting Dura Supreme Bria full-access cabinetry to achieve a modern look with maximum functionality.  Martin originally considered foil doors for durability, but supply issues forced us in another direction.  We arrived at an exciting combination of Graphite and Pearl on Dura's Reese door style.  In contrast to the contemporary cabinetry, reclaimed materials played a part in the design as well: Martin repurposed wood that he had torn out elsewhere in the remodel for use in the innovative bridge feature in front of the window as well as shelves on either side of the range!

The kitchen is on the second floor and accessed only by a narrow stairwell.  This provided a unique physical challenge for our delivery team, who had to carry each cabinet up by hand. Other aspects of getting the materials in place were even more challenging - Martin had to rent a forklift to carefully raise his soapstone countertops up to a second story window from the outside!

Photographing architecture for a living certainly gives Martin a unique perspective in understanding function and beauty in the kitchen. In a delightful affirmation of his vision, his kitchen went on to win a pair of national awards: the 2022 Best Kitchen $75,000 - $150,000 Gold Award from Kitchen & Bath Design News as well as the Gold Award for Kitchen, $75K-$125K in the Remodeling Category at the 2022 NAHB Best in American Living Awards!