Stephanie Meadows, of Meadows Interior Design, creates unique kitchens and bathrooms for people around the DMV, including Washington, D.C. and the Montgomery County area. But this wasn’t always the plan for her.
“I majored in textiles, because I thought I was going to go into the fashion industry,” Meadows recalls, “But I ended up really falling in love [with interior design] when I helped family and friends for free, initially. It started as a hobby, where I’d help them with renovating, redoing or decorating different spaces, but I eventually decided to take a chance and start a company.”
This kitchen renovation began as a standalone project for one of Meadows’ former clients. Working alongside Remodeling KM LLC, Meadows ultimately transformed the entire first floor of the home, with the kitchen setting up the vision for the rest of the renovation.
“I’d worked with her initially on some small things, and she’d said that eventually, she wanted to redo her kitchen, but couldn’t at the time,” Meadows says. “But she said that when she could, she would definitely call me. I took it with a grain of salt, but three years later, she called me and said ‘I’m ready!’”
Light it up
One of the problems that Meadows’ clients initially had with their kitchen was that it would get very dark, especially during the evenings. The homeowners found that it was often difficult to see what they were doing because the lighting in their kitchen was inadequate, which made cooking especially dangerous.
Putting in more lighting was more complex than some might expect.
“Doing the lighting plan was incredibly specific to where the cabinetry would be and how we would make sure that everything was illuminated properly,” Meadows explains.
The space is made brighter now, thanks to its large windows and quartz countertops, which reflect light rather than absorb it like a darker surface would.
Form and function
In addition to designing rooms that are aesthetically pleasing, Meadows also works to design them to suit her clients’ lifestyles. For many clients, that involves figuring out how to maximize their storage space.
Messy countertops full of cooking appliances are a common sight in some kitchens, so Meadows worked to add hidden storage spaces so everything could be properly put away.
“We did a hidden pantry with cabinetry—it looks like a full wall of cabinets,” she says. “But when you open the doors to one of the cabinets, it’s actually a smaller, walk-in pantry. Everything has a place to be put away that’s functional and aesthetically beautiful.”
