2 Kitchen Makeover

Kitchen Makeover Promotion

(As seen on Canada AM on January 3, 2005.)

Mylene and Mark Get Countertop Couture

Photographs by Carolyn Couenen

Mylene and Mark, the winners of our 2 Kitchen Makeover contest, are engaged and have recently moved into a brand-new house. They're planning on having plenty of visitors and doing plenty of entertaining — and you just know that the party always ends up in the kitchen! While their new kitchen does have lots of space for company, it looks unfinished as they have a bare minimum of kitchen supplies, and it definitely needs some bold colour to liven things up.

The secret to a great kitchen is having high-quality equipment that performs well and fits in to the overall look. Building on what they already have, 2's decor expert, Amanda Eaton, made their kitchen more functional and inviting by giving the walls a fresh coat of paint and by adding some great, high-quality collections of kitchenware and accessories.

Here's the amazing transformation!

Our contest winners, Mylene and Mark, wrote “Dear 2, We have a brand new house but a scarce supply of kitchen necessities. We are starting out and would love to do it right!”

This is what their kitchen looked like before 2 got its hands on it. Bring on the paint and kitchen accessories!

One of the best ways to personalize a house is with new paint colour and light fixtures that say “Look at Me!” For a dramatic backdrop, Amanda chose Persimmon R-9914 from Benjamin Moore’s Signature Colour Collection.

Amanda (at left) and an assistant prepare to put up a new glass-lantern light fixture from Ikea. Quick tip from Amanda: Install a dimmer switch to create ambience for kitchen dining or entertaining.

Amanda replaces the drapes with a Roman blind in off-white from Ikea. You might need a ladder, girls!

To outfit Mylene and Mark’s kitchen, we chose quality kitchenware and tableware brands-DENBY, SPLENDIDE, KRUPS, LAGOSTINA, WÜSTHOF and MIKASA-that perform well and, of course, look great!

Amanda selected DENBY JET as the tableware pattern. It’s a fun combination of solids and stripes in gloss black and soft dove-grey, which allows for many mix-and-match possibilities. Available at the Bay and specialty tableware/gift stores.

What's wonderful about DENBY is that you can add to your collection—glassware, platters, casseroles, rice bowls, pasta dishes, linens and more!—and really customize your pieces according to what you like to eat and to meet your entertaining needs.

We've paired the dinnerware with sleek, high-quality 18/8 stainless flatware in the Primus pattern from SPLENDIDE. It has a lustrous finish, can stand up to any dishwasher, and is stain resistant. Available at the Bay and specialty tableware/gift stores.

Amanda hangs a retro plaque on the backsplash for a playful accent.

Since toasters, coffee grinders, and coffeemakers are everyday items that stay out on the counter, they need to be functional—and look terrific, too! KRUPS has delivered with their beautifully designed KRUPS Brunch Collection. Available at specialty kitchen stores nationwide.

We added a 9-piece set of LAGOSTINA Pro-Clad 5-ply cookware (available at Sears) to Mylene and Mark’s kitchen. Its heavy-gauge stainless-steel exterior with an aluminum core transfers heat efficiently and rapidly, and is very durable. We also gave them a non-stick skillet from LAGOSTINA and the popular LAGOSTINA Pastaiola 3-piece pasta set (includes a 5-litre stock pot, deep strainer and stainless-steel lid with vented knob).

LAGOSTINA’s brilliant mirror finish looks spectacular on this black range. LAGOSTINA Pastaiola can also be used for soup stocks, rinsing vegetables, blanching and much more! The LAGOSTINA kettle can be left out for a stylish touch, along with a stainless collection of utensils. LAGOSTINA cookware and utensils are available at major department stores and specialty stores.

We upgraded their set of knives to the extraordinary CULINAR collection by WÜSTHOF (pronounced “Voost-hoff”). Made in Solingen, Germany, the precision-forged blades, bolsters and tangs are married to elegantly sculpted handles of the finest 18/10 stainless steel. Wüsthof knives are super sharp, perfectly balanced, comfortable to use, and easy to maintain. Available at specialty kitchen and knife retailers, as well as, at select Bay stores.

Each Wüsthof knife is designed to perform a particular function. For example, soft cheeses like Camembert are best cut with the wide-and-thin blade, which has holes to prevent the cheese from sticking to the blade. The fork tip of the hard-cheese knife makes serving more convenient. The short and sturdy blade of the Parmesan-cheese knife is ideal to score and separate even firmer cheeses.

MIKASA CHEERS crystal barware adds a playful twist as each glass has a different design or colour. It’s perfect for entertaining, and makes it easier for guests to keep track of which glass is theirs (even after a few drinks!). We started Mylene and Mark’s collection with martini glasses (in 4 different colours), balloon goblets, and highball and double-old-fashioned glasses.

The MIKASA CHEERS champagne flutes in red are perfect for holiday entertaining or romantic celebrations. Available at major department stores and specialty tableware/gift stores.

Remember what Mylene and Mark’s kitchen looked like before Amanda Eaton, 2’s decor expert, came along? (Scroll up if you forget.) Well, just look at it now—it’s a well-outfitted, inviting kitchen that this lucky couple can be truly proud of. Let the party begin!!

Cheers! Our winners, Mylene and Mark, celebrate their new kitchen with a toast.

Pick up the winter issue of 2 magazine for your chance to win the Ultimate Dinner Party, and check back with 2magazine.com/contests regularly to see what new, great contests we’re running!