Just outside the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver, Kelly and Andrew Duke live in a beautiful home labeled “The Party House” by friends and family. The Dukes moved into their new home in 2012 with plans to expand their family while also continuing to host for their friends and loved ones.
Fast-forward 10 years, and the Duke residence has grown. They’ve had two children, and several members of Kelly’s family have moved to Colorado and frequently pop in for visits. With the added traffic flow, Kelly and Andrew decided a major remodel would create more space for their busy lifestyle.
“We enjoy the revolving door nature of our home with a constant stream of friends, family, and kids stopping by, and our kitchen needed to meet our hosting needs,” Kelly explains.
Kelly and Andrew always host holiday events, the most prominent being “Friendsgiving”.
“The key must-have for us was a big island. To do that, we had to tear down a ton of walls to open up our main floor into one social space. The kitchen is always where people congregate for holidays, so we built the largest island to accommodate everyone’s needs,” said Kelly.
FHG Builders in Denver partnered with the Dukes to make all their construction aspirations come to life. The other fan favorite of the kitchen is the wet-bar area with two under-counter refrigerators—one for the kids and one for the adults.
Kelly and Andrew Duke are avid wine drinkers and even host a wine club in their home. Custom shelving in the bar area (Provided by Brian at Kitchen Showcase in Denver) is perfect for Kelly to store her cabernets and for Andrew to proudly display his bourbons. The added custom under-cabinet lighting throughout the kitchen and bar area also helps to highlight their beautiful wine and spirits collection.
The Dukes partnered with Urban Lights in Denver, who created one of Kelly’s favorite kitchen elements by running floor lights under all the cabinets. Kelly wanted bright and vibrant, and the lighting came together to bring her vision to life.
“All of the contractors were great to work with, and my vision never changed when we started this project. I had a lot of help from my best friend Sara, Stepmother Vicki, and our other family friends Rita and Sandy when it came to many of my design choices,” Kelly says.
Kelly is originally from West Virginia and loves to cook in the Southern style. She felt Dacor appliances were the perfect match to complement her cooking, and the refrigeration options help her stay more organized than any other brand.
The Dukes purchased their Dacor appliance package through Appliance Factory Fine Lines in Parker. They partnered with account manager Tarek Foda on specifications and design work.
The kitchen starts with a professional dual-fuel rang . Dacor provides top-tier cooking features with their “Chef Mode”, allowing users to have expert advice from professional chefs from the comfort of their homes.
The dual-fuel range also comes fully equipped with WiFi capabilities, steam features, and speed convection. These cutting-edge technologies allow people who live on the go to make restaurant-quality dishes quickly.
Being frequent hosts prompted the Dukes to add an additional wall oven to their island. Dacor’s single, convection wall-oven helps reduce the time needed to prepare a big, southern-style Thanksgiving feast. The Duke’s favorite appliance is the 42-inch, four-paneled French Door refrigerator. This refrigerator features a masterful triple cooling system and combines performance, craftsmanship, and beauty like no other brand. The four panels help keep the Dukes organized and work well with their on-the-go lifestyle.
Depending on the family’s needs, one of the bottom panels can convert from a refrigerator to a freezer.
Working and parenting will keep any couple’s hands full. Combined with an open-door policy and frequently hosting gatherings and events, it makes sense that these busy homeowners appreciate the little features that help them save time and stay organized.
The Dukes have enjoyed coming home from a long day of skiing with their two children to spread out and relax, even if it is short-lived before their next hosted event.
“The island is my favorite part of this entire kitchen. It is compatible for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even the bottomless brunches,” Kelly explains.
The Dukes are also looking forward to having local celebrity Chef Mark Kalix throw a dinner party with all their friends and are excited to have a home where they are ready to entertain at a moment’s notice.
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