BUDGET DESIGN WINNER
Quebec designer believes he can “spend $5 of a client’s money and make it look like $50”
Michael Moore has been an interior designer for more than 40 years, but when asked to describe what he does, he says, “I’m a problem solver. A creative problem solver.”
After long design stints in Toronto and the United States, Moore now teaches interior design at the Nova Career Centre in Châteauguay, Que.
Recently, Moore won the 2015 ASID Design Award in the small residential design category for a kitchen he designed for a couple who live in a townhouse.
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the largest professional organization for designers in North America with membership at around 44,000. ASID awards are presented annually by each regional chapter. Moore is a member — and soon to be president — of the Upstate New York/Canada East chapter. He also won a 2014 ASID Design Award for a kosher kitchen he designed.
As it turns out, the designer was faced with the same challenge in both modest-sized kitchens — limited square footage with little or no room to expand.
The footage in the kosher kitchen could only be slightly enlarged. It was the heart of the home for a serious cook who had her eye on a dream kitchen with all the bells and whistles. Moore had to find room for two refrigerators, two dishwashers and two microwave ovens — keeping meat and dairy separate, as required — plus one stove, a family eating area and a fireplace.
“I fought for every quarter inch to overcome the spatial challenges, while still delivering balance and symmetry,” Moore says.
The square footage of the townhouse kitchen was locked in, so Moore concentrated on ways to improve both traffic flow and visual symmetry.
“The ‘before’ kitchen hadn’t been touched since 1974,” he says. “It was like walking into a time warp.” A time warp with issues. “The kitchen’s one window was off centre and the access to the adjacent dining room was at the far end of a long wall and right next to a short staircase leading to a lower level,” Moore says.
He installed a sink at an angle in the corner near the window to draw visitors’ eyes to the symmetry of the sink’s placement and away from the off-centre window. And he cre- ated an opening to the dining room dead centre in the long wall.
“The (opening in the wall) became the tail that wagged the dog. All other design decisions fell into place after that,” Moore says. “Now when you sit in the dining room, you have a pleasant view of the new kitchen island — framed by the opening in the wall — and the (kitchen’s) horizontal-stone backsplash.”
The clients came to Moore with a contemporary kitchen in mind and a modest budget.
“I suggested an Ikea kitchen and the clients were open to the idea. I have a great respect for Ikea,” Moore says. “I always tell my students not to turn their noses up at Ikea. You can always modify things to make the kitchen look custom and the price is reasonable.
“I think one of the reasons I have built up such a loyal client list is that I can spend $5 of a client’s money and make it look like $50, while still maintaining quality and durability. Design should be efficient, clean and symmetrical with a harmonized use of materials.”
Moore bought extra cupboard-door panels and his installer cut them to create the panelling for the island.
He said the base price for the cabinets was around $3,000, but after adding hits of luxury that helped make a kitchen look high-end — granite countertops, an eye-catching kitchen faucet, innovative storage features — the kitchen cost about $20,000.
Improving the kitchen’s storage was another challenge for the designer. After closing off the original doorway to the dining room, he was left with a small wall to play with, so he designed a tall, narrow pantry and fitted it with a series of moving shelves he sourced online from Lee Valley Hardware. It’s his favourite feature in the kitchen.
Moore’s work has resulted in the building of a loyal list of clients, including one who has now retired to the Bahamas and calls Moore on regularly to fly in for this project or that project. And what about retirement?
“Designers don’t retire, they just get more selective,” the 70-year-old says with a laugh. “As a designer, you are the interpreter. You reflect the client’s personality in the space. If you do that well, you forge strong bonds and almost become a member of the family.”