Marlene Pratt, a Casa Latina co-founder, believes that designing for a contemporary American lifestyle is much more than changing colors and buying new furniture. It is about integrating the many elements of a person’s life into their home.

When Marlene takes on a project, she does not just redecorate a space; she redesigns a lifestyle. She gets personal in order to understand who you are, where you are in your life, and where you want to go. Marlene works with each person to make their home an expression of who they are, interweaving their passions, beliefs and desires into the home’s fabrics, colors, textures and designs to create an intensely personal, yet functional, space.

Introduction by Nora Maria Diaz Bretherton

In this article Marlene was featured in Family Circle’s magazine:

A dream kitchen on a budget

Before drab wood, fussy wallpaper and clunky ceiling fixtures. Time for all to go!

Updated traditional was the aim of designer Marelene Pratt of The Home Depot, Long Island City, New York, location.

• Pumpkin paint gives walls a warm note.
• The taupe cabinetry lightens up the place
• Stainless-steel appliances blend right in
• Under-cabinet and recessed ceiling lights are sleek, subtle.

Time to update? This redo will inspire.  We challenged the experts at The Home Depot to use their design-installation expertise and turn a ho-hum kitchen into a beautiful and modern one, without breaking the bank.

The fridge was relocated (see page 120), to fit a larger range, a secondhand find.

• Silestone counters, a durable mix of manmade and natural material with edges that can be cut to style, look like stone.
• The lively backsplash is beige and white tumbled-marble tile.
• For texture and movement, tiles are arranged in a harlequin pattern on top, smaller rows of squares below, and separated by twisted-rope molding.

Before the refrigerator was crammed into a corner and the brown pulled the mood down.

Pratt put the entire wall to work by combining stock cabinetry for a totally custom effect:

• The darker piece looks like a hutch, with open shelving that can fit even a TV.
• Glass doors on either side allow for display of collectibles.
• Two-tone molding tops off the designer look.

Before too much wall space was going to waste. while the microwave ate up countertop space.

To make the most of this area:

• The new fridge is installed in an existing pantry with storage built around it.
• French doors, painted white, lend and airy touch.
• Wide-board flooring makes a rich footnote.
• Recessed lights replace a fan fixture to lift the ceiling.
• Base cabinets have angled corners to maximiza traffic flow as well as storage.

Before dark wood, gray linoleum, and a seldom-used table all call for some rethinking.

Pots and pans stay organized and out of sight in the extra-deep drawer of the center cabinet.  A sliver space to the left was captured for a built-in wine cubby that accommodates five bottles.

Planning tips for a pro:

Home Depot designer Marlene Pratt shares her expertise, outlining some key factors to consider when you start out.

1. Be a savvy client.  Before deciding on a contractor, get referrals from as many peolpe as possible.  Ask to see each candidate’s portafolio to get a picture of his or her results.
2. Remember, any work that will require tampering with gas lines must get approval from your city and/or county.  Different locales have different building codes, so you’ll need to do your homework.
3. Consider things that will make it easier to work in your kitchen, and your personal style.  Is the primary cook right- or left- handed?  Is a window over a sink a must?  These will have an impact on the positioning of work areas, built-in appliances, etc.  Are you comfy with clutter?  You might opt for open shelving.  If neatness is key, think solid cabinet doors and a close pantry.
4. For more aesthetic results, try not to stick to one style.  All contemporary or all traditional can be bland.  Imagine cabinets with crown molding that give them the feel of fine old furniture mixed with modern appliances.  You get the idea.

Marlene Pratt, a Casa Latina co-founder, believes that designing for a contemporary American lifestyle is much more than changing colors and buying new furniture. It is about integrating the many elements of a person’s life into their home.

When Marlene takes on a project, she does not just redecorate a space; she redesigns a lifestyle. She gets personal in order to understand who you are, where you are in your life, and where you want to go. Marlene works with each person to make their home an expression of who they are, interweaving their passions, beliefs and desires into the home’s fabrics, colors, textures and designs to create an intensely personal, yet functional, space.

Introduction by Nora Maria Diaz Bretherton

In this article Marlene was featured in Woman’s Day magazine:

Harvest gold appliances and above-cabinet soffits were the height of the kitchen style when Richard and Ellyn Wira moved into their new home in 1973. Fast-forward 32 years. Despite the new wallpaper and replacement appliances, “you walked into that kitchen and automatically knew how old it was,” says Marlene Pratt, the Home Depot interior designer who helped the Wiras bring the room into the 21st century.

What was done:

• Home depot’s Marelene Pratt, above left, guided the Wiras toward KraftMaid maple cabinets in a medium stain for the traditional look they desired.  A two-tone glaze that makes them darker around the edges is a contemporary look.
• The old cabinets came together in the corner and created a non-man’s land of dead space that required a flashlight to explore.  A new catty-corner cabinet, with a lazy Susan inside, makes the space user friendly.  A louvered appliance garage keeps countertop clutter under control.
• Silestone natural quartz countertops in Tea leaf won’t readily show dirt, and beacuse it’s nonporous, the surface won’t absorb stains. A cream ceramic tile backsplash adds texture.
• Pratt persuaded the Wiras to replace their relatively new white appliances with stainless steel ones from Maytag. “You can match any color to it,” says Pratt, “and it makes that color more striking.”
• A built-in microwave above the range frees up counter space.  The wood caving above it was unexpected piece Pratt brought in to provide a focal point. The arch over that, an architectual element repeated above the sink and on the workstation, softens the square lines of the kitchen.
• The Kohler chrome faucet has the old-fashioned look Ellyn loves, but with a modern pullout spray nozzle.

• Stained-glass cubbies replace the soffit above the cabinets, showing off Ellyn’s china and collectibles.  “A soffit makes a room seem smaller than it really is,” says Pratt.  “To the ceilling cabinets give the room added height and elegance.”

• A stunning new workstation doubles the storage space of the old hutch, and adds a desk and a filling cabinet in the base.  Pratt chose Behr’s Mountain Haze paint, an airy, light sage hue, as an homage to the Wiras’ North Carolina vacation home.  A round glass-top table lightens things up further.  The dark cream porcelain tile flooring is easy to clean and dries quickly, Ellyn says.  It was laid on an angle , which creates the illusion of a bigger room.

The details at work:

1. A sleek flat-screen television replaces a bulky old set, freeing up counter space.
2. Two roll-out drawers in the pots and pans cabinet organize cookware, eliminating straining and searching.
3. A pullout pantry next to the refrigerator holds canned goods and puts an end to the typical spice jumble in cabinets.  “You can see everything at a glance,” syas Ellyn.
4. Making most of utensil storage is a dual-level flatware drawer: The top section slide across to reveal a divided bottom.
5. Slide-out wire baskets get onions and potatoes out of the bag and into easy-to-access vegetable bins.

Once the makeover was complete, the Wiras found that they were surprisingly enamored of some of the smaller touches: a cabinet unit that houses trash and recycling bin, the freezer on-the-bottom refrigerator (”You can see what needs to be used up,” says Richard).  “We’re overwhelmed,” Ellyn says.  “The only thing is, it looks so good, now we feel like we need to redo the rest of the house.”