My Houzz: Olivia Munn Thanks Mum With the Kitchen of Her Dreams

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My Houzz: Olivia Munn Thanks Mum With the Kitchen of Her Dreams

If you observe actor Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse, Iron Man 2) and her mum, Kim Schmid, for even a moment, you’ll see they have a special bond. They joke often and laugh easily. “My mother and all of her uniqueness has definitely shaped who I am today,” Munn says.

Much of their bond developed over home-cooked meals made by Schmid, a refugee from the Vietnam War. Recently, Munn surprised her 5ft 1in mum with a remodel of her Oklahoma City kitchen to make it easier for her to use. Now she can cook large family meals without the need for a step stool.

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Comments (106)
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Jac Brown

I love the kitchen. I'm 1/8'' away from being 5' tall so I would absolutely appreciate a kitchen similar to this one! I think the decor and entire design is probably my favorite so far.

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nmlondon
Loved it!
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Bebe Price

Love!

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Odi
This is beautiful all the way. And im not just saying it cause Im 4’ 11” . Love everything!
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max Anders
How wonderful! I too am on the short side. We have a kitchen cabinet that stores the flour, sugar, baking soda, well you get it. All the things you need to use in baking in a place that is to high for me to reach without a stool or climbing on the counter. Yes I know the common sense thing would be to move them. I moved in with him and his kitchen was all ready set up this way. He does not like things moved around. So I can really appreciate what she did to make the kitchen more accessible for her mom. When we redo ours the baking cabinet is getting relocated.
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RedRyder
Beautiful renovation. Glad her mom’s height was taken into consideration. Great results. Opening up the ceiling made a huge difference. I hope her family enjoys this for many years to come.
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Monique

Wow!!! What a transformation. What an AMAZING gift to her mother. Very heartwarming.

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Ginette Quintilio

Such a beautiful space for an a charming lady. Good job Olivia and team. So sweet.

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nhessick

Incredible work Travis the renovation is beautiful!!

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Barnhart Gallery

What a fun, sweet bunch of people! Great job Travis! That's what it's all about:)

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Lidia

I wonder if that Green Bay Packers clock on the wall next to the front door will stay . . .

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Lidia

Super sweet Dad and so nice of OM to show her Mom the love!


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GOODFELLAS CONSTRUCTION

Love Olivia!!!

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jack122
Such a beautiful Story. I wish my mum was still here so I can do something special for her before she took ill and passed away within the six months. We must take care of our mums as we get older our bond grows stronger each day as did you and your mom. You are so lucky to have been able to help your mum in that way. Any way you can, no matter how big or how small it is love that keeps us together with our mom's. I loved your story and have saved it. I shall show and read it out to the 17 of us foe Christmas dinner as a reminder that a mom's love and that of their children goes ins grows on forever. oh by the way 17 of us includes our children sister's brothers and their partners. Bless you x
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Mary P.

Gorgeous kitchen and beautiful family. Loved Olivia in the Newsroom.

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User

Ms Olivia is quite a character, just like her mom. :) Travis did such fantastic designs and incorporation amazing ideas for Mrs. Kim. Mrs. Kim needs some more pull-downs for the pantry and not just the kitch! :) I enjoyed watching the cultures from 'Nam/Asian to American intermix. Congratulations to Houzz on another nice redo and to Ashton Kutcher for directing and producing this series. What work!

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Architectural Notice

Beautiful and functional.

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Telitha Smith
Beautiful renovation for your mom. How special!
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Luke Buckle

Funniest My Houzz yet!

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J E

They did a good job of refinishing the table

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Phuong Riedy
A RICE COOKER BUILT INTO THE ISLAND?!?! Only rice lovers will understand my amazement lol
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Nancy Millan
Olivia, what a wonderful gift for your mom. I love your choice in designs and the designer you chose. It is all awesome. Your mom is so cute. I laughed and cried while watching the video. Bless your sweet heart!!! Nancy.
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VOSS CONSTRUCTION INC
There is nothing more precious than blessing your parents... it always is fun to make something so special for them that everywhere they look they are reminded how much family loves being in their home...
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Acre Co
Loved this entire story. Good functionality!
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P3smom

Where can I get that pull-down shelving system in her kitchen cabinets ? I'm only 4'11" and have lots of wasted space in my cabinets because I don't use the upper shelves. I just don't want to be climbing constantly to reach things, so I only use the shelves I can reach. With a small kitchen, that's a problem. Would love to find out more about that system, and where I can get it. Thanks !!

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Mitchell Parker
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myosotis

Ann Marie,

Check Rev-A-Shelve for the pull down shelves.




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Gary Brooks
What a thoughtful gift! Useful storage is key; often it is difficult to reach items. How fortunate to have such an appreciative daughter.
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Pe Ng
i love the kitchen ideas.. very convenient also for my height.
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User

BRILLIANT!!!!

   
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Carol-Ann Lamothe

Loved watching this video !!

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Bridget White

This is a beautiful remodel; the entire space is bright but at the same time a soft light. Great flooring and a terrific range hood, too.


Ms. Schmid's petite stature reminds me of a decade ago when I was a personal chef. A client, who was 4'11", had a beautiful, fully loaded kitchen that had custom everything, including countertops made for her height. I am 5'11" and clearly recall kneeling on the floor to wash pots and pans in the sink. The nanny and housekeeper thought this was the funniest thing in the world, and I went home with a raging backache. However, when I had remodeled my own kitchen a few years earlier, I had the counters raised 3" above standard size, so I could fully relate to how much a difference it makes!

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P3smom

@Mitchell Parker -- Thanks so much for that link. That's VERY helpful !! I'm going to look into that more, mainly to figure out if they'll fit in my cabinets, since they're pretty narrow, but I absolutely LOVE this idea !! I didn't know anything like this existed. It's a revelation ! lol

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P3smom

@ myosotis Thanks for that, I'll will definitely look into this more. As you can see by my reply above to Mitchell Parker, I think this is just awesome. I had no idea anything like that was available. I'm drooling over these ! lol

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nancymiller48

The whole concept was so well thought out - spacious and light. I loved the raised ceiling, and the way they used the dead space in the living room to create a pantry. Though I did think the pantry space was a bit cramped and didn't look very finished - bare chipboard shelves by the looks. The warm and expressive people in this story made it really special!

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Jodie Cameron

Does anyone have information on the flooring? Type/colour etc? Thanks!

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Susan Hough
fabulous multifunctional room. lovely think to do for Mum.
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emanrefaat
I loved your story your mum should be proud of you , well done
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uzoo
awesome. I love it . my family is worse in sarcasm , and we are all used to it especially my dad. I do love the walk in pantry and that gorgeous coffee table you bought for her,nice work
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lindsayclappe
Love this - especially that rug - where is it from, and is it available in the UK?? Can’t find on Houzz Shop...
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jantotman

What a lovely thought, to make your Mum’s favorite place to be beautiful! There is such joy in giving! It looks gorgeous!

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Hilde Gard

Even as a 'tall' person I appreciate the design elements and what makes this kitchen so beautiful. People put a lot of thought into practicality and customisation, those are very important. I wasn 't worried about the walk-in pantry being small as it still offered plenty of space, but the raw particle board shelves? That is not what I wd choose for food storage.

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marjas17

Curious if the refrigerator sits behind the island, if so how much distance between the stool & fridge doors?

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Lynn Hachenberg
Lots of ideas for short cooks!
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Isabelle Degand
Bravo, Olivia !
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Sonia's Designs
That is just an Amazing fantastic story and your mother is just simply too adorable!!
You're an awesome daughter I love the new look it came out just like you wanted.
You guys enjoy and make everyday count!
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hippie chic
This kitchen is amazing ! ❤❤❤❤❤ I am 4'6" so it would be perfect for me ..... gave me great ideas
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nitenurs94

Such a sweet video. And how awesome to see the prints of "Pinkie" and "Blue Boy" in the entryway (8 minutes in)! I grew up loving them during frequent visits to my Aunt and Uncle's home. Great job Olivia. You're a very special daughter!

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raquelmarion77
Great job Olivia! It is so important for a daughter to see her mother happy. This story brought tears to my eyes. I no longer have my mother....but great memories mean everything in life. You are a wonderful daughter. Blessings! Raquel Milton
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Dodie Jacobi
What a heartwarming story to watch this Mother’s Day, and what daughter wouldn’t love to honor the cherished memories of food and family by making it lovely to create more!
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Kris Mccleery

To be honest, even the before would be my dream kitchen...

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Madge G
Beautiful kitchen and renovation! It certainly made the space so much bigger. I love how the white kitchen added to openness. And of course a daughter’s love for her mom shined through!
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Susan Blackwell

Wonderful Story! I love my mom too and a kitchen remodel is an amazing gift/dream. So many wonderful ideas to make the kitchen more functional. I am definitely going to look for the cabinet pull downs. Thanks for sharing this lovely story.

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YAMINI DESIGNS

Beautiful design! Could you please share the spec information on the built-in rice cooker? Love it!

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bea5557

What a wonderful transformation! Nice to see how they incorporated her personal items into the new space.

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Hector Falcon

Amazing transformation, beautifully well done.

   
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Stephanie Rountree

How sweet! Family is everything!!!!!

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P M

@Phuong Riedy, I thought that was a showstopper, too. I would like to hear from someone who has a built-in steamer like that. How’s the functionality? Are they easy to clean? What about generating all that steam with no vent to capture it? That would be a problem in my kitchen.

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Sheila Yeates

How beautiful. How I would love to do something like this for my Mom. God bless Olivia for doing this.

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dreamyfarmhouse
Absolutely stunning. I love the pendant lights, any idea where they are from ?
   
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stepcild

I love this make-over. It's so thoughtful and practical, as well as beautiful! Thanks for sharing.


   
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User

Asian steams are becoming popular for those who don't want to go for the steamer oven route. You are getting into needing pounds of food to be steamed, not a cup or two.

Some of the brands available are:

Gaggeneau, Wolf and Miele as well as commercial brand varieties. They are generally around 12" - 15" built in steamer modules with roughly 2700 heating watts (electric). You will need a heavy duty ventilation system. Most are built in next to the cook top and/or grill sharing the overhead hood & vent system. Expect the one unit to set you back around $2500 on up.

They can be used for rice as well as fish and veggies or anything you want to steam as a built-in. More popular is the combi steam/convection ovens which have more uses and are popular in commercial food services. These are replacing the pressure steamers of old.

If one doesn't want to go into the built-in route, you can always get a counter top version which is smaller which doesn't need poundage of foods to steam but smaller portions and are a lot less expensive as they are built for the homeowners.

One that is very popular today is called Instant Pot for about $100. It is a pressure cooker which is does steam cooking.

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Margie Kieper
Loved this!
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kvam

I loved this houzz story! You know its good when it makes you cry. Loved her in that movie with SJP and now again Olivia makes me laugh. She's magic. Her mom must be so happy! Thank You for making my day.

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Manuel kalaw
awesome!
   
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elliemat

Very touching and beautiful story of a very down to earth daughter and her family. Olivia, her mom, and step-father are delightful.

Love the three art pieces hanging on the wall by the dining table. Would you share where I can purchase them?

   
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Ava Boudi
Where do I get the adjustable cabinet shelf? I’m short too! It does take some of the cabinet space away though.
   
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reneermj

Great story! Great make over! Lovely family! All that talk about food, now I’m hungry!

   
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MIDMODERNdesign

@marjas17 asked "Curious if the refrigerator sits behind the island, if so how much distance between the stool & fridge doors?"

There is approx 48" between the fridge and the stools. I would say that is a minimum and would have liked to have closer to 60" but it was determined that the space on the other side of the kitchen (between the island and the sink wall) would be a major kitchen traffic zone and needed to be 48" as well. Our general rule is 42"+ between cabinetry in a kitchen.


Thanks for the question!

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MIDMODERNdesign

@JodieCameron asked "Does anyone have information on the flooring? Type/colour etc? Thanks!"

This is Avant Garde Taupe from Classic Tile in OKC. It is a hardwood look porcelain tile.

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MIDMODERNdesign

@motocross1 asked where the pendant lights are from (link here: https://www.houzz.com/product/87506893-visual-comfort-lighting-thomas-obrien-gale-1-light-pendant-transitional-pendant-lighting)

Hope that helps! Thanks

   
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MIDMODERNdesign

@yaminidesigns, llc asked for specs on the rice cooker


You can find the steamer module from Wolf on their website. www.subzero-wolf.com

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Neryl Hollingsworth

She is such a cack! I was laughing all the way through

   
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sfhamilton
Very heart warming. Your Mom is sooo cute! Smart too! An awesome Mother’s Day video.
   
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Michelle
Olivia's Mum is adorable & hilarious! I hope she loves her new kitchen!
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Denver Carpet & Flooring

An absolute treat for moms!

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Nguyen Xuan Son
So nice
   
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GP
God bless Olivia for doing this for her mum...awesome! I'm also Asian short, but I dont have any one to do this for me. I need bench tops, kitchen counters, cabinets specific to my height. I love home renos
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Bonnie Healey

I can relate to this renovation since I'm short, too. I've seen those cabinets that pull down and they're the perfect solution for us height-challenged people! Good job, good daughter!


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ZIKA EZIAGULU
breath taking.....
   
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mulepen
Such a charming video. Travis had wonderful ideas that worked so well in the space! This is a very special gift from a loving daughter.
   
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qwellons
Very touching story and beautiful renovation. I love what they did to the ceiling and all the innovative ways to customize for Kim’s height and love of cooking. Nice job!
   
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MIDMODERNdesign

@qwellons Thank you!

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Francis Gatsinzi

love this

   
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HU-69782387653

I am 5' 12'' but that renovation is really cool for someone shorter!

Nice job Travis!!

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Julia Mack Design, LLC

So lovely and insightful!

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liebenswert

I LOVED this video. My mom passed last year but I would have enjoyed doing this for her. Cherish mom's no matter how far you've grown apart. Find them. Appreciate them. LOVE THEM! Great video.

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Koncept Design Studio
Lovely it is
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Wyatt
nice
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Wingard Construction, Inc.
Great episode!!
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Skeey Decors

beautiful


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Imran Ali
Well i just want it to say that God bless you all. And stay blessed in ur houses bcoz its very difficult to live without ur own house. I dnt have a home. but i feel very happy and pray for them to be safe and blessed
   
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Lynn
Being a short woman I love the cabinet and how they come down. Never knew they made cabinets like that love it
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t k
Link or name of the dinning room chairs please! Beautiful renovation!
   
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Cherie Jarmon
Wonderful story of women bonding creatively! Beautiful! Thank you.
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Mirna Hassan
I simply loved it ♡ Such a sweet family ♡♡
   
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Mariam Alsahli
Beautiful kitchen and functional except the color of the dining table
   
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2times
Nice
   
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Emily Krosnicki

So sweet! I love the family love. This space turned out amazing! So well thought out and functional. I want this kitchen :)

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Jacki_Spohn Prettyman
What a fabulous way of showing love. Excellent design!!
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Ismail Karav
beautiful
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Sung Lee Photography

Awesome family!

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Wyman Lane Interiors

Wow, I love how the space was totally transformed into a beautiful kitchen, great room area that was tailored to Kim’s needs! Great design Travis!

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Nadia Ingles Pinto
Beautiful
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HU-369743417
fantastic! good living condition lies in design
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MOHAMMED H SHEHE

love it,,,, so beautiful.

God bless you all.

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