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Pro Spotlight: Bring Fresh Flair to Your Kitchen or Bathroom
A Metro D.C.-area kitchen and bath designer shares how to stylishly expand and update these spaces
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Who: Ali Meshksar of EA Home Design
Where: Ashburn, Virginia
In his own words: “Never underestimate what can be done to revamp a room in your house.”
The kitchen and bathroom are often the first rooms in the home to show their age — and thus are the most popular spaces to remodel. “Kitchens and baths are the rooms in the house that you use every day, so you really want them to fit all your needs,” says Ali Meshksar, a partner at EA Designs in Ashburn. The D.C.-area company specializes in kitchen and bath remodels, from design to installation.
Where: Ashburn, Virginia
In his own words: “Never underestimate what can be done to revamp a room in your house.”
The kitchen and bathroom are often the first rooms in the home to show their age — and thus are the most popular spaces to remodel. “Kitchens and baths are the rooms in the house that you use every day, so you really want them to fit all your needs,” says Ali Meshksar, a partner at EA Designs in Ashburn. The D.C.-area company specializes in kitchen and bath remodels, from design to installation.
Transformative design. Meshksar, who earned a master’s degree in civil engineering in Iran, went to work at a relative’s kitchen and bath company when he moved to the U.S. in 2007. In 2011, he joined forces with another contractor, Kevin Kamali, to open EA Home Design. “My partner handles the project management and I focus on design,” Meshksar says. “I love to transform a bad-looking space into a beautiful one.”
Modern living. If you have an older home, chances are it was built with a small kitchen, separated from the living spaces and without much light. “Older houses had small, enclosed rooms because people wanted energy savings and the ability to close off rooms that were not in use,” Meshksar says. Now, better heating and cooling systems achieve energy savings. “These days you can design houses with open floor plans that bring so much more light and a feeling of spaciousness,” he says.
Dreaming of updating your kitchen or bathroom? Below, Meshksar offers three tips for modernizing.
Dreaming of updating your kitchen or bathroom? Below, Meshksar offers three tips for modernizing.
1. Find Hidden Space
An older kitchen or bathroom may be cluttered with cabinets, nooks and closets. For your redesign, imagine what would happen if, instead, the room was as spacious as possible. “Finding space inside that you can use can save you the cost of building an addition,” Meshksar says.
For the remodel of this kitchen in Sterling, Meshksar raised the ceiling and removed a large closet to gain additional space. Once the room had been expanded, he was able to add a long center island with quartz counters that includes a combination table and desk. A charging station is concealed in a drawer beside the desk. “With a little extra space, it was possible,” Meshksar says.
See more of this project
An older kitchen or bathroom may be cluttered with cabinets, nooks and closets. For your redesign, imagine what would happen if, instead, the room was as spacious as possible. “Finding space inside that you can use can save you the cost of building an addition,” Meshksar says.
For the remodel of this kitchen in Sterling, Meshksar raised the ceiling and removed a large closet to gain additional space. Once the room had been expanded, he was able to add a long center island with quartz counters that includes a combination table and desk. A charging station is concealed in a drawer beside the desk. “With a little extra space, it was possible,” Meshksar says.
See more of this project
2. Open Up
If your kitchen is closed off by posts or walls and you’d prefer an open floor plan, consider replacing an existing support with a beam. This will allow you to increase cabinet or counter space, or to add an eating area to the kitchen. “It’s good for a large family or if you entertain,” Meshksar says. Similarly, bathrooms can be opened up by removing closets or walls between showers and sinks.
In this Herndon home, Meshksar took out a post and replaced it with a substantial beam that supports the second story above the kitchen. This design opened up the kitchen to the rest of the home and added considerable workspace. “They were able to put in two dishwashers, two ovens, two sinks and two refrigerators,” Meshksar says.
See more of this project
If your kitchen is closed off by posts or walls and you’d prefer an open floor plan, consider replacing an existing support with a beam. This will allow you to increase cabinet or counter space, or to add an eating area to the kitchen. “It’s good for a large family or if you entertain,” Meshksar says. Similarly, bathrooms can be opened up by removing closets or walls between showers and sinks.
In this Herndon home, Meshksar took out a post and replaced it with a substantial beam that supports the second story above the kitchen. This design opened up the kitchen to the rest of the home and added considerable workspace. “They were able to put in two dishwashers, two ovens, two sinks and two refrigerators,” Meshksar says.
See more of this project
3. Add Light
Nothing dates a room as much as a lack of light, which can make the space seem uninviting even on a sunny day. “When you put in a good window, you get a very modern look,” Meshksar says.
His team took the bathroom in this 1970s-era Herndon home down to the studs, replacing an old pink bathtub with a flat shower pan and adding a modern, freestanding white tub and glass-walled shower. A key component of the spa-like bathroom design was the addition of two high windows that overlook a scenic wooded area.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Ali Meshksar and examples of his work, visit EA Home Design’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Nothing dates a room as much as a lack of light, which can make the space seem uninviting even on a sunny day. “When you put in a good window, you get a very modern look,” Meshksar says.
His team took the bathroom in this 1970s-era Herndon home down to the studs, replacing an old pink bathtub with a flat shower pan and adding a modern, freestanding white tub and glass-walled shower. A key component of the spa-like bathroom design was the addition of two high windows that overlook a scenic wooded area.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Ali Meshksar and examples of his work, visit EA Home Design’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Review by Shetal Patel:
We just completed our kitchen and bathroom project with EA home and design and are absolutely happy with the final product. It was everything and better than we envisioned. Ali, Kevin and the entire t...More