As important a center of family life as our kitchens have become, there are some that make you wonder if they weren’t designed as an afterthought. This kitchen remodel not only dramatically improved its utility and appearance, but took advantage of views of the outside to enhance its sense of spaciousness and light.
Vision
The former kitchen in this home reflected an early ‘60s floor plan that might at one time have been open, but which suffered a remodel that separated the galley-style kitchen from the rest of the house. The prescription was nothing short of a serious makeover that would redefine the space itself.
Challenge
Some kitchen remodels can be effectively accomplished in place. In the case of this kitchen, however, what was required was a relocation — starting with removing a full height wall and built-in cabinet that had resulted in a cramped dining room and wasted space that could be better put to use. Adding insult to injury was the blue cabinetry!
Accomplishment
In addition to removing a wall, we also took out the original soffit. To bring in some nice views of the backyard landscaping, we took out one window and enlarged another. With the space that we gained, we were not only able to expand the working area of the kitchen through its relocation, but also include a pantry. To improve the overall look, we installed painted cabinets (bye, bye blues!), a butcher block island, and Cambria counter tops. We also refinished the hardwood floors. The plumbing system was also changed to make sure there are no issues once new cabinets are installed. Our partners from Marine Plumbing did their best and finished their work even quicker than we expected. The before and after photos speak at least a thousand words to the difference this remodel made!
Highlights
A change as dramatic as this remodel can require quite a leap of faith, as well as a financial investment. To help ease into the transition between the old and the new, we like to employ 3D modeling to help our clients better understand the ramifications of the design decisions we guide them through. With this remodel, we should point out that the original kitchen included a tile element that the clients wanted to carry over into the redesign. We took the extra step of scanning it into our model, much to our client’s delight!
Notice the location of the two windows on the right and the hanging chandelier as the location did not change. Scroll down for several before, during and after pictures, including a 3D rendering completed during the design phase.
Goodbye blue cabinets…note the ceiling voids showing the former wall location. We constructed a temporary wall (left) with a secure door to separate the living area from the construction area. The large pipe is our filtration system to help keep the air clear of dust.
We modeled the kitchen prior to construction – the cabinet to the left of the window was added later.