This 2002 home was built by the current owners before they were an active family. The kitchen that functioned well for them at first, now could not keep up with their growing needs.
“We have two young children who are always running around,” said the homeowner. “We needed more space.”
The family loves the neighborhood, so had no interest in moving. Remodeling was the best option.
Original design: A wall that housed a foyer closet and kitchen pantry encroached on the breakfast area, making it tough to fit the family. “There was not enough room,” said the homeowner. “We did not want to expand out the back of the house because we had just invested in a new patio area. We needed a designer to help us figure out how we could get the space we needed without demolishing the whole house.”
Design phase: Our designer suggested that the wall with the closet and pantry be removed, and replaced with a spot for the refrigerator and new pantry cabinetry. The family already had a mudroom that could handle the closet items, and the new cabinetry would hold even more than the original closet pantry.
This reconfiguration opened up the breakfast nook area, turning it into a full dining space option. Moving the refrigerator also allowed for additional cabinetry and countertops within the original footprint. With the newly opened kitchen, the homeowners decided to install hand-scraped hardwood floors on the entire first level, enhancing the open feel of the whole space. Trim and bead board were added to the original island to make it look like a piece of furniture.
Final result: “Before, I felt like I was working in half a kitchen,” said the homeowner. “Now I have more space, more countertops and more storage. The design opened up my whole house without changing the square footage. The new pantry cabinets keep us better organized too.”