The owners of this residence wanted to open up their small, dated kitchen and dining room, while expanding the feeling of space in the adjacent entryway to the house. The owners also wanted to rework the stairwell connecting the entry to the basement and to the second floor.
Solution
We decided the best way to maximize the space was to completely eliminate the wall separating the two rooms, and make the kitchen and dining room into one big area. At the same time, we bumped out the wall on the kitchen side of the room by six feet, allowing us to put in a large center island. The new center island contained a second, smaller sink , allowing both homeowners to prepare food simultaneously.
To maximize the natural light, we put in a row of windows at the corner over the main sink, and replaced the aluminum sliding door in the dining area with a new cherry wood slider. The dining area also contains a second built-in wall unit which I designed to house the clients' extensive china and glassware collection.
The large, dated oven was replaced by a new stainless steel model, which we moved into the center of a built-in wall unit. A matching microwave was installed directly above. The counters and cabinetry on either side of the oven are stepped back to help open up the space and to facilitate movement between the two adjacent doors.
We also opened up the wall separating the second-floor stairwell from the Kitchen. This helped expand the doorway from the Entry to the Kitchen, giving the whole space a wider, more open feeling.
Finally, In the house's main entry, we replaced a large closet and bi-fold doors with two more efficient storage spaces. To the left of the front door are a new, smaller coat closet, and an alcove we created to house a built-in credenza with a mirror above.
