A Compact, Elegant Kitchen

This is a continuation of the previous article describing how we reconfigured my client’s home for a new life with creative friends and music in Silver Spring, MD.

Re-Sculpted for Function and Light

We radically re-sculpted her home within the existing footprint starting with the kitchen.  By moving the kitchen into the old dining room we created a light-filled kitchen with a much better connection to both the outdoors and to the music and living rooms.  (View before and after floor plans in the first article.)

Kitchen is Well Connected to the Garden & Flooded With Light

And Also Well Connected to the Rest of the Home

Efficient, if Somewhat limited, Storage

The kitchen is very small but better configured than its darker, cut-off predecessor.  Valuable storage space was sacrificed for even more important windows and doors.  The cabinets we used, though, were configured for maximum storage and utility.  The base cabinets are all drawer cabinets (not easily seen in the photos).  While my preference is for 30” wide drawer cabinets, for this project, we had to compromise and accept several narrower base cabinets to maintain counter space where needed.   One 30” base cabinet, one 33” base cabinet and one 30” pantry cabinet provide great flexibility for storing everything from pots and pans to dishes and platters.  We gained valuable drawer space in the work area by using a cooktop with drawers below instead of a range.  The single oven is placed out of the main work area.  We gained a little additional storage space – and saved money – by using a single oven instead of two ovens often found in higher-end kitchens.   A smaller microwave sits on a shelf above the single oven.  Putting the oven in a cabinet with a drawer below also puts the over at a better height for our aging bodies. 

Using a Single Oven Plus Microwave Instead of Double Ovens Saved Money & Space

We made up for the lack of storage space in the kitchen proper by building a long pantry closet in the music room between the kitchen and living room.  The Pantry is only 18” deep – deep enough to hold small appliances and big platters but shallow enough that nothing gets lost.  A light in the pantry makes sure items can be located quickly.  The bypass doors don’t take up floor space in the passageway. 

A Shallow, Long Pantry Closet Supplements Kitchen Storage

The Pantry (White Bypass Doors) is Tucked Into Music Room and Conveniently Located Alongside Kitchen

 Eating Nook

We even fit an eating nook into this small kitchen.  It’s perfect for my client when she is without guests.  It also makes an intimate setting with one to three guests and provides space for a buffet for larger gatherings.  The backless bench to the left is on casters and can be rolled out of the way for additional seating in the living room or to provide a wider passageway during large gatherings. 

We even fit a cozy eating nook in this compact kitchen

Design Decisions to Lower Costs

There were a myriad of design decisions that kept costs down including 3 primary decisions:

1. Working within the existing footprint.  The decision to work within the existing footprint means that the window over the sink looks across the areaway to the basement at the brick wall that forms the original L wing housing what’s now the master suite.  In the future, we’ll use stained glass or an art window film to hide the view of the brick while still allowing in light.  This decision, of course, saved tens of thousands of dollars. 
2. Using laminate countertops.  This decision saved at least $3,000.  Everyone wants stone these days.  Personally, I think granite is a bit overdone.  One of the big objections to laminate is the inability to use an under-mount sink.  The sink we used is a micro-edge sink that all but eliminates that objection.
3. The Lighting Scheme.  We used surface-mounted ceiling lights instead of the ubiquitous recessed lights.  Go back to the 2nd photo in this article to see the surface-mounted fluorescent lights that provide ambient light.  These lights are augmented with another surface-mounted light over the sink, undercabinet lights, and a single (large) pendant over the eating nook.  The lighting scheme, again, saved more than $3,000.
4. The selection of appliances.  We used a relatively narrow, full-depth refrigerator that appears built-in.  The 30” width allowed us to recess it into an existing header in the brick wall.  The full-depth results in a lot of storage space.  We sacrificed a little bit of space in the new hall bath and the Pantry to accommodate the full-depth.  As mentioned earlier, we selected one oven instead of two.  The hood, while modern and attractive, was much less expensive than most similar models on the market.  We re-used the relatively new dishwasher. 

The Micro Edge Works Well with a Laminate Countertop While The Large Deep Sink Hides Dirty Dishes & Drying Clean Dishes Helping Keep the Counter clear

A Regular Depth Fridge Looks Built-In And is Recessed Into The Bath & Pantry Behind

Special Design Features:

Even while controlling costs, there were many special features to make the design special. 

Integration between rooms – Note how by integrating the cabinetry with the door jamb separating the kitchen from the music room, we help bring those rooms together.  You can see this in the photos above and below.

Tiled wall – Rather than a simple tiled backsplash we tiled the entire walls behind and beside the counters.  We used large format 12 x 24 concrete-look tile with a brushed aluminum trim.  This maintains a clean, modern look. 

Deep, Wide Sink – The sink, in addition to having a micro-edge, is very deep and wide.  This keeps dirty dishes and drying dishes off the countertop.

Original ceiling beam details – These details were maintained but painted while to keep some of the original feeling that the client liked but made for a less busy treatment. 

Deep Door Jamb Integrated Into Cabinety Helps Integrate Rooms

Large Format Tile Wrapping the Walls Provides a Relatively Low-Cost Wow-Factor

 
Before

"Before" From Same Angle as Picture 2

Original Kitchen "Before"

The Remodeled Kitchen is Well Connected to the Home & the Music Room

My client came to me because she wanted to create the next phase of her life.  She is a relatively recent widow with grown sons — and with the completion of the remodel has retired from her job.  She lives in a post-WWI brick rambler in the Forest Glenn neighborhood of Silver Spring, MD.

Her life has been filled with music, friends and family.  She envisions her new home as a French-style Salon – a place where her creative friends and their friends would meet to share music and discuss art, literature, and politics.  She wants a seamless transition from home to garden to entertainment space in her basement. 

In addition to the grand vision, she also wanted:

• A master suite with an in-suite bath
• A guest bath that is fully wheelchair accessible for when her mother visits
• A new kitchen
• A wider hallway for wheelchair accessibility

And to make the project even more challenging, my client’s budget was quite limited and the lot small so the magic had to be performed within the existing footprint. 

The discussion of this project will cover several articles. 

1.  This article covers the overall plan and the changes to the foyer.
2.  The second one will cover the kitchen.
3.  The third will cover the new guest bath.
4.  The fourth will cover the master suite.
5.  The final will cover the new exterior rooms.

The original room configuration was typical of houses built in the early 1950’s with small rooms and unconnected with each other and unconnected with the out-of-doors.

Floor Plan - BEFORE

As you can see from the floor plan, above, the kitchen – while in the middle of the house – was cut off from everything.  The dining room has a solid door and windows to the back yard but felt unconnected.  The hallway was too narrow for a wheelchair and the single hall bath was small and hard for everyone to use let alone someone with any physical impairment. 

Floor Plan - AFTER

The back wall of the kitchen in the remodeled home is wide open to a new patio and to the music and living rooms.  The now open hallway is wide enough for easy transit and helps make the whole home feel more expansive.  It also offers a more visible connection between the entertainment area of the basement and the first floor.  The old kitchen was reconfigured into a wheelchair accessible bath and a large pantry.  The new master suite – while not fully wheelchair accessible has many universal design features. 

Kitchen is Well Connected to the Outdoors

The Stairway Was Opened On All SidesOpen Floor Plan Connects The Basement to the Living room

Open Floor Plan Connects The Basement to the Living room

 

Read more about the details of this remodel as I post the rest of the series in the next few days. 

 

 The 2 “BEFORE” pictures, below, are from the same camera angle as the first image and the hallway image. 

"BEFORE" From Same Angle as 1st Image

 

"BEFORE" From Same Angle as Hallway Image

 

Indoor/Outdoor Connection with great views & play of light and shadow

We added a mere 70 square feet to this 1930’s Tudor revival but dramatically increased the livable space and its connection to the outside.  The house is in Silver Spring, MD – a neighborhood that’s just a mile from the border with Washington, DC with a great neighborhood feel – where everyone knows everyone else and get-togethers are frequent. 

Seamless Blend of Old & New:  Previously the home had a tiny foyer – you basically walked right into the kitchen.  A tiny coat closet wasn’t even deep enough to hang coats – hooks were all that was available.  Now when you walk in you have a welcoming foyer with large coat closet and desk area.  Divided Lite Glass Pocket doors provide a view straight through to the garden but also let you visually divide the foyer from the kitchen.  The 1980’s kitchen we removed was of a style that was at odds with the original Tudor revival home.  In this remodel, we took pains to make the remodeled areas blend seamlessly into the original home.  But we lightened the space with less stained wood and more painted wood.  The images below are “After” and “Before” images from approximately the same viewpoint.

View From the Front Door Through House to Back Garden

"Before" From Same Camera Position

View of Remodeled Foyer

"Before" View of Foyer From Same Camera Position

Additional View of Foyer - Including a Place to Place Mail and Packages.

Kitchen as the Center of the Home: 

A Centralized Kitchen for Multiple Cooks

 
The original kitchen was cut-off from the rest of the home and cut-off from the outside.  The new kitchen acts as a central hub for both everyday living and entertaining.  We added 70 sqft of new space by extending the enclosed porch to the original garage (converted several decades ago to a large storage area).  This allowed us to change the traffic patterns and view lines connecting the porch to the kitchen and the kitchen to the outdoors. 

We also annexed a portion of the old garage into the kitchen.  The very old boiler and hot water heater were both replaced allowing us to remove the chimney serving these appliances to dramatically open up the space.  Gable windows added to the old garage area bring in abundant light and a wonderful play of light and shadow. 
[See before and after floor plans at the end of the article.]

While we used cabinetry and hardware that coordinates well with the original style of the home it is more modern in line and style.  For example, the stain colors match almost exactly but the original wood is pine while the cabinets are cherry.  The use of glass tile for the backsplash clearly modernizes and brightens the kitchen.  So while the style blends with the original it is also distinctly modern.

The new kitchen provides prep areas for multiple cooks – which occurs during large family gatherings while still working well for a single cook.  Note that the ovens are out of the main work area. 

Kitchen - A Blend of Original Stains & New Touches Like Glass Tile

 
Large, Stylish pantry:  Notice the frosted glass doors to the right of the gable windows.  Inside is a wide, shallow pantry that provides a tremendous amount of storage. 

Stylish Frosted Glass Doors Hide Hard-Working Pantry

Hard-working Pantry Behind Frosted Glass Doors

 
Indoor/Outdoor Connection:  Before the remodel, the family spent a lot of time on the drafty enclosed porch.  One of the main goals of the remodel was to make the porch more comfortable and better integrated into the flow of the home but to also retain the original feel of an outdoor space.  The next 2 images – After & Before – are taken from the same point.  You can see the small area that we added – the brick wall you see in both images is the same wall – the outside of the original garage.    We raised the floor to the same height as the rest of the house and used the same oak as used throughout.  We also added hydronic radiant heat to the floor, vaulted the ceiling and added skylights.  We thought about replacing the old steel windows with new steel windows but the price was prohibitive.  Instead we used stained wood. 

Expanded All-Season Porch

"Before": Porch - From Same Camera Point - Brick Wall in Background Now Enclosed in Porch

Remodeled Porch - Another View

The furniture arrangements are still evolving and the client is waiting for some new furniture.  The placement of the table moved from the design phase and we will either move the pendant light or replace it with a swag light that can be centered over the table. 

Porch Details:  Notice the foundation wall that we left exposed inside the porch.  The custom stained glass window “looks” into the storage area of the garage.  To give a sense of light, we installed a mirror about 3” behind the window. 

Stone Foundation Wall Exposed as Interesting Detail

Stained Glass Window with Mirror Backing Looks Like View to Outside

Formal Dining Room:  The client wanted to retain the formal dining room – in part because of their lifestyle and in part to retain the original formality of the home.  The further that aim, we designed and installed a new coffered ceiling stained to main the original molding. 

Coffered Ceiling in Formal Dining Room

“BEFORE” & “AFTER” Floorplans:

Floor Plan - BEFORE

Floor Plan - AFTER

The Tall Wainscoting Nicely Sets of This Corner Eating Nook

A kitchen eating nook – or banquette – is a space-saving way to create an eat-in kitchen.  Plus think of all those times you asked for a booth in a restaurant instead of a more central table – a booth is just cozier.  You feel protected and pampered at the same time.

I’m prompted to write this because I’m currently working with a client where we’ll probably include a corner eating nook.  The space is quite small for everything the homeowner wants to fit in – only about 10-1/2 ft x 14 ft.  We’re moving the kitchen from cramped gallery kitchen completely cut off from the rest of the house to an existing dining room addition where we’ll be able to connect it to the patio as well as to the living areas. 
 

Conceptual Floor Plan

The placement of the nook in the front corner makes for easy access, good views of the garden and also a more pleasing view as you walk through the house toward the kitchen. 

So I’m gathering a few images of corner breakfast nooks to give her a sense of the possibilities and to get a sense of her preferences.  If you have any to share, I would love to see them.

Large Windows & Comfy Cushions Make This Nook Inviting

This Modern Look Can Easily Be Adapted to Corner Eating if My Client Likes the Look

Back to School Storage in the Front Foyer

My clients, in close-in Silver Spring, MD are looking to improve the space usage of their home.  One of the problems is the lack of a mud room entry or a foyer with room for a closet or other places to store the back packs, coats, boots and everything else that comes along with pre-teen and teenage children.  Today, everything gets piles into one corner of the living room.  The living room, is also awkward – long and narrow – making it difficult to find a comfortable seating arrangement.  In fact, even though the house is very small and they are quite cramped, the living room is rarely used.  And, like most of us, they are on a tight budget.

I proposed a simple, relatively low-cost solution that solves both problems.  I proposed moving the non-load-bearing wall between the tiny foyer and the long, narrow living room about 3 ft into the living room.  Thus creating a spacious foyer with a wall well suited to a low storage bench for seating and cubbies and hooks for coats above.  Changing the swing of the front door, helps with a more natural flow.   If the homeowners wanted, they could also switch the entry flooring to porcelain, stone or ceramic tile.  But simply patching and refinishing the oak floor would be less expensive.

This family is informal and the tight budget suggests the use of cubbies.  The ones drawn here are custom but stock components from IKEA or The Container Store would also work well.

For a family with a larger budget or that do more formal entertaining, the solution below provides a more formal approach to combining the mud room with a main entrance.

By Using Built-in Storage You can Combine a Mud Room with the Foyer

And if you want a greater sense of openness, you can eliminate the wall altogether and create a visual connection to the living room like the option below.

Removing the Wall and Adding Open Shelves Creates a Connection with the Living Room

To visualize in greater detail the room changes, I’ve included after and before floor plans, below.  Notice that the “after” plan also proposes solutions to issues with the kitchen, family room and indoor/outdoor connection.   I’m currently working the family to think through what improvements are most important at this point with the idea of phasing in the other improvements as finances allow.

Floor Plan "After" - A gracious Foyer with Mud Room Storage

Floor Plan "Before" - A Tiny Foyer with No Storage

A Front Porch with Acid-Stained Concrete Floor

I love to sit on my front porch at the end of the day or on the weekend with a book and a cup of coffee.  Almost always my neighbors stop to chat.  Sometimes it’s just for a minute and sometimes it morphs into dinner or drinks on the porch.  And then other neighbors stop by… and I catch up on what’s going on without leaving the shade and comfy chairs of my front porch.

Adding a front porch or other outdoor garden room is one of the most dramatic and cost-effective changes you can make to your home.  Here are 2 porches I’ve done in the past few years where my clients report benefits much like I’ve observed with my own porch. 

Cigars on the Concrete Front Porch

The Porch is Close to the Ground without Intervening Railings Which Further Connects to the Neighborhood

The husband, Dan, was initially reluctant to add a porch.  Now he wonders “why didn’t we build it sooner?  We never used our front yard. It was just a way to get into the house. Our porch has given us a place we sit, meet neighbors, and enjoy our street”.  Their Porch has two sitting area – one very open to the neighborhood (above) and one more secluded and private (below).  When they want to interact with the neighbors they sit on the side that’s more open to the street.  The acid-stained concrete porch is very close to the ground so there are no railings to separate them from the yard and the street. 

Shrubbery and a Higher Elevation Separates This Side From the Street

The other side, above, is more sheltered by landscaping and — while railing is still not needed — the porch is higher off the ground providing more separation from the street.  Arlene laughs about sending Dan and his friends to the porch to smoke cigars after dinner.  The ceiling fans on both sides keep both the cigar smoke and the mosquitoes away.  The central wood bench hides the gas and electric services and Arlene reports that she often sits on the bench to go through the mail while their cat lounges on the sun-heated stone insert.

A Side Porch That Acts As a Front Porch

A More Traditional House Needs a More Traditional Porch

A Ground-Level Porch Grounds the House to the Neighborhood

The remodel of the home, above, won an award from the local historic preservation group for reconnecting the home to the neighborhood.  The house is situated on a corner and the front entry was steep (see before picture, below).  We added the porch to the right side of the house.  Now friends and family always enter from the more level alternate street side.  Again, note that the porch is low to the ground – without railings – which welcomes the neighbors to say hello and stop and visit.  The porch also helps balance the addition built on the left side of the house.  Many neighbors commented on how much better balanced the house now feels. 

Before - Without Porch & Before Remodel

So what’s the value of a front porch?

New Rooms To Live In: An expansive, shady front porch offers a delightful retreat. Add ceiling fans, comfortable chairs and tables and you’ve just added alot more square footage to your home! Not to mention, a special place to unwind and watch the rest of the world whirl by.

Neighborhood Integration:  You’ll meet and talk with neighbors you’ve only nodded to before.  Your kid’s friends will prefer your place to others for playing on the porch.  Nothing beats a covered front porch for entertaining! It’s a wonderful place to socialize, catch up on the latest news or just relax and enjoy the company.

Curb Appeal: The front entry sets the stage for your home.  First impressions make a huge difference in how your family, friends and neighbors view your home.  A dramatic transformation happens when a “flat-faced” home receives a new, covered front porch.

Added Value: Enhanced curb appeal can translate into a higher selling price and faster sale for your home down the road.

Protection from the Elements: A front entry with no covering exposes your guests and home to damaging sun and rain. A porch or portico provides great protection for your front door, hardware, trim, lighting—and even, foyer. And your guests will truly appreciate it on rainy or hot, sunny day. It can even help lower your summer energy bills.

So now back to my porch (below).  It is in desperate need of repair – like the cobbler’s children going barefoot.  But the general disrepair doesn’t in any way detract from my use of the porch as an extension of my living room and an extension of my studio.  One side is for enjoying informal interactions with my neighbors.  I think of the other side as part of my studio with a work table where I do dirty work I don’t want in inside.  Both sides are wonderful places to watch the world go by. 

My Front Porch

 And here’s one of my favorite Porches:

One of My Favorite Porches

To read more about these front porches:
http://www.braitmandesign.com/design-solutions/curbappeal-2week-makeover/
http://www.braitmandesign.com/home-remodeling/a-sense-of-place/
http://www.braitmandesign.com/home-remodeling/remodeling-within-the-existing-footprint-case-study/

The New Hall Bath

My client’s home in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington DC is a 1970’s “modern” home with a vaulted living room ceiling and great views.  But it basically hasn’t been updated since it was built.  The bathrooms were 1970’s generic with cultured marble countertop and shower surrounds that were typical of the period.  This bath measuring 5 ft by 8 ft is slightly larger than the generic 5’ x 7’ boxes found in earlier homes allowing for a slightly larger vanity.  But the vanity was largely useless for storage.

The wife uses it as her main bathroom – leaving the Master Bath – for the husband.  But she was frustrated at the lack on storage and the aging fixtures. 

What Makes The Remodeled Bath Work Better:  I’ve listed, below, the features we added to make the same space work much, much better.

Bath tub to Shower:  Few adults take baths on a regular basis.  For daily use, a 30 x 60 shower – replacing the standard tub – is a much more useful option when space is limited.  Multiple shelves plus a soap dish keep the shower organized and shampoo and body wash at hand. 

Extended Countertop:  We extended the new Crema Marfil Marble countertop over the toilet.  This is often called a banjo countertop because of its shape.  It makes the bath both feel and function larger. 

Custom Vanity for Extra Storage:  For a few hundred dollars more, we custom specified the vanity for lots of additional storage.  The central door leaves space to access the plumbing and for cleaning supplies.  The side drawers are shallow and great for make-up items.  The bottom drawers are more than large enough to store extra towels.

35 Cubic Feet of Additional Storage – Recessed into the Adjacent Room:  The adjacent room wasn’t used much especially in the front corner adjacent to the bath.  So we stole some space from that room and recessed a 24” Deep, 30” wide Full height cabinet into the adjacent room.  Drawers on bottom act as dresser space and shelving above is more than adequate for additional clothes or for linens or other storage.  We placed a GFI outlet in the cabinet perfect for keeping the hairdryer and electric toothbrush recharger close at hand but out of sight. 

Lot’s of Energy-Efficient Light:  The sconces installed on a wall of mirrors feature warm-white fluorescent bulbs with instant-on and non-buzzing electronic ballasts.  At 18 watts each, they are the equivalent of 75 watt incandescent bulbs.  The light bounces off the mirror magnifying the brightness.  A medicine cabinet is recessed into the wall with its mirrored door flush with the surrounding wall mirrors.  A small stainless steel disk over the magnetic push latch provides unobtrusive instruction about how to open the door. 

A 2nd Medicine Cabinet:  We mounted a 2nd medicine cabinet on the adjacent wall.  By adjusting both doors, you can view your back to check your hair or clothing.  It, of course, also provides conveniently located storage for makeup and toiletries.

Luxury of Some Spa Features at a Small Price and with Water Efficiency in Mind:  We located a rain shower head on the ceiling.  It’s designed to provide a drenching light rain at reduced water flow.  A multi-function hand-held on a bar is mounted where you might normally find the main shower head.  It can be lowered  and set to massage your back while also using the overhead fixtures.  Both fixtures can be operated at the same time or separately and both temperature and flow can be set independently. 

Heater:  Rather than go to the expense of in-floor heat, we opted for an exhaust fan/heater/light combination.

Few Grout Lines:  We used 12” x 24” oversized tile for a clean look and fewer grout lines.  This client wanted a monochromatic, serene feel.  I might have used a darker grout in other circumstances to highlight the vertical feel of the tiles and to add a little definition.

Tactile Enjoyment:  We replace the hollow-core doors and brass doorknobs with a single recessed panel solid wood door that reflects the cabinetry and has a nice feel of solidity with greater sound-proofing.  We used stainless steel lever handles by Omnia.

We borrrowed 35 Cubic Feet of Storage From an Adjacent Room

Spa-Like Features Without the Expense

A Wall of Mirrors Adds Depth & Light - The Medicine Cabinet is Mounted Flush with the Mirrors

We Added Tactile Pleasures Like a Solid Wood Door & Stainless Door Levers

BEFORE The Remodel

Kitchen Remodeling for a Modest Colonial Part 2

This is the 2nd part of a series about how objectives and lifestyle can dramatically affect the configuration of the “right” remodel for the same house.  In the Part 1, we suggested a remodeling configuration for the same house that we’re looking at today.  But in Part 1, the house is owned by a young family that does a lot of entertaining of their extended family.  Today we’re looking at the identical modest 1933 Colonial. 
 
Goal:  Open Kitchen and Dining Area for 2 Adults.  The homeowner in this scenario is a professional couple that spends many of their weekends traveling.  They’ve lived in the home only 6 months and assume that they will be moving within 5 years due to one of their jobs.  They are not planning children in the foreseeable future.  They rarely entertain at home; instead they meet other couples for dinner or at the theatre.  Cooking tends to be simple fare and might only be heating up take-out — but they share the details of their day while they prepare and cleanup after dinner.  They want a place to spread out with two laptops.  They want to be comfortable and to be able to talk while one partner or the other cooks and cleans – jobs that they informally rotate.

Their wish-list is quite short including an expanded kitchen with good counter space, better storage and more modern appliances.  Also on their wish list is a 1st floor powder room.

Below are both the proposed and the existing floor plan.  The existing home it’s a quite modest home with a very small, inefficient kitchen cut off from both the dining room and kitchen.

Floor Plan After - Open Kitchen to Dining Room

BEFORE - Modest Colonial

Modest but Open Kitchen:  Our plan for this homeowner is limited to removing the wall between the existing kitchen and living room and expanding the kitchen into the combined area.  Because the homeowners do limited cooking and even less entertaining, we encouraged them to limit appliances to only those needed and to make space available for counter space and storage. 

A large island allows one partner to work at a laptop or just sit with a glass of wine while reviewing their day with the partner preparing food or cleaning up. 

Limit Costs:  We’ve recommended a number of steps to limit costs including limiting the appliances to a range, counter-depth refrigerator and dishwasher.  This couple doesn’t need separate wall ovens, a built-in refrigerator or multiple sinks.  We never even considered any solution other than staying within the existing footprint.  We’ve left the sink in-place and left the windows and doors in their current configuration.  The couple also decided to forego a 1st floor powder room. 

View 2 - Modest Kitchen Solution

This solution – while actually yielding a larger kitchen than the first configuration – is much less expensive and much more attuned to the needs of this couple than the first family.

Opening A Modest Kitchen to Outside Makes It Feel & Act Larger

I’m starting a follow-on series today about how objectives can radically change kitchen remodeling decisions.  A few days ago, I wrote about planning a kitchen remodel
In my experience, kitchen remodeling is about lifestyle more than about kitchen details.  Homeowners often focus too soon on the details such as what type of appliances or cabinets to buy and fail to concentrate on the lifestyle they want.

This series will take 3 classic home configurations from the 1920’s through the 1940’s – the age of the homes that I most often work on – and will investigate how dramatically the “right” configuration depends upon the homeowner’s living style and objectives.  After we’ve looked at objectives we’ll also look at how budget factors in.

Today we’ll look at a modest center-hall colonial built in 1933 in Bethesda, MD — a close-in suburb of Washington, DC.  And we’ll look at how the remodel would change for 3 different homeowners and with different budgets.  Today we’ll look at a young family that does a lot of entertaining of their extended family.  In a few days we’ll look at the needs of a professional couple that spends many of their weekends traveling.  And a few days after that, we’ll look at a professional couple with teenage children and that does more formal entertaining for work.

Goal:  Informal Extended Family Get-Togethers With Many Cooks and Seamless Indoor/Outdoor Connection. The homeowners in this scenario are a young couple with 2 small children.  They both come from close families that grew up in the area and both have married siblings with young children that live nearby.  Their home is the most centrally located.  As a result, they host informal extended family gatherings almost weekly.  There are often 6-10 children in attendance.  They want a home that’s bullet-proof, that’s as comfortable when it’s the 4 of them or when there are 20 extended family members visiting for the day.  They also anticipate living here indefinitely.  So the home needs to work as well when the children are teenagers as it does now. Their wish-list also includes a powder room on the first floor.  This couple also wants to limit their budget and want lots of outdoor space for games and gathering.

Below is the existing floor plan.  As I said, it’s a quite modest home with a very small, inefficient kitchen cut off from both the dining room and kitchen.  The entire home is cut-off from the outdoor – as is common with houses of this age.

BEFORE - 1930's Modest Colonial Floor Plan

AFTER - Modest Colonial Floor Plan

Here;s how we approached the house from the objectives of our first family:

Existing Footprint: To save money and to preserve outdoor play space we stayed within the existing footprint.  While it might feel small from today’s  standpoint, the greater openness, new circulation and new access to the outdoors lets the house live much larger than its square footage.

Create Foyer & Storage:  While our client didn’t emphasize the lack of a foyer, they definitely wanted a coat closet and a better sense of arrival.  By putting the powder room, coat closet and pantry at the front of the house, we created a new foyer area and separation of the arrival and living.

Open to Back: Across the back, are 4 door size openings of glass — 2 are doors and 2 are non-operable doors.  In the new dining area, we replaced a window with a new glass door, and we replaced a single smaller window with 2 larger windows that give good views to the back.  .

More Open Floor Plan: We also opened all the interior doorways to create a more open floor plan and longer views through the house.  By congregating the utilities up front, we got them out of the circulation path and allowed us to create much greater openness and circulation.

Small but Functional Kitchen: While the kitchen is small, it packs a lot into a small space and because it is open to the back, it feels and acts much larger.  The pantry — while also small — and full-height cabinet help isolate the powder room from the kitchen and provide a lot of very useful storage.

Patio or Deck in Back: A more extensive outdoor living area might be a phase 2 — but even with little additional landscaping the change in doors allows for multiple “garden” rooms in the back and side.  By putting a door off the new dining area and moving the door off the screen porch, we created a somewhat smaller and private courtyard framed by these 2 exterior walls.  This is in addition to the larger outdoor room off the back of the house.

Opening A Modest Kitchen to Outside Makes It Feel & Act Larger

View from Front of Living Room: Connected with Kitchen, Dining & Outside

View from Back of Kitchen to Front: Pantry, Coat Closet & Full Height Cab Create Alcove for Powder Room

We created abundant storage without appreciably making the room any smaller – in fact, the room actually feels larger!  The feeling of additional space comes from the rich detailing that adds a feeling of depth and from the additional light that’s bounced off the reflective wood work.

AFTER - 2 Walls of Build-In Storage in the Style of the Building

We built-in storage on two walls in a style that could have been original to the building.  It feels much more appropriate than the original bedroom, below (from the same viewpoint).

BEFORE Work Began

The drawers on the bottom are only one stack of clothing deep but provide abundant “dresser” space.  They take up only as much depth as the original radiator on one wall and are actually less deep than the armoire that was on the wall opposite the bed.  Closed shelving above is good for clothes as well as for hats and other accessories.  Each wall also contains a bit of display space to add interest and the ability to personalize the space.

Storage on Window Wall Takes Up No More Depth Than Radiator

Notice How The Blinds Reflect the Color of the Hallway

The wall opposite the bed has a spot for a small TV as well as 6 shallow drawers so jewelry and accessories don’t get lost in regular sized drawers.

We also paid attention to details.  In the image, above, notice how the color of the natural woven blinds picks up the deep reddish brown of the hallway (to the far left of the photo).  The reddish-brown helps make the sage green feel clean and crisp.  Notice the graceful curve of the “leg” of the cabinets while still retaining a toe kick so that dirt doesn’t get trapped beneath.  Notice how the curve of the leg is repeated in the curve of large drawer pulls.  The large pulls mean that you don’t need 2 hands to open a wide drawer.  Notice how the proportions of the built-in cabinets — the tall doors and vertical lines of the fluting — actually makes the tall ceilings both more dramatic and more personal.  Notice how the top of the radiator cover becomes the molding between the upper and lower cabinets.  Notice in the upper images how the lighter, reflective paint on the cabinets beside the window reflect additional light into the room.

Notice, below, the palette of a deep sage green on the wall and a lighter more greyed sage green on the wood work.  It’s a restful and sophisticated palette with the reddish brown of the blinds adding just a punch of color and texture.  And finally, notice in the final image the appealing  juxtaposition of textures in the aluminum perforated metal covering the radiator contrasting with the fluting contrasting with the smooth curve of the cabinet pulls and the semi-gloss finish of the paint.

Notice the Sophisticated Color Palette

The textures play against each other

My client reports that she wouldn’t change a thing!  She says it turned out even better than she expected — and she expected a lot.