Before	After








Additional Images

Project Description

The client had lived in the home for the past six years. The house was built in the 1920's and had a lot of "olde world" charm. Although the kitchen was somewhat updated years earlier, it was poorly done and did not mimic the style of the home. Our client tolerated the kitchen by purchasing new appliances, but knew the kitchen would need a full scale makeover not too far in the future.

The kitchen layout was very un-functional and cluttered. There was poor traffic flow and the work triangle was very inefficient. They wanted a larger island for cooking preparation and desired an open space between the dining room and hallway areas.

Enter the Design Team: The interiors were outdated and unchanged since the original construction. Two bearing walls needed to be removed and supported to allow the space to be opened up into the adjacent areas. We were instructed to utilize the existing appliances and design a kitchen that had great flow, efficient workspaces, excellent lighting and blended in with the rest of the architecture. During design meetings with the owner, we identified these additional details and modifications that they were interested in incorporating into the new project:

Project Objectives:

Design a space that was consistent with the period of the 1920's home.
Improve the lighting, flow and functionality of the space.
Maintain symmetry and balance with the new construction, blending in with the existing architecture.
Open up adjacent walls to provide a clear line of sight from kitchen to dining room to entry foyer.
Have lots of open space and create a warm and cozy atmosphere with specialty lighting.

Design Challenges:

Construction while the family lived in the house.
Renovate kitchen around existing appliances.
All walls are load bearing with conventional framing of the 1920's.
Footers in the crawlspace are inadequate for point loads to support the 2nd floor.
16" on center ceiling joists were a challenge for the new HVAC ductwork, recessed cans and plumbing.
2nd floor bathroom waste and supply lines were notched into the ceiling joists weakening the floor system.
The beautiful hardwood floors were in the dining room and hallway needed to be protected during the construction.
Sub standard electrical, plumbing and HVAC work was performed in the previous renovation on the kitchen before our client moved in.
Construction to be completed before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Design Solutions:

We removed the structural walls and in-set beams to support the 2nd floor loads.
We constructed soft arches between the dining room and adjacent hall to add character to the flow of space.
We introduced recessed cans in the ceiling, in the upper cabinets, as well as undercabinet lighting to bring more light into the kitchen.
We weaved in new hardwood flooring with the existing to continue the charm of the existing home into the kitchen.

Project Summary:
One of the primary objectives of the design was to create a comfortable, spacious flow from room to room, focusing on the clients desire to keep with the charm and warmth of the existing house. The removal of bearing walls and introduction of soft arches established the open space floor plan. A desire for beauty, as well as function was emphasized.

Our design solution, as illustrated in the following pages, represents this kitchen remodel with added living space. For clarity, we have provided a BEFORE Floor Plan and REMODELED Floor Plan detailing the construction work performed on the existing structure.

In addition, we have pictorially represented this project with "before" photo's adjacent to all of the "remodeled" photo's on all of the major views of this spectacular kitchen space transformation. Enjoy!