J&J Contractors
The homeowners loved their home’s location, but not the home itself. They desired a more modern kitchen, with an open concept design that was geared towards entertaining, and had grown tired of the 1990s builder-grade materials used throughout their kitchen. The desire to change the focal point of their kitchen to give themselves the opportunity to take in the view while they cooked and entertained, was a driving force in their new kitchen layout.
To achieve their desired open concept feel between their living and kitchen space a wall was removed between the two rooms. This allowed the spaces to feel like one large room, versus the two previous separate spaces. In order to change the room’s focal point, towards the outside space as they desired, a new wall was built in the opposite direction. The placement of this wall also allowed for the addition of a storage panty that they didn’t previously have space for. This change in direction of flow also allowed for the shifting in the design of their laundry room and moving the access closer to the existing garage entryway, creating a more functional design for their everyday life.
The clients love to cook and entertain but disliked the previous layout because they felt removed from the people and joy of entertaining. They were looking for a kitchen design that not only opened up the space, but also allowed them to enjoy the views outside of their home rather than looking at the wall.
To satisfy these desires, an oversized island was placed facing towards the exterior wall of the home. The island was intentionally made large enough that there would be ample space for the chef of the home to not only prep and cook food, but also have plenty of counter and seating space to entertain guests while they cook. No longer are they closeted off during a party, but right in the heart of the entertainment. Beautiful pendant lighting was added over the island to provide needed task lighting while also softening the ambiance of the area. Beautiful matching quartz countertops were installed on both the island and throughout the kitchen. Stacked semi-custom cabinetry was installed that provides plenty of accessible storage for the chef of this home. The floor to ceiling design not only provides an aesthetic focal point, but the placement of the appliances makes accessibility during cooking a breeze for these homeowners.
Given the location and additional functionality of the large cooktop island, the obstacle arose of how do you ensure proper ventilation for the cooktop while also leaving the sightlines open? A self-storing downdraft with a button press release, three fan settings, and dimmable lights was the answer to this question! This allowed the cooktop to maintain full functionality while also not hindering the open concept feel and views of the homeowners while they are cooking and entertaining in their kitchen.
In keeping with the open concept design of the two rooms, along with the removal of the wall, the carpeting was removed from the living room as well as the vinyl tile by the front entry. New hardwood oak flooring was installed throughout the first floor and finished with a custom, two coat stain mix that would allow for the natural variation in the wood to show through. This flooring added a level of visual interest as it seamlessly carries the eye throughout the spaces, ensuring that they feel like one room instead of two distinct rooms.
With the shift in the layout and focal point of the kitchen, this provided the homeowner’s the opportunity to not only update their laundry room cosmetically, to make it cohesively flow with the rest of their first floor, but also to address layout and the functionality issues of the space itself. To make the space more user friendly, and flow with how they use it every day, the laundry room sink’s location was moved to the opposite side of the wall. While the room previously had existing access into the first floor through both sides of the room, the less used doorway was framed in and removed. This left the main entryway located closer to the garage access, pantry, and hallway area that the homeowner uses most often.
New cabinetry was installed in the laundry room to keep the cohesive feel of the first floor, and an additional row of storage was added as well, to help the homeowner hide and store their everyday items.
With the change in the kitchen’s layout and it’s a shift to more open concept design, the sink and cabinet sections were shifted further into the kitchen prep space to create a more symmetrical and balanced area between the wall cabinets, large island and back floor to ceiling cabinets.
Functionality and design marry well in this kitchen. The addition of cabinet drawer stacks not only provide more storage space for the homeowners but also visually balance the lower cabinet space. The addition of open shelves provide a place for the homeowner to display their personality while also making use of otherwise dead space.
Previously, the area near the sink was bare and uninspired, and the homeowners were adamant that their new design should rectify this issue. In answer to this, a new backsplash was installed that continues the neutral color palette throughout this small area, and the herringbone pattern provides a focal point steeped in repetition and rhythm.
These homeowners were stuck with a home that no longer met their taste and style, but a location that they didn’t want to leave. They were in search of an open-concept, modern designed kitchen that combined functionality and design in a way that was easy to entertain in and took advantage of the views that their home offered. By removing walls, adding storage, and updating the layout of the kitchen and living room they were able to have it all! By marrying design details such as open shelves, pendant lighting, and glass cabinets with the change in room layout the homeowners now not only have a kitchen that reflects their style but also is perfect for entertaining.
