Welcome back after that strange holiday week. I don’t know
about all of you, but having the 4thof July on a Tuesday made
all forms of normalcy go out the window last week. And this week isn’t much
better for me as I’m heading back to Iowa to see family on Wednesday and
spending an entire week where time moves at a gentler pace. I’ll still be
working while I’m home, but it’s always nice to get away from the grind of the
city for a bit. I would say it’s nice to escape the Texas heat, but it looks
like Iowa has plenty of that instore for us while we’re back
#getittogetheriowa!!!!! Before heading back I wanted to check in to share a new
project that I’ve been working on for the past several months. We are actually
almost finished with the construction aspects, and I’m starting to work on the
furniture plan, so most this project won’t be shared in real time like I
typically do.
A little background- the homeowners wanted to renovate their
kitchen, put in new flooring on the first floor, update the fixtures in their powder bath, and purchase new living and
dining room furniture. To get started, they wanted my help with the kitchen design so that it stayed true to their more traditional home, while still feeling modern and current (aka transitional design). The kitchen certainly wasn’t bad to start with, but it
did not function as well as it could be and the homeowners wanted a cleaner,
more updated look. The general layout of the kitchen has remained intact, but
we knew we wanted to make a few key changes that would improve the overall aesthetic
and function of the space, starting with taking the cabinetry to the ceiling. As
you can see in their original kitchen there was a small awkward space between
the upper cabinets and the ceiling that is really only good for collecting dust. By
taking them to the ceiling you do add some additional storage space, but truly it's more of visual thing as it adds height to the room.
The next thing we decided early on to eliminate was the built-in
desk. There is already a dedicated office in the home, so the desk was a waste
of valuable kitchen real estate. This multi-generational family does a lot of
cooking and everyone was onboard with clearing a few of their appliances off
the counters as long as they were still accessible. In place of this desk will
be base cabinets and instead of a traditional upper cabinet with backsplash
below, we decided to sit the cabinet on the countertop with electrical outlets inside
so that several small appliances could easily be pulled out for use and tucked
back in for storage. Additional adjustable shelves inside will be the perfect
spot for less frequently used kitchen gadgets.
An early visit from the contractor determined that the pillars on either side of the opening of the kitchen are structural and the cost to remove them was not worth the
minimal difference to the overall look of the space. Once that was crossed off
as an option, I suggested doing away with the two-level countertop for one larger counter with an overhang to allow for stools
to be pulled up on the other side.
The last big decision to be made was in regards to the
island, which was small and oddly shaped. The homeowners used it some, but I felt like for the size of the kitchen it really didn’t work and
was in the way of a fully functioning work triangle. While my clients were
nervous about whether they would miss having the island, I encouraged them to
try it without as we could always have an island built or add a moveable one if
they wanted it back in the space. Without jumping too far ahead, I will
say we all agree, hands down, removing the island made the space feel so much larger and
instantly improved the traffic flow. Plus, they’re gaining more countertop
space now that many of their appliances will be tucked neatly away in the cabinet
where the desk is. I know EVERYONE loves an island, but not every kitchen is
meant to have one. If you feel like yours is chopping up your space and the
flow, get rid of it!!
Next week I’ll share more of the design details- renderings,
cabinet style + finish, countertops, backsplash, hardware, flooring, and the plan for built-in banquet seating in the adjoining breakfast nook.
Be sure to check back on Facebook tomorrow for a big announcement on a giveaway
I’m hosting. You won’t want to miss it!!!!
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