Kitchen Remodeling

Thank you for continuing to take the time that you have to visit our Kitchens Showroom.

Mouse over image, or click on image to see a larger picture

"I hate my kitchen, it stinks and I don't mean that it smells. It is too small, we entertain a lot, we have a beautiful big back yard with an in ground pool and when we have any amount of people over we have to dine in the front of the house in the formal dining room and I'm not a formal cook. There is a nice screened porch, off of the kitchen eating area, but that is only useful when it's nice outside. I have to go through the dining room, the front foyer, and the formal living room just to get to the family room, which is where everyone goes after dinner. This is a great location and a beautiful lot, my husband has 2 putting greens here but the lay out to get to anything, or to be near your guests is pathetic. When the kids come in from the pool they have to walk through the rest of the house to get to the bathroom just like it is when you are trying to get to the family room. I can't be in the kitchen and see my kids and their friends when they're in the pool. I can't be near our guests because they can't fit into the kitchen if there is more than one person in here. This floor plan is horrendous! That is not to mention that I have no place to sit and organize our life, lay out a grocery list, or work on a calendar. I think that buying this house based upon the lot, and the location, although it is very nice, was a huge mistake. It doesn't work on so many levels in the areas that we live in the most. By the way, let me ask you as a design expert, are blue painted cabinets and having half of your food storage pantry in the basement the latest design rage"?

This home is an extensively remodeled version of what was once the servant's quarters of an executive estate that was sub-divided. It indeed is in a beautiful north shore location, at the end of a private road, leading to only four other houses. All of the homeowner's points are salient and valid. In what was intended to resemble an executive quality dwelling the kitchen was clearly forgotten in the plan.

All of the space to meet the owners desires existed within the existing foot print of the home, an addition was not required, just a sensitive recycling of the current spaces was necessary. The pervious kitchen was a small galley that was accessible from one side only. It had a nominal pass through opening over the sink that afforded views to the informal dining area only. Traffic patterns as previously described were as poor as they were represented. It was clear that this project would transcend a typical kitchen-remodeling project and the typical costs of such as numerous issues required creative solutions.

The screened porch was slab on grade construction separated from the informal eating area by a wall consisting of patio doors. The adjoining walls were the original exteriors of the house. The logical approach was to convert this area into the dining area, as it was expansive, closest to the pool and deck area, and by removing the wall that was the original exterior wall it would allow the shortest distance to the family room. The demising wall between the existing kitchen and the living room was also removed creating access from the old kitchen location to lead directly into the aisle for the family room. The door opening to the bathroom was inverted from it previous location to the opposite wall to provide access in a considerably closer proximity to the pool area. A wet closet was also added where the oven area existed.

The entire kitchen was expanded by 5 times its original size and moved to the east side of the house. The existing east window in the dining area was converted into a large bay with expansive views to the pool and the back yard, the screened porch was recycled into the dining area with energy efficient windows, in floor heating, air conditioning ducts, hydronic baseboard heating, (a boiler heated home), with ceramic tile and new exterior doors. Columns separate the dining area where the wall was removed to the new traffic area to the family room.

Semi-custom Cherry cabinetry was selected and installed along with all new built-in appliances. Maple flooring is installed in the kitchen, planning area, and new hall. A liberal bank of pantry area, (7 feet), eliminates the basement storage requirement for storage. The new kitchen has a planning desk that is located where the old refrigerator used to be located and is wired for DSL, phone, and cable. Speakers for a sound system are built-in.

The counters are granite, including a breakfast bar area. In the kitchen proper, heating is provided by fan forced baseboard hydronic heaters located in the cabinetry toe kicks, and the tile floor in the dining area has in floor radiant electric heat installed on a programmable thermostat.

The culmination of this project provides an entertainment friendly environment, optimized views to the complete exterior, an arrangement that enhances traffic flow and accessibility for the owner, their family, and guests, and a renewed appreciation of their "new home".

View More Projects
Kitchens Project 1 - Kitchens Project 2 - Kitchens Project 3 - Kitchens Project 4 - Kitchens Project 5 - Kitchens Project 6 - Kitchens Project 7