A Renovated Kitchen for Gathering

Project Details

Project Description

This new kitchen renovation improves circulation and takes advantage of views of the expansive semi-rural site. Although large, the existing kitchen, set against a small back window, with the typical sink centered below, did not function well. The existing, unwelcoming U shape layout obstructed the flow of the first floor. The homeowners desired a kitchen that would serve as a gathering space for family and friends and connect well to the other areas of the house. The solution involved a complete rearrangement of much of the first floor. The new galley kitchen opens up to a large bank of windows with views to the yard while a grand island promotes a cross flow connection to the adjacent family room. The redesign also includes the addition of a small office, bar and fully functioning laundry and mudroom. The new first floor layout reinvigorates the everyday usability of the home, while also redefining the relationships of the kitchen to the more formal spaces within the home. The twelve foot by five foot kitchen island is the perfect place for intimate family gatherings as well as more formal entertaining that effortlessly transitions into the formal dining room. The bright new kitchen with its coffered ceiling is a stark contrast to the existing kitchen with its oppressive ceiling bulkheads and outdated finishes. The space is both simultaneously intimate and vast; the corner breakfast nook provides a space for family meals, while the newly connected first floor provides a backdrop for entertaining. The new kitchen is truly a space for gathering, be it formal or informal, large or small; this renovation anchors the kitchen in the home and in turn the home within its site.