Open Floor Plan Kitchen

Objectives:
Open floor plan for a modern family lifestyle, ample room for casual family dining with a view to the backyard and easy access to the adjacent screened porch. Consideration for the client’s desired appliances which included a pro-style range, large refrigeration and double ovens. And at the center of it all a large kitchen island for all things living, working and entertaining!

Solutions:
Remove a large portion of the wall to open the kitchen to the family room for improved flow. Using about 8″ of the family room, some cabinetry was able to be recessed into what appeared to be a thicker wall adding importance to the opening. This in turn allowed a wider walking space between the island and the wall.

Designer’s Overview:
The client was moving across town, and leaving a home that had an open floor plan which they loved. As parents of very active young children and a desire for more space; the clients found a beautiful home in a quiet cul-de-sac with more square footage. Unfortunately, the kitchen was cut off from the rest of the home which was designed by the previous Owner. This was a design element that wouldn’t work for the new family’s lifestyle.

The first hurdle was to remove a high quality kitchen and find solutions with a modern and open footprint. The wish list included island seating for five, a casual dining space for the family for every day, and ample refrigeration and storage space. Also, at the top of the list, the client desired a way to be involved with the children daily while in the kitchen, as well as, the ability to entertain in a casual free-flowing way. 

As a design-build company specializing in home renovation we work on many projects that have serviceable high-quality materials that need to be removed. In this case the kitchen cabinets, countertops and appliances were donated. The client was then able to help a charitable cause and everything was repurposed without waste. Even some of the existing flooring was salvaged for a parent who wanted to create some beautiful woodwork from the hickory. 

Many of the first round design concepts made the space for the dinette; however, it was clear that something would have to give. One early concept had a small addition that would help maintain the space required for the family to comfortably dine without squeezing in and an addition was added to the plans. This seemed like the best approach to maintain the symmetry in the kitchen and family room. The range’s backsplash with brass inlay quickly became the focal point for the new space. As well it kept the sightline between the family room and kitchen intact.