• 1980 home in Centerville, VA with closed loop dated kitchen.
• Problems: lot of bulkhead
• Poor lighting
• Dysfunctional lay-out with a long peninsula
• Difficult traffic pattern
• Dated oak cabinetry, limited storage, sheet vinyl ( olive green floor), 2’x4’ florescent
• Light fixture
Goals:
The customer wanted to recreate an updated kitchen with much better traffic pattern, to be able to get around and allow more than one person work in the kitchen.
Much lighter cabinetry and counters, better lighting and more storage space for better utilizing this kitchen.
Design solutions:
• Eliminating the peninsula.
• Replace with a large island with seating for four persons.
• Bringing plumbing for prep. Sink in island (this act allows a second person to work side by side with main cook).
• Eliminating a closet space and use space behind it to be added to the kitchen. This action allows the pantry and fridge with bigger depths to be relocated on south wall.
• Eliminating the bulkhead (by the way of relocating overhead pipes for upstairs bathroom into the ceiling joists). This act allows us to use taller cabinetry with a decorative crown molding.
• Replacing the dividing railing between the breakfast area and family room with a shallow display cabinets and granite countertop, simply to have a complimenting look as well as offered added storage.
• Replacing older vinyl floors with a wide plank exotic Brazilian walnut hardwood by creating a continuous path on the entire first floor.
Challenges:
• Moving the structural wall to make room for taller appliances and pantry to be out of sight.
• Relocating duct work and upstairs bathroom pipes into ceiling joists to allow more storage and eliminating bulkheads.
Creative Ideas:
• Use of widespread recess lighting with three zones and use of task lighting has made this new kitchen a lot brighter than before.