In order to create our ideal kitchen, we tore down walls and added 300 square feet

Our 1922 craftsman home had a small, utilitarian kitchen, typical of its era, separate from the entertaining space. Since we love to entertain and our kitchen could barely fit two people, we spent 1.5 years planning and 6 months in construction to combine the kitchen and dining room and add space at the back of the house. The result is a large, open kitchen and dining area, and I’m very happy with how it turned out.
We tore down walls and added 300 square feet to create our ideal kitchen.
We tore down walls and added 300 square feet to create our ideal kitchen. (5)


We tore down walls and added 300 square feet to create our ideal kitchen. (3)

11 Likes

Just one critique. I would replace the microwave base with the sink base. It is preferable to have a window next a sink. It’s ideal to have the microwave next to the cooktop or oven. Beautiful otherwise!

9 Likes

@Hudson The dishwasher would therefore have to awkwardly open into the sink’s space or be weirdly far away from it because there wouldn’t be enough room for it. Also leaves very little place for dirty dishes and a drying rack.

7 Likes

How did you go about choosing your architect? To what extent did you previously know you desired the particular style and design?

7 Likes

@Jason We interviewed 4 or 5 architects and knew the general style we wanted going in. We considered timeline (how soon could they start vs other projects), portfolio (how well does their style match ours), and price (how much do they charge) in that order. We knew the basic layout we wanted and I knew I wanted to pick all the finishes. We ended up with some small floorplan changes based on the architect’s recommendations (e.g. when the architect visited our house he immediately had an idea for how to move an awkwardly placed powder room into the new space without a big change in the floorplan). The architect was also very helpful in terms of providing 3D renderings to show fixtures, finishes, and layout to inform decision making. I kept a Houzz ideabook with photos of design ideas I liked with notes on what specifically I liked in the photos and shared it with the architect. It was a good collaboration - we had an idea and strong design preferences, the architect helped put those ideas together and helped with all the administrative stuff (permits, selecting contractors, working with structural engineers etc)

7 Likes

I’m obsessed with lacanche! What was the duration of its arrival?

7 Likes

@Jordan fifteen months! Before we had engaged a contractor or finished the floor plan, we had to place the order.

4 Likes

Which countertops are these? Looks fantastic

6 Likes

@Keller We chose quartz because we needed our counters to be resilient to a variety of harsh uses, such as hot pots and pans, bench scrapers, and wine spills. From PentalQuartz (formerly Architectural Surfaces), this is Luce Cascade.

6 Likes

@Gordon Regards. Right now, I’m selecting counters, and it feels overwhelming. Using quartz as well

6 Likes

I adore the attention to light and flow in this; it’s fantastic. Simply put, really well done, with meticulous attention to detail and practical kitchen use.

The choice to have a huge range and a comparatively tiny fridge/freezer intrigues me. What kind of culinary habits do you have?

7 Likes

@Kristen The refrigerator measures 36". If there had been a workable arrangement, I would have gone larger, but I was unable to think of a way to achieve it without eliminating windows or creating an awkward work triangle. The bigger range made sense for us because we also host huge holidays when there are a lot of foods to warm and we constantly need extra area for cooking and warming.

5 Likes

Lovely, well done! I adore the bar!

5 Likes

Daring decisions that are expertly executed. The lighting over your dining table is very lovely. Beautiful!

3 Likes

Very lovely, congrats

3 Likes

It’s really lovely! Excellent work.

I would adore seeing some “before” photos.

2 Likes

Beautiful pendant lights hang over the island.

1 Like

I’m so smitten with the window seat/nook!