What a Difference No Wall Makes

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1 What a Difference No Wall Makes Before North View After West View Most new construction kitchens are being designed with open floor plans, but what do you do if you don t have a new home? This was the case for homeowners, Suzy and Paul Daruwala, whose top priority in their kitchen renovation was to give a more open feel to their main living space. Suzy works from home and has three kids so they were also very interested in maximizing utility. Like all projects, the Daruwala project started with an intensive interview with the clients. Multiple design options were presented for consideration and the one selected was the most ambitious because it involved removing the home s main support.

2 Structural Changes Before Showing Pass-thru to Family Room After Showing No Wall between Kitchen and Family Room The structural changes were the first step in creating the open floor plan desired. A new header was required to widen the doorway into the dining area (rear left). This turned out to be more challenging than expected when the wall was opened. There was a drain pipe from the second floor blocking where the header needed to be placed and duct work in 4 bays in the section of the wall that was to be opened up into the dining area. A plan to re-route the plumbing and HVAC was quickly created and implemented so that the open design could be maintained. In addition, a new beam was necessary so

3 that the wall to the family room could be completely removed. An engineered beam was chosen instead of steel to minimize the cost impact to the customer. Appliance Placement Before Showing Refrigerator, Counter Microwave and Stove (Sink off right) After Showing Built-In Microwave, Stove, Refrigerator and Sink Shifting the appliances and pantry allowed for a more functional use of the space. The expertly installed angled range anchors the kitchen. This also gave more prep space and better traffic flow. There is now a much larger block of uninterrupted counter space to the left of the stove and the raised

4 peninsula cabinets make this area feel more open. The underside of the peninsula cabinets was finished to perfect the view for those seated in the dining area. Moving the refrigerator eliminated the bottleneck any time anyone needed something from the fridge and using an island instead of a peninsula allowed for access into the kitchen from both sides. Island Island Kitchen View Island Family Room View The placement of the sink and the island was the topic of many conversations in the design phase. In some of the early designs the sink was in the corner. While this worked very well both aesthetically and functionally, this was not a good solution for the Daruwala family. Suzy expressed during the process

5 how important keeping communication channels open with her children was to her. She wanted to be able to prep in the kitchen while being fully engaged with her children. The kids can now sit at the counter to do homework or just talk about their day as mom gets dinner ready. The two-level island with its raised Avanza sapri counter camouflages the prep area while allowing Suzy to interact freely with her kids or her guests. Arts Center Hutch Smart Storage for Art Supplies

6 Making sure everything has its place was also a priority for the Daruwalas. Their two 6 year-old daughters love to create masterpieces and it was imperative that there be an accessible place to store their many arts and crafts supplies. This hutch piece was created specifically for that purpose in a previously underutilized place in the kitchen. The upper 9 cabinets were furnished with glass doors for a more decorative feel. The lower 12 base cabinets provide both ample storage and additional counter workspace for budding young artists to create. Double Duty Dining Area Close-Up View of Decorative Dining Piece/Home Office Storage Unit

7 Wall-to-Wall View of Decorative Dining Piece/Home Office Storage Unit The wall-to-wall custom hutch and cabinets in the dining area beautify the space with floor to ceiling storage. You might expect to find china and linens behind the Dover doors, but you ll find a few surprises as well. A workstation at the center of the piece puts everything within reach. The bottom drawers open to reveal file cabinets for important papers and there s even a slide out tray for a concealed printer. Spice drawers add a charming yet practical touch and are perfect for small office supplies. Design Elements

8 Warm Wood Tones and Cool Stainless Tied-in with Custom Tile Work Transitional styles and finishes were selected throughout starting with a reversed raised panel door with wide stile and rail design. The lighting was selected for both form and function. There were recessed lights put in for general lighting, under-cabinet lights for additional task lighting, and the stainless pendants as a design accent. Stainless sink, faucet, appliances and cabinet hardware continued the transitional tone of the kitchen. The contrasting Java island added drama and echoed the Java used in the dining room. A custom mixed stain was applied to the white oak hard wood flooring and was used throughout the first floor to unify the color palette for the main living space.