As Seen in Home & Design Magazine’s January and Arlington Magazine’s March 2024 Issues
When our client inherited his parent’s 1967 Colonial home in a great neighborhood, he and his wife wanted to respect the history of the home but needed a larger, more updated, and functional kitchen. The original home was a typical traditional floor plan with den, formal dining and living room and small eat-in kitchen on the main level. The parents had added a large “sunroom” addition on the back of the home in the 1980s. With ample living space in the den and sunroom, the formal living room was never used. The solution for this family was to move the formal dining furniture to the living room space and re-repurpose the formal dining room… joining it with the adjacent kitchen space to create a more spacious and modern kitchen.
Client Needs:
- The kitchen needs to be the heart of the home; client does a lot of entertaining
- Correct the flow and circulation in and around the kitchen; spaces were cut off from one another
- Kitchen needs to be highly functional as clients make all meals from scratch and are avid bakers
BEFORE: This 1967 Colonial had a very traditional floorplan:
Den • Formal Living Room (never used) • Formal Dining Room • Eat-In Kitchen • A large 1980s sunroom addition on the rear of the house (not shown in this drawing)
AFTER: Den remains intact but doorway to kitchen made larger to improve circulation • Formal Living Room (never used) is repurposed to become dining room; doorway widened for better circulation • Formal Dining Room is combined with original kitchen footprint to create larger, more functional kitchen • Eat-In Kitchen absorbed into new kitchen
BEFORE: Former Kitchen was small and dated. There were four small entry doors in and out of this space, making the room feel closed off and not integrated with the rest of the living space. Entertaining in this kitchen was a significant challenge.
AFTER: Kitchen is updated, spacious and full of functionality for entertaining. The walls between the former kitchen and former dining room have been removed to create a larger kitchen. The use of a lighter color palate makes the space brighter and more inviting.
BEFORE: Before dining room was used for entertaining but it was closed off from the other spaces making circulation challenging and the aesthetic unappealing. Access to the sunroom addition was through a series of doors. Note: different flooring in every space also made the space feel disjointed.
AFTER: By combining the dining room space with the kitchen space, we were able to create significantly better circulation for entertaining and more spacious access to the sunroom addition. Consistent use of hardwood flooring in the new kitchen space creates a sense of unity. All hardwood flooring, old and new, were stained in a pleasing Silver Gray.
AFTER: Utilizing the former dining room space in the new kitchen footprint allow for this Entertainment Zone housing ample storage space and a beverage center. The large countertop is the perfect serving area for entertaining.
AFTER: We made the opening to the former living room (now dining room) wider to increase circulation. The new kitchen storage and beverage area is a great bridge between the kitchen food prep area, the new dining room and the sunroom addition… tying all the entertainment space together seamlessly. Like the consistent use of the hardwood flooring, we used the same Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray wall paint color throughout the space for a cohesive look.
AFTER: Casual seating space at the island allows guests to visit with the cook during food prep. The seating area’s proximity to the dining room and eat-in kitchen space offers additional seating for both informal and formal events.
BEFORE: The former laundry area was in the kitchen footprint and made the space feel even smaller and disjointed. So, we moved the laundry equipment upstairs to an existing closet space outside the bedrooms. This photo also shows the small doorways to the den and entry hall; impeding circulation. See how these two doorways were modified to improve circulation on the next slide.
AFTER: By moving the laundry equipment upstairs, we were able to reclaim that space for the refrigerator, double ovens and additional storage. Note: we made the doorway to the den and new dining room wider to improve circulation. In addition, we removed the two small swinging doors from the hallway entry (left of fridge)… making a significant impact.
BEFORE
AFTER: Views of the kitchen from the sunroom demonstrate how the kitchen expansion and renovation significantly improves circulation in the home… especially for entertaining.
BEFORE: The former eat-in kitchen was small and cramped, hardly able to accommodate a table and chairs. The former exterior door also made the space look dated.
AFTER: By creating a custom banquette (built by our craftsman on site), the eat-in area is more spacious and sized appropriately for the room. A dog bowl niche keeps doggy’s food and water accessible while preventing a tripping hazard with the bowls in a walk-way. We also changed the exterior door to this space to a more attractive door while allowing lots of light into the room. Removing all the heavy window treatments also helped extend the view into the beautiful backyard and pool area.
AFTER – Lighting: Task, accent (all on dimmers) and under-counter lighting… allow for customized levels of lighting depending on the desired setting. In addition to the recessed lights, bright task lighting on the vent hood offers precise illumination to the cooking surface. Fiess’ Thayer pendant lighting in antique gold adds accent light and traditional warmth to the design. The no glass design reduces the need for constant cleaning. A new kitchen window installed above the sink allows for more natural light in the space.
AFTER: Quartz countertops in Calcatta Monaco are practical (heat and stain resistant) and beautiful. The round edges are a nod the traditional aspects of the home. Oskar 1-1/4 Inch Mushroom Cabinet Knobs in Warm Brass continue the pattern of warm gold accents. This photo also provides a good view of how removing the doors from the hallway and creating a cased opening made a significant impact to circulation.
AFTER: A mix of GE Monogram and Café appliances in Stainless Steel provide the right level of food prep and storage acumen to the kitchen: Monogram 36″ Statement Collection Gas Range with six burners and WiFi Dynamic Oven • Monogram, 30″ Built-In Single Oven Statement Series, True European Convection with LCD Touchscreen and Precision Cooking Modes • GE Monogram 30″ Built-In Advantium Speedcook Oven • GE Cafe Refrigerator, Full Depth, 36″ 4-Doors • Zephyr Pro Collection Titan Island Mount Range Hood with 6-Speed 750 CFM Internal PowerWave™ Blower
AFTER: In the Kitchen Entertainment Zone (storage and beverage area); we used the same five panel flat cabinet doors as the prep area but painted them in an interesting dark gray to create an interesting contrast. Crown moulding and arched toekick on the anchoring cabinets gives this cabinetry a custom furniture-like quality. Mother Of Pearl Oyster White Herringbone Tile, backsplash is effervescent and reflects the under-counter lighting for a dramatic effect… especially in the evening.
BEFORE: “beverage” fridge was in the garage.
AFTER: Two beverage 24” built-in refrigerators not only encourage guests to stay out of the kitchen prep area, but their presence had freed up space in the garage where a second overflow refrigerator resided for beverages.
Loads of new storage increase the utility of the kitchen. No wasted space.
Storage cabinets on the back side of the island
Storage cabinets around all the appliances
Storage drawers in the custom banquette
Entertainment Zone is filled with storage space
From every angle, this renovated kitchen has improved the functionality, aesthetics, livability, circulation, and usability of the home.
During photos demonstrate thoughtful, detailed design and quality construction.
Bearing wall with ductwork to be removed between original DR and kitchen
Bearing wall removed, floor system with temporary shoring for future flush bean install
New flush beam installed to allow a larger kitchen ceiling/footprint
Plumbing from laundry equipment and mechanical systems relocated
New ductwork under new job-built banquette will exit through toe kick
Framing for new rear window over kitchen sink
Plumbing and ductwork modified/relocated for new window placement
Waiting for window delivery, but work continues to achieve on-time project completion
Preparing to create larger opening from kitchen to den
New header installed to support wider opening
Client Needs Met:
- Made the larger kitchen the heart of the home and created a more entertainment friendly environment
- Corrected the flow and circulation to and from the kitchen; eliminating small doorways and choke points
- Kitchen is now highly functional to aid in our client’s passion to make all meals from scratch, bake to their hearts content, and entertain with ease
Conclusion:
- Clients Needs Met
- Overcame structural & mechanical challenges
- Improved the functionality, aesthetics, livability and usability of the space
Award Winning Remodelers in Northern Virginia – Bowers Design Build has specialized in providing the best overall experience in the remodeling industry since 1990. Bowers Design Build specializes in Northern Virginia Remodeling and Northern Virginia Custom Homes. Our numerous industry remodeling awards have been great, but the true measure of our success has been high marks in overall customer satisfaction
Service areas: McLean, Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Oakton, Great Falls, Alexandria, Fairfax County and Middleburg.
Specializing in: Northern Virginia New Custom Homes, Northern Virginia Whole House Renovations, Northern Virginia Kitchen Renovations, Northern Virginia Master Bathroom Renovations, Northern Virginia Interior Renovations, Northern Virginia Basement Renovations, Renovations for Aging-in-Place and Northern Virginia Outdoor Living Spaces.
