A Small Kitchen With a Big Feel
If you're reading this from a home in New England, then you know that most of the area's homes built before the 1970s are on the small side. Little Capes with charm for days but no closet space, elegant Victorians with architectural detail to spare but choppy, segmented floor plans, or classic center-hall Colonials with narrow staircases and low ceilings. But, despite their square-footage limitations, the homes are always in high demand for the character and quality they bring. This means that over the years, we've become pretty good at working within the spacial constraints of old New England architecture and creating rooms and design that maximize every spare inch. This next home is a perfect example. It's a small kitchen that feels far grander than its square footage would let on, thanks to smart design, an efficient layout, and high-end finishes.
To make the most of the narrow kitchen design we redesigned the layout, positioning the ovens and refrigerator on the left-hand wall, creating a U-shaped space.
The family wanted a breakfast bar-style island, but a standard-sized version would have made navigating around it difficult. Instead, we created a custom version that is about half the width of most kitchen islands, with a countertop overhang that allowed stools to tuck underneath.
Visually, we made the space as bright and airy as possible, which meant all-white cabinetry, plus marble counters and backsplash. For the rear entrance, we chose a windowed-door to allow more light into the room.
The efficient design went down to the details. To create an uncluttered feel, outlets were hidden underneath cabinetry instead of being installed on the walls.
Watch out for more on this home in an upcoming blog post! We also created an entryway and built in for the family that any space-starved New Englander would appreciate!