Fewer Walls Give This Family More Space to Cook, Bake and Craft
A designer works with Massachusetts homeowners to create an open floor plan for their dining room, kitchen and mudroom
Dining Room
Before. The dining room table felt too large for the small dining room. A wall on the right divided the space from the home’s kitchen. While the open shelving was great for storage, it was almost too exposed, leaving the family without space to stash items that didn’t need to be on display. Plus, they wanted a safer space for their china collection.
Before. The dining room table felt too large for the small dining room. A wall on the right divided the space from the home’s kitchen. While the open shelving was great for storage, it was almost too exposed, leaving the family without space to stash items that didn’t need to be on display. Plus, they wanted a safer space for their china collection.
After. New built-in storage gives the family a more functional and beautiful dining room. “We tried to make it more purposeful,” Swartz says.
During the renovation, Swartz took down walls to reconfigure the home’s dining room, kitchen and mudroom. The wall changes allowed her to create deeper cabinets on each side of the window. The upper half of the new built-in cabinets has smaller drawers and glass-front cabinets that allow the family to display some of their china collection.
Swartz opted for two drawers on the top half, rather than one, because the family would benefit more from having small drawers to stash different craft supplies.
Table: Crate & Barrel; chairs: Carrington Court; browse dining room furniture
During the renovation, Swartz took down walls to reconfigure the home’s dining room, kitchen and mudroom. The wall changes allowed her to create deeper cabinets on each side of the window. The upper half of the new built-in cabinets has smaller drawers and glass-front cabinets that allow the family to display some of their china collection.
Swartz opted for two drawers on the top half, rather than one, because the family would benefit more from having small drawers to stash different craft supplies.
Table: Crate & Barrel; chairs: Carrington Court; browse dining room furniture
Color choices. The fresh coat of red paint gives the space a lot of warmth and is a good contrast against the neutral cabinets and floors. Earth tones in the backsplash, countertops and wood floors complement the paint color nicely, Swartz says.
With many of the existing walls now removed, including the wall where the peninsula is now, Swartz’s clients realized they had less space for wall art. They selected this richly colored painting to fill one of the few remaining walls.
Wall paint: Caliente, Benjamin Moore; light fixtures: Pottery Barn
With many of the existing walls now removed, including the wall where the peninsula is now, Swartz’s clients realized they had less space for wall art. They selected this richly colored painting to fill one of the few remaining walls.
Wall paint: Caliente, Benjamin Moore; light fixtures: Pottery Barn
Kitchen
Before. The previous kitchen space felt closed in. The walls around it also often left one member of the family alone in the kitchen while others were in the dining room. The cooktop was also off-center, the hood was oversize and the venting was odd, Swartz says.
Before. The previous kitchen space felt closed in. The walls around it also often left one member of the family alone in the kitchen while others were in the dining room. The cooktop was also off-center, the hood was oversize and the venting was odd, Swartz says.
After. Swartz’s clients originally wanted a completely open floor plan that involved moving a long radiator along the hall. They moved the radiator, which sat along the wall between the two columns, but Swartz persuaded her clients to build a half wall in its space. “I felt we needed it in order to keep this entrance colonial and still feeling cozy.”
Swartz also believes there’s such a thing as too much open space. “I think you need to have something to bring your eye up.”
Her clients were pleased with Swartz’s suggestion and love their open space. “They’re just so happy that when they walk in their front door they can see all the way through to their dining room,” she says.
Cabinets: Fabuwood Cabinetry
Swartz also believes there’s such a thing as too much open space. “I think you need to have something to bring your eye up.”
Her clients were pleased with Swartz’s suggestion and love their open space. “They’re just so happy that when they walk in their front door they can see all the way through to their dining room,” she says.
Cabinets: Fabuwood Cabinetry
Cabinetry. One of Swartz’s main challenges came from stock cabinetry, which she finds much more difficult to work with than custom and semi-custom cabinets. “They have such limitations,” she says. “Their catalogs are small. You get what you get and there aren’t a lot of modifications.”
Swartz says stock cabinetry takes away quite a bit of design freedom. For instance, one can change the depth of the cabinetry but not the widths or the size of the doors. “You have to design to the catalog, whereas when you work with semi-custom cabinetry you just design,” she says.
Small space addition. Swartz added a bookshelf next to the wall when a third seat at the breakfast bar felt a little too cramped.
Swartz says stock cabinetry takes away quite a bit of design freedom. For instance, one can change the depth of the cabinetry but not the widths or the size of the doors. “You have to design to the catalog, whereas when you work with semi-custom cabinetry you just design,” she says.
Small space addition. Swartz added a bookshelf next to the wall when a third seat at the breakfast bar felt a little too cramped.
Microwave. Throughout the design process, Swartz and her clients tried to find a better place for the microwave than the oven hood. However, between space and financial constraints, the hood ended up being the best spot. Swartz wasn’t discouraged by its placement though, and got creative.
“Many times the microwave is the only thing that sticks out,” she says. “But I just built the cabinet out as well and gave it a little crown detail.”
Light fixture: Pottery Barn; tile backsplash: Alexandria Tiles
“Many times the microwave is the only thing that sticks out,” she says. “But I just built the cabinet out as well and gave it a little crown detail.”
Light fixture: Pottery Barn; tile backsplash: Alexandria Tiles
Mudroom
One of the greatest surprises for the family was their new mudroom.
The previous space was extremely narrow, unheated and didn’t feel like part of the home. Swartz winterized the space and opened it up by removing three unnecessary doors that led from the kitchen to the garage, and then to the driveway.
Originally Swartz had planned to include tall cabinets that could serve as a mini pantry. However, after listening to the family’s needs, Swartz determined having a surface for a radio, a charging station, mail and keys would be more useful.
Magnetic chalkboard: Chemetal
One of the greatest surprises for the family was their new mudroom.
The previous space was extremely narrow, unheated and didn’t feel like part of the home. Swartz winterized the space and opened it up by removing three unnecessary doors that led from the kitchen to the garage, and then to the driveway.
Originally Swartz had planned to include tall cabinets that could serve as a mini pantry. However, after listening to the family’s needs, Swartz determined having a surface for a radio, a charging station, mail and keys would be more useful.
Magnetic chalkboard: Chemetal
Welcoming entrance. The family’s main entrance to the home is through the mudroom, so Swartz wanted to clean up the space and make it more welcoming.
The bench, shelves and hooks allow the family to quickly store items from their day without having them spill into the kitchen, where they used to drop their shoes and backpacks.
“It’s a catchall space,” Swartz says. “This truly helped define a much more comfortable way to enter their home.”
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The bench, shelves and hooks allow the family to quickly store items from their day without having them spill into the kitchen, where they used to drop their shoes and backpacks.
“It’s a catchall space,” Swartz says. “This truly helped define a much more comfortable way to enter their home.”
More
Read more kitchen stories
Find a kitchen designer near you
Browse kitchen and dining products
Kitchen, Dining Room and Mudroom at a Glance
Location: Needham, Massachusetts
Size: 385 square feet (36 square meters)
Designer: Jodi Swartz, founder of Kitchen Visions
Designer Jodi Swartz’s clients — busy working parents and their two young daughters — wanted more space to spend time together. They are also avid bakers and crafters, and they needed a kitchen and dining room that allowed them to spread out their latest project.
With extended family nearby, the Needham, Massachusetts, homeowners also wanted an open floor plan that felt welcoming and conducive to large get-togethers. To get the open floor plan, Swartz brought down a few walls to make space for a dining room, kitchen and mudroom.