Kitchen of the Week: Fewer Walls and More Space for Family Time
Practicality meets style in this South Carolina kitchen adorned with subtle nods to its coastal locale
This South Carolina family found their dream house 14 years ago. The only problem? The cramped kitchen was not conducive to cooking, entertaining or spending time together as a family. “They want this to be their forever home,” designer Heidi Huddleston says. “A place they can grow old together and where the kids will come back one day with their own children.” The house worked in all areas, except the kitchen. The tight quarters and old appliances made it hard for the mom to whip up specialty meals such as the family favorite Frogmore stew, a low country classic.
AFTER: To solve this, Huddleston knocked down a wall to connect the heart of the home with an adjacent living room, added a cheery island where the whole brood could congregate during and after meals, and covered almost every inch of wall area with hardworking cabinetry to create the ideal space for cooking and gathering.
To save on costs, the designer kept the original heart pine floors and window as anchors and then brought out keepsakes the homeowner had, such as a sisal rug and a sweetgrass basket, to warm the living space. Huddleston drew from the landscape to incorporate nautical touches that play well with the timeless, crisp backdrop.
The brass creates a cohesive thread with the rest of the house, where the family shows off collected and inherited antiques. Details such as glass, curves and stunning pendant lights add a loveliness the client yearned to see in her new kitchen. “We wanted everything to be subtle,” Huddleston says. “We didn’t want anything that hits you over the head.”
Fixtures: E.F. Chapman Darlana light, Circa Lighting, available on Houzz
To save on costs, the designer kept the original heart pine floors and window as anchors and then brought out keepsakes the homeowner had, such as a sisal rug and a sweetgrass basket, to warm the living space. Huddleston drew from the landscape to incorporate nautical touches that play well with the timeless, crisp backdrop.
The brass creates a cohesive thread with the rest of the house, where the family shows off collected and inherited antiques. Details such as glass, curves and stunning pendant lights add a loveliness the client yearned to see in her new kitchen. “We wanted everything to be subtle,” Huddleston says. “We didn’t want anything that hits you over the head.”
Fixtures: E.F. Chapman Darlana light, Circa Lighting, available on Houzz
“We talked a lot about efficiency,” Huddleston says. “And we wanted there to be a good flow.” The first order of business was opening up the space. The designer and family went back and forth on whether to knock down the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room, but the client finally accepted the idea of having an area where the family would spend quality time together. “I won’t push my clients to do anything they don’t want to do,” she says. “It ultimately has to work for them.”
At first, the homeowners worried that the 8-foot island would get in the way, but it has become a focal point of the home, providing extra storage and space for the kids to do homework.
Huddleston reconfigured the position of major appliances to optimize the flow for cooking and placed them farther from the living room so guests wouldn’t be interrupted by noises in the kitchen, such as the sound of ice dropping. They chose free-standing, stainless steel appliances over built-in models to lower expenses.
Huddleston created a layout that would be comfortable for the home chef with plenty of zones to keep tools within reach. She replaced the pantry under the stairs with long cabinets — which play up the tall ceilings — and deep, 36-inch drawers, where everything from spices to cookware could be neatly stashed. “I’m a huge advocate of drawers,” Huddleston says.
Huddleston reconfigured the position of major appliances to optimize the flow for cooking and placed them farther from the living room so guests wouldn’t be interrupted by noises in the kitchen, such as the sound of ice dropping. They chose free-standing, stainless steel appliances over built-in models to lower expenses.
Huddleston created a layout that would be comfortable for the home chef with plenty of zones to keep tools within reach. She replaced the pantry under the stairs with long cabinets — which play up the tall ceilings — and deep, 36-inch drawers, where everything from spices to cookware could be neatly stashed. “I’m a huge advocate of drawers,” Huddleston says.
Pro tip: Adding furniture-style feet to the corners of an island ensures that it looks homey, not commercial, while elements such as brass provide a lived-in feel.
“The homeowner likes the idea of mixing metals,” Huddleston says. “She wasn’t looking for a completely homogenized look.” Brass and stainless steel play off each other nicely and fit in with other passed-down pieces throughout the house. “Because she has antiques in other parts of the home, to have everything look the same would have looked foreign and new,” Huddleston says.
Wall paint: Muslin, Sherwin-Williams; cabinet paint: Pure White, Sherwin-Williams; island paint: Loyal Blue, Sherwin-Williams; hardware: Atlas Browning
“The homeowner likes the idea of mixing metals,” Huddleston says. “She wasn’t looking for a completely homogenized look.” Brass and stainless steel play off each other nicely and fit in with other passed-down pieces throughout the house. “Because she has antiques in other parts of the home, to have everything look the same would have looked foreign and new,” Huddleston says.
Wall paint: Muslin, Sherwin-Williams; cabinet paint: Pure White, Sherwin-Williams; island paint: Loyal Blue, Sherwin-Williams; hardware: Atlas Browning
Pro tip: Design a space that works for your needs. “She really uses everything, so we made sure to add cabinets next to the sink, range and on either side of the fridge,” Huddleston says. This allows the cook to place things where they are most convenient.
Countertops: quartz in Michelangelo, Polarstone; cabinets: custom, beaded inset with Shaker doors; drawers: custom, dovetailed with undermount soft-close slides
Countertops: quartz in Michelangelo, Polarstone; cabinets: custom, beaded inset with Shaker doors; drawers: custom, dovetailed with undermount soft-close slides
Pro tip: Dovetailed drawers are strong enough to hold everyday dishes in a place that is easy for kids to access, so they can help set the table and put away the dishes.
Pro tip: A pullout storage rack holds overflow pantry goods. You could also use it as a designated spot for baking supplies or things that need to be accessed every day.
Pro tip: Some elements of the room should be functional and decorative. The homeowner loves to collect china but didn’t have a good spot to showcase her treasures in the old kitchen. Huddleston commissioned a custom mullion, where the Canton patterns shine, as well as glass cabinetry near the ceiling to show off some of the family’s prized possessions. “To her, china is art,” Huddleston says. “We wanted to show it off as such.”
Pro tip: Quartz countertops resemble some of the qualities of marble but are easier to maintain. They chose a white surface with subtle veining, which keeps the surfaces from looking cold or sterile.
Pro tip: If you plan to replace the sink, keep it in the same location to avoid extra plumbing expenses.
The client opted for a deep, farm-style sink (handy for cleaning up after big meals) in white fireclay to blend in with the rest of the room.
The herringbone backsplash is a nod to the family name and provides a personal twist on subway tiling.
Sink: Shaws apron-front fireclay farmhouse sink, Rohl; faucet: Cassidy pull-down bar, Delta; backsplash: Urban Canvas 3-by-10-inch tiles in Ice White, installed in herringbone pattern, American Olean
The client opted for a deep, farm-style sink (handy for cleaning up after big meals) in white fireclay to blend in with the rest of the room.
The herringbone backsplash is a nod to the family name and provides a personal twist on subway tiling.
Sink: Shaws apron-front fireclay farmhouse sink, Rohl; faucet: Cassidy pull-down bar, Delta; backsplash: Urban Canvas 3-by-10-inch tiles in Ice White, installed in herringbone pattern, American Olean
Pro tip: For family homes, Huddleston recommends not putting the microwave over the range. “It’s one of the first things we teach kids in the kitchen — how to reheat food or make the popcorn for movie night,” she says. “We don’t want little ones reaching over ranges.” Instead, she designed a drawer into the island where the microwave could be stored at a kid-friendly height and next to the dishes.
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
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More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Browse more Kitchens of the Week
More Houzz Resources
Find a kitchen designer
Shop kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 188 square feet (17.5 square meters)
Designer: Heidi Huddleston of Delicious Kitchens & Interiors
BEFORE: The 119-square-foot space offered little space to prep or move around. Although the peninsula helped with some of the problem, it was small and narrow, which meant there wasn’t much room or incentive to linger. The kitchen was blocked off from other rooms, isolating whoever was cooking, especially when entertaining during big University of North Carolina basketball games.