Kitchen of the Week: Redo for a Family That Cooks Together
A designer works closely with homeowners to create an efficient layout for their kitchen
This family of four loves to cook together and entertain, but its cramped U-shaped kitchen wasn’t conducive to either. The space was cut off from other rooms in the house, hampering the way the family likes to entertain. And about half the kitchen’s square footage was wasted. So interior designer Jennifer Kowalski worked closely with the Seattle homeowners while strategizing on how to make the most of every inch. At the beginning of the design process, she spent several hours with her clients learning how they wanted the kitchen to function and taking inventory of everything they needed to use and store.
“We had lengthy discussions about how frequently they entertain, how often they’re cooking meals at home, how many people are in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up at the same time, and the different types of kitchen appliances and tools they use,” she says. “Identifying those key components helped us develop a floor plan and workflow that accommodated all their critical needs.” The pros at Potter Construction expertly executed the design.
“We had lengthy discussions about how frequently they entertain, how often they’re cooking meals at home, how many people are in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up at the same time, and the different types of kitchen appliances and tools they use,” she says. “Identifying those key components helped us develop a floor plan and workflow that accommodated all their critical needs.” The pros at Potter Construction expertly executed the design.
Before: The kitchen was U-shaped and cut off from the rest of the house. There was a lot more space to the right and in front of this work area. “The workspace only took up about half the square footage available in the kitchen,” Kowalski says. “It made it difficult for more than one person to work efficiently in the space. But more importantly, it left the cooks cut off from the rest of the family and their guests.”
In terms of style, the homeowners weren’t sure what they wanted, but they were absolutely sure what they didn’t want. “My favorite part about researching my clients’ needs and style was sifting through a collection of images they said they hated — these showed all the elements they knew they absolutely didn’t want,” Kowalski says. “Other than those images, they were open to all ideas, finishes and materials that I showed them. In a sense, they wanted a fresh start from the design team, to see what ideas we would propose.”
In terms of style, the homeowners weren’t sure what they wanted, but they were absolutely sure what they didn’t want. “My favorite part about researching my clients’ needs and style was sifting through a collection of images they said they hated — these showed all the elements they knew they absolutely didn’t want,” Kowalski says. “Other than those images, they were open to all ideas, finishes and materials that I showed them. In a sense, they wanted a fresh start from the design team, to see what ideas we would propose.”
After: The design team proposed a deep emerald green for the cabinetry, crisp white backsplash tiles and a warm walnut island. The transitional look is an updated take on Craftsman style. Nods to the historic look include the handcrafted island, the cabinet hardware, the apron-front sink, the oak floors and the tumbled backsplash tile with a handmade look. Updated touches include the sleek quartz countertops, the contemporary light fixtures, the elongated proportions of the backsplash subway tile, the commercial-kitchen-style faucet and the stainless steel vent hood.
This is the busy cooking corner of the kitchen. A range, double ovens and the sink are all within a few steps. The island provides extra counter space close by.
Cabinet color: Essex Green, Benjamin Moore; wall color: Brushed Aluminum, Benjamin Moore; countertops: Spectrum Quartz; backsplash tile: Origin Birch White, AKDO; hardware: Top Knobs; sink: Rohl, faucet: Grohe
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This is the busy cooking corner of the kitchen. A range, double ovens and the sink are all within a few steps. The island provides extra counter space close by.
Cabinet color: Essex Green, Benjamin Moore; wall color: Brushed Aluminum, Benjamin Moore; countertops: Spectrum Quartz; backsplash tile: Origin Birch White, AKDO; hardware: Top Knobs; sink: Rohl, faucet: Grohe
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Before: The red wall separated the kitchen from the dining room.
After: The red wall is gone, creating an open layout that’s much more conducive to the way the family likes to gather together and with guests.
A big part of the project was designing cabinetry that would maximize storage and keep things organized. For example, drawers have built-in inserts for storing tools, ingredients and other kitchen equipment.
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Special inserts make it easy to use and access this blind corner cabinet space near the range.
Long, deep drawers under the range provide additional storage for cookware. Also, this is Luna, a mini dachshund owned by a member of the design team. She likes to tag along for photo shoots.
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A handy drawer for herbs and spices is located next to the range.
Deep drawers in this zone store pots, pans and other cookware. Placing the ovens here kept them out of view from the dining room.
All of the food is stored on the far wall in pantry cabinets. Matching panel fronts camouflage the fridge, located on the right side of this storage wall. On the right side of the photo, a countertop cabinet nods to Craftsman kitchen style.
Heavy-duty pullouts make it easy to reach items stashed in the back of the pantry cabinets.
A panel front that looks like two cabinet doors disguises the appliance garage. Keeping the countertops clear of small appliances enhances the view of the kitchen from the dining room. The appliance garage has outlets inside.
This is another zoned spot that’s out of the cook’s way but close to the sink, pantry, fridge and island. Someone can work on baking projects here while others are prepping, cooking or cleaning. Or they can grab coffee here in the morning while someone else makes huevos rancheros and hash browns (coffeemaker not shown).
The double dishwashers are another feature worth noting — the homeowners requested them because they like to entertain so much. The dishwashers flank the sink. Like the refrigerator, they’re concealed by panel fronts that match the cabinetry.
This is another zoned spot that’s out of the cook’s way but close to the sink, pantry, fridge and island. Someone can work on baking projects here while others are prepping, cooking or cleaning. Or they can grab coffee here in the morning while someone else makes huevos rancheros and hash browns (coffeemaker not shown).
The double dishwashers are another feature worth noting — the homeowners requested them because they like to entertain so much. The dishwashers flank the sink. Like the refrigerator, they’re concealed by panel fronts that match the cabinetry.
Here’s a look at the new floor plan.
The homeowners began using the new kitchen before Halloween 2020 and it immediately became the hub of the household. While the family waits for entertaining to become safe again, the four of them are enjoying the new space together. They told the design team that the island was a great spot to carve jack–o’-lanterns and make Halloween costumes.
They also shared a partial list of everything they’d whipped up the during their first 10 days in their new kitchen. During that time they made pretzels, chicken stock, labneh, clotted cream, molasses cookies, numerous stir-fries, roasted chicken, seared beets, cucumber and pear salad, charred radicchio salad, steak au poivre, huevos rancheros, Bolognese sauce, pasta aglio e olio, biscuits and gravy, “real diner-style” hash browns, spinach and feta phyllo pastries, apple pie, roasted garlic, French onion soup, chicken noodle soup, ginger snaps, homemade hot salsa and chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
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The homeowners began using the new kitchen before Halloween 2020 and it immediately became the hub of the household. While the family waits for entertaining to become safe again, the four of them are enjoying the new space together. They told the design team that the island was a great spot to carve jack–o’-lanterns and make Halloween costumes.
They also shared a partial list of everything they’d whipped up the during their first 10 days in their new kitchen. During that time they made pretzels, chicken stock, labneh, clotted cream, molasses cookies, numerous stir-fries, roasted chicken, seared beets, cucumber and pear salad, charred radicchio salad, steak au poivre, huevos rancheros, Bolognese sauce, pasta aglio e olio, biscuits and gravy, “real diner-style” hash browns, spinach and feta phyllo pastries, apple pie, roasted garlic, French onion soup, chicken noodle soup, ginger snaps, homemade hot salsa and chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen of the Week
Who lives here: A couple and their two kids
Location: West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle
Size: 282 square feet (26 square meters)
Designer: Jennifer Kowalski of Six Walls
Construction: Potter Construction
“For a family of four that enjoys cooking most meals together we needed distinctive zones and plenty of room for each person to work comfortably,” Kowalski says. “To achieve this, we focused on designing an island that was expansive and uninterrupted.” The pros at Signature Custom Cabinetry crafted the walnut island, which measures about 9 by 4 feet. It houses a microwave drawer, trash and recycling bins, cutlery inserts, utensil organizers and deep drawers for nesting bowls and platters.
The island serves the zoned layout beautifully. One side is close to the ovens and stove, the center is close to the sink, and the other side houses the microwave drawer and is close to the fridge and pantry cabinets. This means someone can grab a drink or something to heat up in the microwave while staying out of the cooking and prep zones. They also can grab ingredients from the pantry cabinets and place them on the island. And one person can wash or put away dishes while others prep and cook.
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