The owners of this central city home wanted an updated kitchen with more storage and better flow to the adjacent dining and living spaces. They also wanted access to the backyard without the disruption of exiting through the kitchen. Lastly, the clients wanted to expand their utility room.

The kitchen was completely renovated with new maple cabinetry, soapstone countertops and a travertine backsplash with mosaic glass tile accents. To free up space for additional prep space and storage inside the kitchen, a door leading to the backyard was relocated to the dining room and the space of a hall closet was claimed. New storage includes deep base cabinet drawers, a beverage center and pull out trays in the expanded pantry. A new window matching the existing was added for improved natural lighting. Additional lighting was provided by new pendants and recessed lights, all on dimmers. The opening to the dining room was widened to get a stronger connection to the dining room, and a porcelain tile floor complements the natural materials used throughout the room.

The dining room was brightened with new recessed and pendant lighting. The new doors to the back yard provide a stronger connection and bring in much-needed natural light into the both the dining and living rooms. A pocket door with translucent glazing provides separation between the dining room and adjacent utility room, yet allows the spaces to share natural light when closed.

A new laundry/utility room with storage cabinets, cubbies, a bench and a washer/dryer compartment was built out of the existing utility room combined with a new, small addition at the rear of the house. Some years back, part of the original 1953 carport had been walled-in to create a storage room with washer and dryer connections, leaving a low slung roof and concrete slab. At the time, the slab was framed in with a wood floor to bring it up to the level of the house. In the renovation--to properly connect the room to the house--the old wood floor was removed and a new reinforced concrete pad was poured on top of the existing slab, at the same time that the slab for the addition was added. The ceiling and roof of the existing room were then reframed in tandem with the addition to integrate the space with the existing structure.

While removing the original parquet floors in preparation for installing the new hickory floors in the living and dining rooms, it was discovered that water was seeping through the slab due to drainage problems in the backyard. The old flooring and its glue was removed and the slab was scarified and floated with a thin layer of floor leveler, to allow the moister prevention product to adhere. In the backyard--under the direction of a landscape installer--drainage problems were addressed, including swales created to redirect runoff water.

More space: in the end, this was the ultimate goal for these homeowners. With the renovations and addition to their home, not only did they meet their goal by maximizing their storage, but were additionally rewarded with a beautiful new kitchen with public access to the outdoors and a new laundry/utility room. Most importantly, they now have a refreshed, updated home with openness and flow.