Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: Bright and Open in 142 Square Feet
A designer removes a wall for better flow and adds a peninsula, countertops, cabinets and natural light
Five doors and a badly placed window made this homeowner’s former kitchen feel confusing, dark and cut off from the main living areas of her Dutch Colonial home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In search of a brighter, more functional and open space, she tapped Susan Amrhein of Rochman Design-Build.
Amrhein removed a wall to open things up and bring in more light from an adjacent dining room, and added a peninsula to gain countertop and storage space, as well as room for casual dining. She then eliminated a window and a redundant opening to a hallway to add wall space for even more cabinets and countertops. Crisp white walls, cabinets and counters keep things bright, while a refinished wood floor and other wood touches add warmth.
Amrhein removed a wall to open things up and bring in more light from an adjacent dining room, and added a peninsula to gain countertop and storage space, as well as room for casual dining. She then eliminated a window and a redundant opening to a hallway to add wall space for even more cabinets and countertops. Crisp white walls, cabinets and counters keep things bright, while a refinished wood floor and other wood touches add warmth.
Before Photo
After: Amrhein removed the wall and added a peninsula in its place, creating openness between the kitchen and dining area. “She wanted an open layout where she could see all the spaces in her home,” Amrhein says. “People can sit at the peninsula and hang out but stay out of her workspace.”
The openness also allows the two spaces to share natural light. A fresh white color scheme enhances that light. “She wanted bright and crisp,” Amrhein says. “This gave her a blank palette, so she could add color with furniture and accessories.”
Refinished red oak flooring and light-wood details on the open shelving to the right of the fridge and on the range hood add some hits of warmth.
Cabinets: Crystal Cabinets; paint colors: Simply White (cabinets and walls) and Ceiling White (ceiling), Benjamin Moore
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The openness also allows the two spaces to share natural light. A fresh white color scheme enhances that light. “She wanted bright and crisp,” Amrhein says. “This gave her a blank palette, so she could add color with furniture and accessories.”
Refinished red oak flooring and light-wood details on the open shelving to the right of the fridge and on the range hood add some hits of warmth.
Cabinets: Crystal Cabinets; paint colors: Simply White (cabinets and walls) and Ceiling White (ceiling), Benjamin Moore
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Statuario Fiora marble-look quartz forms the countertops and slab backsplash. “This quartz has a white base with bluish-green veining,” Amrhein says. “Quartz is a good material because it’s durable and easy to maintain.”
Pendant lights with white conical shades hang over the peninsula. “They add a little bit of interest, a place for your eye to land,” Amrhein says. “They of course also give you some good task lighting for the counter.”
The pendants join dimmable recessed LED ceiling lights and a pair of burnished brass sconces over the sink for a layered lighting scheme. The brass sconces, stainless steel appliances, polished nickel faucet, white bronze cabinet hardware and rusted iron finish on the pendants create a mixed-metals look.
The door in the back left corner leads to the basement. Amrhein filled in a window on the back wall near the doorway to extend countertop and cabinet space. She also filled in a redundant opening to a hallway on the right side to create more cabinet space. The new fridge stands in what was the location of the hallway opening.
Pendants: Limoges in natural rusted iron, Visual Comfort; sink:
Whitehaven, Kohler; faucet: East linear pull-down in polished nickel, Newport Brass
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Pendant lights with white conical shades hang over the peninsula. “They add a little bit of interest, a place for your eye to land,” Amrhein says. “They of course also give you some good task lighting for the counter.”
The pendants join dimmable recessed LED ceiling lights and a pair of burnished brass sconces over the sink for a layered lighting scheme. The brass sconces, stainless steel appliances, polished nickel faucet, white bronze cabinet hardware and rusted iron finish on the pendants create a mixed-metals look.
The door in the back left corner leads to the basement. Amrhein filled in a window on the back wall near the doorway to extend countertop and cabinet space. She also filled in a redundant opening to a hallway on the right side to create more cabinet space. The new fridge stands in what was the location of the hallway opening.
Pendants: Limoges in natural rusted iron, Visual Comfort; sink:
Whitehaven, Kohler; faucet: East linear pull-down in polished nickel, Newport Brass
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The former range sat on the wall that Amrhein took down. After enclosing the redundant opening to a hallway, she moved the location of the range next to the fridge.
A new standard-depth, 30-inch, five-burner gas range with convection gives the homeowner plenty of cooking flexibility without taking up too much space. “She chose this 30-inch range for its power, but space was at a premium and a larger range was not a possibility,” Amrhein says.
Shiplap on the custom range hood adds visual texture, while a band of maple trim gives some warmth at eye level.
Shiplap on the custom range hood adds visual texture, while a band of maple trim gives some warmth at eye level.
A maple-lined open cabinet also adds warmth and ties back to the range hood detail.
Before Photo
Before: This photo shows the kitchen side of the wall that separated the space from the dining room. The range sat dangerously close to the opening between the two rooms.
The opening on the left, to the right of the fridge, was the redundant hallway doorway. The skinny closet door led to a small broom closet.
The opening on the left, to the right of the fridge, was the redundant hallway doorway. The skinny closet door led to a small broom closet.
After: With the wall removed and the peninsula in its place, the kitchen now enjoys an open connection to the dining area. “By opening that up, it allowed all that natural light to go between the spaces,” Amrhein says.
The hardworking peninsula contains six wide drawers and two shallow drawers. “This was absolutely about adding storage, improving function and giving her good workspace,” Amrhein says.
The peninsula also holds a 24-inch stainless steel microwave drawer, keeping the countertops free of clutter. The finish coordinates with the white bronze cabinet hardware. “It’s just a softer finish that mixes with the metal finishes in this kitchen,” Amrhein says. “It’s a bit more of an eclectic look.”
The peninsula also holds a 24-inch stainless steel microwave drawer, keeping the countertops free of clutter. The finish coordinates with the white bronze cabinet hardware. “It’s just a softer finish that mixes with the metal finishes in this kitchen,” Amrhein says. “It’s a bit more of an eclectic look.”
The new layout created better flow between spaces, including the homes’ front entry, seen here in the back left corner. “It’s such a more enjoyable place to cook and hang out,” Amrhein says. “It’s the jewel in the house now.”
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More on Houzz
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Get more kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A homeowner who works in the medical industry, plus her golden retriever
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Size: 142 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Susan Amrhein of Rochman Design-Build
Before: The wall shown here separated the dining room, in the foreground, from the kitchen. The aging white fridge stuck out into the kitchen. And in addition to the slim doorway seen here, there was a door to the basement staircase, a doorway to the home’s front entry, a doorway to a hallway and a door to a broom closet, all of which chopped up the cabinet and countertop arrangement.
“It was a circulation space, as opposed to a destination,” Amrhein says. “It had lots of nonfunctional space and lacked good counter space.”