Kitchen of the Week: New Addition Brightens Up a Dark Space
A designer expands a house to better accommodate a family of six with cozy cottage style
This Seattle-area family enjoyed daily casual meals and cooking together. But as the family grew to six, the kitchen seemed to be bursting at the seams. So the homeowners hired interior designer Harmony Weihs to figure out how to enlarge their kitchen, update other spaces and improve the flow throughout their home. Weihs proposed an addition that would double the size of the kitchen and extend the dining room a few feet to accommodate more family members when they gather.
Beyond the space planning, she helped the owners balance the light-filled kitchen they craved with the cozy cottage feel they love. Within the mostly white palette, she added copper accents, a large blue range, a limestone plaster vent hood, wood beams and honed countertops to create a more casual, European-inspired vibe in the room.
Beyond the space planning, she helped the owners balance the light-filled kitchen they craved with the cozy cottage feel they love. Within the mostly white palette, she added copper accents, a large blue range, a limestone plaster vent hood, wood beams and honed countertops to create a more casual, European-inspired vibe in the room.
After: The family needed a very large island for working and dining, so Weihs split it into two sections. The exterior wall in the previous photo used to be about where the natural stone counter meets the wood kitchen table portion of the island. Everything beyond that line is part of the addition.
“I chose to split up the island because it has all the function of a very large island with a cozier feel,” Weihs says. “It kept the work part separate from the eating area and I was able to break up the materials. The kitchen table portion provides casual seating that is more comfortable than sitting at a counter, and it feels cozier.”
Weihs designed the table to seat the whole family. The white oak and turned legs add coziness to the bright room. She used a waterfall counter that extends the island’s quartzite countertop to meet the top of the table. “We used a honed surface because they wanted a less formal feel in here,” Weihs says.
Browse dining chairs in the Houzz Shop
“I chose to split up the island because it has all the function of a very large island with a cozier feel,” Weihs says. “It kept the work part separate from the eating area and I was able to break up the materials. The kitchen table portion provides casual seating that is more comfortable than sitting at a counter, and it feels cozier.”
Weihs designed the table to seat the whole family. The white oak and turned legs add coziness to the bright room. She used a waterfall counter that extends the island’s quartzite countertop to meet the top of the table. “We used a honed surface because they wanted a less formal feel in here,” Weihs says.
Browse dining chairs in the Houzz Shop
Weihs used a zoned layout for the kitchen. The area created by the addition, located across the back, is the work zone. It contains the fridge to the left, the sink and dishwashers in the center and the range to the right. Weihs placed and outfitted all the storage to accommodate this layout.
The windows on either end of the new bank of windows are operable casement-style.
The windows on either end of the new bank of windows are operable casement-style.
The room’s design balances the light and airy feel the homeowners wanted for the kitchen with the overall cozy cottage feel they wanted for their house. “We had to keep it light and bright because of the relatively low 8-foot ceilings,” Weihs says.
The 2½-by-10-inch subway tiles on the walls have very subtle variations of white and cream tones. The designer composed them in a vertical grid, which draws the eye up. “I picked tiles with subtle variations in tone intentionally because I wanted to make the view of the trees the focal point,” Weihs says. “Also, I brought the backsplash tile all the way up the walls. There’s no cutoff to stop the eye from being drawn upward.” The high placement of the sconces also draws the eye up.
For the cozy part within all this white, the designer used copper finishes. She also chose pendant lights with an aged vintage look. “I wanted the lighting to be eclectic and rustic, with more character to it,” she says.
Backsplash tile: Bedrosians Tile and Stone
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The 2½-by-10-inch subway tiles on the walls have very subtle variations of white and cream tones. The designer composed them in a vertical grid, which draws the eye up. “I picked tiles with subtle variations in tone intentionally because I wanted to make the view of the trees the focal point,” Weihs says. “Also, I brought the backsplash tile all the way up the walls. There’s no cutoff to stop the eye from being drawn upward.” The high placement of the sconces also draws the eye up.
For the cozy part within all this white, the designer used copper finishes. She also chose pendant lights with an aged vintage look. “I wanted the lighting to be eclectic and rustic, with more character to it,” she says.
Backsplash tile: Bedrosians Tile and Stone
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Island plan: The new island has a stone work portion and a wood kitchen table portion. The work side measures 6 by 7 feet and contains lots of storage on three sides, including a cabinet with slats for cookie sheets and cutting boards. The side that faces the sink also contains microwave and steam oven drawers. The kitchen table portion measures 4 by 7 feet.
This family loves to bake, so Weihs set up a baking station next to the fridge. “Some members of the family have allergies, including to gluten, so my client needed ample space for various flours she uses for baking,” Weihs says. Deep drawers and open shelves accommodate baking ingredients and tools, and there’s a designated spot for the stand mixer on the countertop.
With six people in the immediate family and lots of extended family who live nearby and often gather for meals, two dishwashers were needed. They have panel fronts and are located next to the sink. The family also needed a generous amount of refrigerator and freezer room. The panel-front, standalone units are from SubZero. The fridge is 36 inches wide and the freezer is 30 inches wide.
The countertops are 2½ inches thick, twice that of a standard counter. This look was achieved by using mitered edges. “This made them more substantial, with a higher-end look,” Weihs says.
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With six people in the immediate family and lots of extended family who live nearby and often gather for meals, two dishwashers were needed. They have panel fronts and are located next to the sink. The family also needed a generous amount of refrigerator and freezer room. The panel-front, standalone units are from SubZero. The fridge is 36 inches wide and the freezer is 30 inches wide.
The countertops are 2½ inches thick, twice that of a standard counter. This look was achieved by using mitered edges. “This made them more substantial, with a higher-end look,” Weihs says.
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Weihs designed an alcove for the 48-inch range, which is a rich navy blue by BlueStar. She also designed the range hood and specified a custom limestone plaster finish. “This added a nice little subtle texture to it,” Weihs says. “Because my clients cook a lot, we used a porcelain slab on the wall behind the range for easy cleanup.” The alcove also has a pot filler and a shelf with a custom copper rail to hold bottles in place and to play off the copper on the range.
The cabinet to the left of the range is a pullout for spices, oils and utensils. The side of the island that faces the range contains deep drawers for pots and pans.
The window to the left of the range flips up to serve as a pass-through window to the new deck. The deck was completed during a later phase of construction.
The cabinet to the left of the range is a pullout for spices, oils and utensils. The side of the island that faces the range contains deep drawers for pots and pans.
The window to the left of the range flips up to serve as a pass-through window to the new deck. The deck was completed during a later phase of construction.
This is the cozier side of the kitchen, designed for gathering. The cabinetry along the wall over here is painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Grizzle Gray. “This is a warm gray with green undertones,” Weihs says.
The large cabinet on the right is a pantry. “I thought about them coming in from the garage with groceries and making it easy to unload,” Weihs says. “They can set the bags on the island, which is close to the pantry and the fridge.”
The new flooring in the house is engineered white oak hardwood. Weihs chose engineered hardwood because the planks’ 8-inch width was the right scale for the large room. “When it comes to engineered hardwoods, I really like to use Eurocraft Hardwood Floors,” she says. “These floors are made domestically. They have a high-end look with very minimal joints. This is important because joints can become crumb catchers.”
The large cabinet on the right is a pantry. “I thought about them coming in from the garage with groceries and making it easy to unload,” Weihs says. “They can set the bags on the island, which is close to the pantry and the fridge.”
The new flooring in the house is engineered white oak hardwood. Weihs chose engineered hardwood because the planks’ 8-inch width was the right scale for the large room. “When it comes to engineered hardwoods, I really like to use Eurocraft Hardwood Floors,” she says. “These floors are made domestically. They have a high-end look with very minimal joints. This is important because joints can become crumb catchers.”
Before: The entrance to the dining room at the back of this photo will help with orientation when looking at the next one. The homeowners wanted a stronger connection between the kitchen and other spaces. This was especially important between the kitchen and dining room because of the large family gatherings.
After: The homeowners wanted the dining room to feel more open and less formal. Weihs added faux beams to create an 11-foot opening between the kitchen and dining room. She added a matching opening across the room between the kitchen and family room.
A small portion of the addition extended the dining room space 3½ feet into the backyard, seen here on the left. “My clients love to eat together and to gather with extended family,” Weihs says. “Having a space for a larger table in the dining room and the new kitchen table allows them to seat everyone. Having that large opening makes these seating areas feel connected.”
The remodel also allowed Weihs to bring more light and views of the surrounding trees into the space. Three new large doors stack together on the left to create a long opening to the new deck. There weren’t any windows along the wall to the right, so Weihs added three, each of which is 3 by 5 feet. Juniper Forest wallpaper by Rifle Paper plays off the foliage seen through the windows. Paired with the wainscoting, it adds a cozy feel.
The remodel also allowed Weihs to bring more light and views of the surrounding trees into the space. Three new large doors stack together on the left to create a long opening to the new deck. There weren’t any windows along the wall to the right, so Weihs added three, each of which is 3 by 5 feet. Juniper Forest wallpaper by Rifle Paper plays off the foliage seen through the windows. Paired with the wainscoting, it adds a cozy feel.
To serve the kitchen, family room and dining room, Weihs repurposed the area where the fridge, ovens and kitchen desk had been into a stylish bar. “This is a good spot for coffee or to set up appetizers and a self-serve cocktail bar when they are entertaining,” she says.
The bar includes a beverage fridge, sink, ice maker, storage and open shelving. This makes it easy for guests to get their morning brews going without having to rummage around in cabinets looking for coffee cups. It’s also easy to open wine and other drinks here to serve the dining room.
Weihs ran the backsplash tile from the countertop to the ceiling, elevating the look of the bar area. While the painted cabinetry makes the bar stand out from the rest of the kitchen, the copper hardware, sconces and countertops tie the spaces together.
Hardware: Steampunk polished copper cylindrical handles, Richelieu Hardware; both kitchen faucets: Brizo
The bar includes a beverage fridge, sink, ice maker, storage and open shelving. This makes it easy for guests to get their morning brews going without having to rummage around in cabinets looking for coffee cups. It’s also easy to open wine and other drinks here to serve the dining room.
Weihs ran the backsplash tile from the countertop to the ceiling, elevating the look of the bar area. While the painted cabinetry makes the bar stand out from the rest of the kitchen, the copper hardware, sconces and countertops tie the spaces together.
Hardware: Steampunk polished copper cylindrical handles, Richelieu Hardware; both kitchen faucets: Brizo
“Before” floor plan: The existing kitchen is at the bottom center of the plan, with the dining room to the left.
“After” floor plan: The red line denotes the start of the addition. The new 11-foot-wide opening to the family room is on the top right side of the kitchen. This wasn’t photographed because the new family room furniture hadn’t arrived by photo shoot day.
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See more of this project
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their four children
Location: Issaquah, Washington
Size: 480 square feet (45 square meters)
Designer: Harmony Weihs of Design Harmony
Contractor: Remont Construction
Before: Because their family had grown to six people, this existing setup was no longer working for the homeowners. The kitchen measured 242 square feet. “It was also quite dark with all the wood on wood on wood,” Weihs says. “They wanted more light and views to the outdoors.”
When comparing this photo with the next one, it’s important to note that the addition pushed the room out 12 feet beyond the back wall, approximately to the edge of the deck.
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