Kitchen of the Week
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: New Layout in a Classic Wood-and-Green Style
A design duo expands a couple’s kitchen to create a more open plan with an efficient island and a warm, timeless style
Sometimes finding more space to expand a kitchen is like moving pieces of a puzzle around to see what fits. That’s what designers Alicia Held-Morris and Jillian Lare faced when these homeowners tasked them with enlarging their U-shaped 1990s kitchen. The couple wanted more room for entertaining and a timeless look that highlighted their love of natural materials.
To solve the puzzle, the designers relocated a laundry area butting up against the kitchen to a previously unfinished utility room, where they also added a mudroom and punched in doorways to create a new back door that conveniently flows through the mudroom into the kitchen. They took down the former walls of the laundry room and a short hallway to add 25 square feet to the kitchen layout, which gave them space to add a hardworking square island with seating on two sides. Meanwhile, deep green perimeter cabinets, a white oak island base, white oak flooring and marble-look quartz countertops embody the classic look the owners were going for.
To solve the puzzle, the designers relocated a laundry area butting up against the kitchen to a previously unfinished utility room, where they also added a mudroom and punched in doorways to create a new back door that conveniently flows through the mudroom into the kitchen. They took down the former walls of the laundry room and a short hallway to add 25 square feet to the kitchen layout, which gave them space to add a hardworking square island with seating on two sides. Meanwhile, deep green perimeter cabinets, a white oak island base, white oak flooring and marble-look quartz countertops embody the classic look the owners were going for.
After: The designers stripped the kitchen back and took down the wall between the kitchen, laundry room and hallway to expand the kitchen footprint by 25 square feet, to 315 square feet.
A new white door on the back range wall leads to the relocated laundry room and new mudroom that took the place of the workshop. “They have a large property and are going to build another workshop someday,” Lare says.
Despite the major expansion, the designers kept the new components in roughly the same locations. “We maintained a similar overall plan,” Lare says. “We wanted the range to be a focal point and the sink to look out the windows.”
But the extra space allowed the designers to fit in a square island with seating on two sides, as well as a pantry wall on the right that includes the new refrigerator and 30-inch double wall ovens. “That’s where they have the bulk of their food storage,” Lare says.
New custom paint-grade maple cabinetry that goes all the way to the ceiling on the perimeter is a deep green with a touch of blue (Mountain Pass by Sherwin-Williams), with flat black knobs and pulls. “The homeowners really love color, the wife in particular,” Lare says. “She was really open to incorporating color.”
The kitchen also includes a new solid oak extendable dining table with Windsor-style chairs. Glass double doors on the right connect the kitchen to an updated home office.
Dining table: Slice, Oroa; paint colors: Natural Choice (walls) by Sherwin-Williams and White Dove (ceiling and trim) by Benjamin Moore
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A new white door on the back range wall leads to the relocated laundry room and new mudroom that took the place of the workshop. “They have a large property and are going to build another workshop someday,” Lare says.
Despite the major expansion, the designers kept the new components in roughly the same locations. “We maintained a similar overall plan,” Lare says. “We wanted the range to be a focal point and the sink to look out the windows.”
But the extra space allowed the designers to fit in a square island with seating on two sides, as well as a pantry wall on the right that includes the new refrigerator and 30-inch double wall ovens. “That’s where they have the bulk of their food storage,” Lare says.
New custom paint-grade maple cabinetry that goes all the way to the ceiling on the perimeter is a deep green with a touch of blue (Mountain Pass by Sherwin-Williams), with flat black knobs and pulls. “The homeowners really love color, the wife in particular,” Lare says. “She was really open to incorporating color.”
The kitchen also includes a new solid oak extendable dining table with Windsor-style chairs. Glass double doors on the right connect the kitchen to an updated home office.
Dining table: Slice, Oroa; paint colors: Natural Choice (walls) by Sherwin-Williams and White Dove (ceiling and trim) by Benjamin Moore
Find kitchen remodelers near you
The custom natural white oak island has two hefty posts. “We didn’t put a light over it because we didn’t want to compete with the dining fixture light,” Lare says.
White oak flooring featuring wire-brushed 7½-inch-wide planks coordinates with the island base. The top of the island and perimeter counters are durable and heat-resistant marble-look quartz. “That particular quartz has blue-green veining, so it really complements the green cabinetry,” Lare says.
Three new windows — one fixed, two casement — above the sink suffuse the kitchen with natural light. A glass-front cabinet to the left of the windows lightens the look of the upper cabinetry. “We didn’t want open shelving, but we wanted that side of the kitchen to feel a bit lighter and give her a spot to display her collectibles,” Lare says.
Aged-brass wall sconces have a timeless look and provide task lighting over the sink area.The kitchen also has new LED ceiling lights.
Flooring: Palladio hardwood in Barley, Pantim Wood Products; sconces: Eastmoreland in aged brass, Rejuvenation
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White oak flooring featuring wire-brushed 7½-inch-wide planks coordinates with the island base. The top of the island and perimeter counters are durable and heat-resistant marble-look quartz. “That particular quartz has blue-green veining, so it really complements the green cabinetry,” Lare says.
Three new windows — one fixed, two casement — above the sink suffuse the kitchen with natural light. A glass-front cabinet to the left of the windows lightens the look of the upper cabinetry. “We didn’t want open shelving, but we wanted that side of the kitchen to feel a bit lighter and give her a spot to display her collectibles,” Lare says.
Aged-brass wall sconces have a timeless look and provide task lighting over the sink area.The kitchen also has new LED ceiling lights.
Flooring: Palladio hardwood in Barley, Pantim Wood Products; sconces: Eastmoreland in aged brass, Rejuvenation
Shop for bar stools and counter stools
The new 33-inch undermount double-basin stainless steel workstation sink features racks, a cutting board, a colander and a pair of basket strainers. “They wanted the added functionality and flexibility of the workstation sink,” Lare says.
The pull-down faucet has a rich champagne bronze finish and touch technology to start or stop the flow of water. A white dishwasher to the lower right of the sink coordinates with other white appliances from the same GE Cafe series. An appliance garage sits in the corner above the dishwasher. A paneled pullout trash and recycling center is to the lower left of the sink. And long and deep drawers to the left of that hold items such as serving bowls and plastic storage containers.
Sink: Roma, Ruvati; faucet: Broderick in champagne bronze, Delta Faucet; cabinet hardware: Lily knob and pull in flat black, Top Knobs
The pull-down faucet has a rich champagne bronze finish and touch technology to start or stop the flow of water. A white dishwasher to the lower right of the sink coordinates with other white appliances from the same GE Cafe series. An appliance garage sits in the corner above the dishwasher. A paneled pullout trash and recycling center is to the lower left of the sink. And long and deep drawers to the left of that hold items such as serving bowls and plastic storage containers.
Sink: Roma, Ruvati; faucet: Broderick in champagne bronze, Delta Faucet; cabinet hardware: Lily knob and pull in flat black, Top Knobs
A 36-inch smart induction cooktop offers precise temperature control and Wi-Fi connectivity. A custom-designed hood blends in with surrounding cabinetry. “The kitchen isn’t that big and the ceiling isn’t that tall, so we wanted to maximize storage space,” Lare says. “To do that, we needed the cabinets to butt up against the hood. We wanted a nice hood but not sacrifice any storage.”
The backsplash consists of white ceramic tiles with a glossy crackled finish and light gray grout. “We just liked the finish and contrast in texture with the crackle,” Lare says. “Their uneven edges makes them look handmade.”
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The backsplash consists of white ceramic tiles with a glossy crackled finish and light gray grout. “We just liked the finish and contrast in texture with the crackle,” Lare says. “Their uneven edges makes them look handmade.”
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A budget-friendly, easy-care polyester navy-and-rust Persian-style floor runner adds a touch of color, pattern and softness to the wood floor.
Rug: Izmir in navy and rust, Cost Plus World Market
Rug: Izmir in navy and rust, Cost Plus World Market
Six soft-close drawers on the interior side of the island offer easy-access storage for kitchen essentials.
Before and After: 5 Kitchens With Contrasting Wood Islands
Before and After: 5 Kitchens With Contrasting Wood Islands
Before: Here’s another look at the former kitchen with its disjointed cabinetry surrounding the fridge on the wall that once divided the space from the laundry room and hallway. “They wanted more food storage and a better pantry cabinet that would optimize storage,” Lare says.
After: A custom built-in coffee bar cabinet with a pullout shelf and a wall-mount pot filler sits to the right of the new white counter-depth fridge. “They drink a lot of coffee and tea, so they can fill the pots right there and not have to walk across the kitchen to the sink for water,” Lare says. Wide drawers below hold beverage supplies.
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A white pocket door now connects the kitchen to the relocated laundry room and new mudroom. “We wanted them to be able to have it open most of the time but also close it off if guests come over,” Lare says. “Also, because they have two dogs, they can close the dogs off in that space.”
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The mudroom includes built-in lockers, an oak bench top with storage drawers below and durable gray ceramic tile flooring. A combination of hooks and open shelves keeps grab-and-go items easily accessible and organized in this new back entrance to the home.
The light-filled mudroom shares space with the relocated laundry room, which also acts as a butler’s pantry. “They use the sink and counter space in there for putting out small appliances if they’re having a party,” Lare says. “They can also use it for canning and preserving.”
The light-filled mudroom shares space with the relocated laundry room, which also acts as a butler’s pantry. “They use the sink and counter space in there for putting out small appliances if they’re having a party,” Lare says. “They can also use it for canning and preserving.”
Before: This floor plan shows the former kitchen (upper center) and its closed-off relationship to the laundry room (center) and short hallway. On the other side of the range wall is the separate unfinished utility room (right) that was being used as a workshop.
After: By relocating the laundry room and adding a mudroom to the former utility room (right), the designers were able to expand the kitchen to fit a square island and more storage. New openings create better traffic flow between the spaces. “It feels lighter and brighter and easier for entertaining,” Lare says. “It’s much more functional.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A doctor, a stay-at-home dad, their two elementary-school-age daughters, two dogs and a cat
Location: Winterset, Iowa
Size: 315 square feet (29 square meters)
Designers: Alicia Held-Morris and Jillian Lare of Morris Lare
Before: This photo taken from the living room shows the tight U-shaped layout and basic style of the former 290-square-foot kitchen. The fridge on the right protrudes from a wall that divided the kitchen from a hallway and laundry room.
“They really wanted an island,” Lare says. “They have a big family and like to entertain and wanted a space where they could host. The only way to do that was to take out that wall [on the right] and make the kitchen wider.”
On the wall behind the range was an unfinished utility room that the husband was using as a workshop.
A pair of nonstructural decorative columns, one of which is seen here in the foreground, flanked the dining table. “They weren’t necessary and impeded on the flow of the space,” Lare says. “They also didn’t match the style we were going for.”