Kitchen of the Week: Open Feel With White-and-Wood Japandi Style
A design-build firm helps a couple relocate their kitchen to gain space, openness and a warm and welcoming look
Some people think food doesn’t belong in the bedroom. But this young couple, one of whom is a chef, thought an unused guest bedroom in their Minneapolis home would make a great location for their new kitchen. At least better than the existing kitchen’s location in a dark, walled-off corner.
They hired design-build firm McDonald Remodeling to tackle the major update. Designer Alisa Dragt-Hoffman helped spearhead the project, which entailed taking down several walls to combine the former kitchen, the dining room and the guest bedroom into one spacious open-plan layout that now enjoys abundant natural light. Channeling the homeowners’ desire for a warm Japandi style, Dragt-Hoffman added custom rift-cut white oak cabinets with clever sliding doors on the upper units that allow the chef to quickly grab items while cooking.
They hired design-build firm McDonald Remodeling to tackle the major update. Designer Alisa Dragt-Hoffman helped spearhead the project, which entailed taking down several walls to combine the former kitchen, the dining room and the guest bedroom into one spacious open-plan layout that now enjoys abundant natural light. Channeling the homeowners’ desire for a warm Japandi style, Dragt-Hoffman added custom rift-cut white oak cabinets with clever sliding doors on the upper units that allow the chef to quickly grab items while cooking.
A matte black single-handle pull-down faucet complements the other black finishes. A 24-inch pro-style stainless steel dishwasher sits to the left of the 16-gauge stainless steel single-basin undermount sink. To the lower right of the sink, an open cabinet with a T-shaped divider stores cutting boards and towels. “That was a tight corner, and as a chef, I knew he needed easy access to things,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “It was a win-win situation.”
The awning window has a warm wood frame and charcoal-painted sash (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams). Custom rift-cut white oak open shelves in the corner offer space for collectibles, cookbooks and plants.
Window: Elevate awning, Marvin; sink: Crosstown, Elkay; faucet: Trinsic, Delta
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The awning window has a warm wood frame and charcoal-painted sash (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams). Custom rift-cut white oak open shelves in the corner offer space for collectibles, cookbooks and plants.
Window: Elevate awning, Marvin; sink: Crosstown, Elkay; faucet: Trinsic, Delta
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A 36-inch open-burner gas range has an infrared broiler and a simmer setting on all burners for flexible cooking. “He knew exactly what he wanted,” Dragt-Hoffman says. The custom plaster hood includes a wall-mount liner with a powerful fan and LED lights.
A quartz slab with dramatic strokes of warm copper, gold and greige forms the focal point backsplash. A shelf in the same material sits just under the hood. “The same plaster for the hood was used for the rest of the backsplash, from the countertop to the first floating shelf,” Dragt-Hoffman says. The lower cabinet to the left of the range includes a pullout for storing small appliances.
The white oak flooring is a mix of existing and new wood added where needed, all with a clear-coat finish. “We refinished the floor throughout the home, so it’s the same wood from the entry all the way through to the kitchen and dining room,” Dragt-Hoffman says.
Range backsplash: Brittanicca Gold Warm, Cambria; wall paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
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A quartz slab with dramatic strokes of warm copper, gold and greige forms the focal point backsplash. A shelf in the same material sits just under the hood. “The same plaster for the hood was used for the rest of the backsplash, from the countertop to the first floating shelf,” Dragt-Hoffman says. The lower cabinet to the left of the range includes a pullout for storing small appliances.
The white oak flooring is a mix of existing and new wood added where needed, all with a clear-coat finish. “We refinished the floor throughout the home, so it’s the same wood from the entry all the way through to the kitchen and dining room,” Dragt-Hoffman says.
Range backsplash: Brittanicca Gold Warm, Cambria; wall paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
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A single-door stainless steel refrigerator stands to the right of the range area. “They have a freezer downstairs,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “As a chef, he cooks with a majority of fresh food. They also have no microwave in here.”
The countertops are light marble-look quartz. The interior side of the island, across from the sink, is all drawers. There’s a knife block inside one of the top drawers, a utensil divider in another.
Refrigerator: Professional single-door, Frigidaire
The countertops are light marble-look quartz. The interior side of the island, across from the sink, is all drawers. There’s a knife block inside one of the top drawers, a utensil divider in another.
Refrigerator: Professional single-door, Frigidaire
A pair of deep drawers to the right of the range offer storage for pots and pans. The shallower drawers on top hold utensils, pot holders and towels.
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With walls removed, the new kitchen now enjoys an open connection to this dining area, where the former kitchen once stood. A short drum pendant light hangs over the wood table with midcentury-style chairs.
The French door between the two spaces is from the same collection as the awning window above the kitchen sink. “There’s a small deck that leads down to a paved patio for entertaining,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “They also have a garden out there.” In the back corner is built-in mudroom-style storage. A side entry to the home is out of view to the left.
Pendant light: Short drum in natural linen and dark bronze, West Elm; door: Elevate swinging French door, Marvin
The French door between the two spaces is from the same collection as the awning window above the kitchen sink. “There’s a small deck that leads down to a paved patio for entertaining,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “They also have a garden out there.” In the back corner is built-in mudroom-style storage. A side entry to the home is out of view to the left.
Pendant light: Short drum in natural linen and dark bronze, West Elm; door: Elevate swinging French door, Marvin
The mudroom area has custom cabinetry and details that match those in the kitchen. “Over here the top cabinet can be entirely closed,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “We live in Minnesota and this is their mudroom, and there are things you want to hide.”
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
“Before” and “after” floor plans: These floor plans show the home’s former layout on the left and the update on the right. In the former layout, the kitchen (top left) was walled off from the dining room (top middle). The unused guest bedroom (top right) sat off the dining room.
In the updated layout on the right, the spacious new kitchen (top right) is open to the new dining area (top left). “I think now when you walk into this house, it’s so much lighter, brighter and welcoming than it was previously,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “Now the kitchen feels like a really gracious space to host in, move around in and entertain in.”
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In the updated layout on the right, the spacious new kitchen (top right) is open to the new dining area (top left). “I think now when you walk into this house, it’s so much lighter, brighter and welcoming than it was previously,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “Now the kitchen feels like a really gracious space to host in, move around in and entertain in.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple, one of whom is a chef
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 182 square feet (17 square meters)
Designer-builder: McDonald Remodeling
The couple took their time planning the design of the new kitchen in their 1950s Cape Cod-style home. “Being in the restaurant industry, they would go out eating at restaurants and show me photos of what they liked,” Dragt-Hoffman says.
After considering various layouts, they decided that relocating the kitchen to the unused guest bedroom was the way to go. The move expanded the kitchen footprint by 110 square feet. “It gave them the open concept and square footage they wanted for entertaining,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “It also gave them the space for the back doors to the backyard. They don’t have kids and don’t plan on having kids, so this space was about what works for them.”
The custom rift-cut white oak cabinetry adds warmth and style. The uppers’ sliding doors have round drilled finger pulls. “He requested as a chef the ability to reach things without having to open any doors,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “It also gives them the ability to hide things. They felt the oak would be warm without feeling dated. The sliding doors are one of the design elements that stayed with their desire for some Asian-inspired elements.”
The backs of the uppers feature a slatted detail that echoes that of the island end. Above the island, large pendant lights in black metal and natural wood coordinate with matte black finger pulls on the cabinets and other black and wood details in the space. The kitchen also has LED recessed ceiling lights on dimmers.
A tall wine rack integrated into the cabinetry on the left offers storage for up to 11 bottles. “I felt we needed to have bookends for the kitchen,” Dragt-Hoffman says. “We have a tall refrigerator on the right side and we needed something on the left. When we talked about it, they said they enjoy wine and it would be nice to have a place to put it.”
Pendant lights: Black metal and natural wood, Shades of Light; cabinet pulls: finger pulls in matte black, Element Designs
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