Kitchen of the Week: Open Plan and a Clean Look for a Family of 8
Design-build pros help a large family create a more connected and stylish space for cooking and spending time together
With six kids, these homeowners needed a high-functioning kitchen that could keep pace with busy meals and large gatherings. But their existing kitchen with its confined layout and lack of storage and style wasn’t cutting it. After meeting and hiring design-build professionals Richard and Monica Ryder, they decided a major overhaul with an addition was the way to go.
The Ryders expanded the home into what was once a deck to create a new living room. That allowed them to knock down walls and open up the kitchen footprint into the former living room to create an open-plan concept that breezily connects the new kitchen, dining and living spaces. It also freed up room for a large kitchen island that seats six. A mix of soft white and light gray cabinets and marble-look quartz countertops establishes a fresh and clean look. Wood flooring and hand-hewn wood ceiling beams add warmth. And a built-in coffee station ensures that the homeowners are well-caffeinated to manage the lively household.
The Ryders expanded the home into what was once a deck to create a new living room. That allowed them to knock down walls and open up the kitchen footprint into the former living room to create an open-plan concept that breezily connects the new kitchen, dining and living spaces. It also freed up room for a large kitchen island that seats six. A mix of soft white and light gray cabinets and marble-look quartz countertops establishes a fresh and clean look. Wood flooring and hand-hewn wood ceiling beams add warmth. And a built-in coffee station ensures that the homeowners are well-caffeinated to manage the lively household.
After: The Ryders used the deck space to create an addition for a new family room, shown here. A new dining area with a table that can seat the whole family now occupies the former living room. And with the removal of the kitchen wall and peninsula, along with some other structural changes, the team opened up and expanded the kitchen to enjoy deeper connection with surrounding areas. A new black-framed glass door behind the white sofa opens to a new deck with stairs that lead down to a pool, patio and outdoor entertaining space.
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Find kitchen remodelers near you
Expanding the kitchen into the former breakfast area added 37 square feet to the kitchen footprint. That allowed for an extra-large island that can comfortably seat six. The extra space also freed up room for a flex space on the other side of the main refrigerator wall on the left that includes a second fridge, additional storage and access to a scullery and a laundry room. “She does a lot of cooking and entertains large numbers, so that part was just as important for functionality,” Monica says.
The island has a large single-bowl sink that aligns with the cooktop and hood, creating pleasing symmetry and an efficient work triangle with the fridge. “There were line-of-sight issues before,” Richard says. “Walking in from the foyer and having a full view of the island was the goal. The island is a focal point and now centered in the middle of everything.”
Woven counter stools and hand-hewn wood ceiling beams add texture and warmth, as does new red oak flooring. Subtle two-tone cabinetry combines soft white upper cabinets and refrigerator wall storage with light gray for the lower cabinets and island base.
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The island has a large single-bowl sink that aligns with the cooktop and hood, creating pleasing symmetry and an efficient work triangle with the fridge. “There were line-of-sight issues before,” Richard says. “Walking in from the foyer and having a full view of the island was the goal. The island is a focal point and now centered in the middle of everything.”
Woven counter stools and hand-hewn wood ceiling beams add texture and warmth, as does new red oak flooring. Subtle two-tone cabinetry combines soft white upper cabinets and refrigerator wall storage with light gray for the lower cabinets and island base.
Shop for your kitchen
A site-built stucco hood in a clean and crisp white (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) has a clearcoat matte finish. It helps frame a slab of marble-look quartz that forms a backsplash behind the 36-inch cooktop. The same material was used for the countertops. Glossy, ivory-colored porcelain field tiles laid in a vertical pattern with light gray grout create the rest of the kitchen backsplash. “They don’t have to deal with grout behind the stove,” Richard says.
A pair of square glass-and-blackened-steel four-bulb pendants provide lighting over the island and a bold graphic touch that’s echoed in the updated black-framed windows. The glass design also helps keep sightlines open. A glass-front cabinet on the left nods to the glass pendants and helps break up the wall of cabinetry. “I wanted something unique there,” Richard says. “It’s clear glass with wood shelves.”
Backsplash tiles: Boweri in Latte, 2 by 10 inches, Architessa; pendant lights: Nolan square black glass, Crate & Barrel
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A pair of square glass-and-blackened-steel four-bulb pendants provide lighting over the island and a bold graphic touch that’s echoed in the updated black-framed windows. The glass design also helps keep sightlines open. A glass-front cabinet on the left nods to the glass pendants and helps break up the wall of cabinetry. “I wanted something unique there,” Richard says. “It’s clear glass with wood shelves.”
Backsplash tiles: Boweri in Latte, 2 by 10 inches, Architessa; pendant lights: Nolan square black glass, Crate & Barrel
12 Custom Storage Solutions for a Clutter-Free Kitchen
Double 30-inch wall ovens sit to the left of the range. The doorway to the left of those leads to the flex space. A champagne bronze faucet and unlacquered brass cabinet hardware add touches of warmth.
Faucet: Trinsic in champagne bronze, Delta
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Faucet: Trinsic in champagne bronze, Delta
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A new built-in coffee center is to the left of the fridge. The interior is lined in maple and includes electrical outlets and a shelf. Drawers keep supplies handy.
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12 Creative Coffee and Beverage Stations
Before: In the former kitchen, the refrigerator stuck out into the pathway connecting the short hallway on the left, which included doors to the garage and dining room, with the laundry room, partially seen through the doorway at the back right. The Ryders and the homeowners decided to close off that path and create the new flex space.
After: The flex space sits behind the kitchen’s main refrigerator wall and forms a hallway. The doorway at the end is the laundry room. This space features darker gray cabinets, a secondary fridge and countertop space.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before: This floor plan shows the kitchen at upper right, living room at center right and deck at right. Walls and short hallways created disconnection. The homeowners rarely used the closed-off dining room (left). “From the very beginning, they wanted another space there,” Monica says. “The goal was to increase the interior and push into the exterior space.”
After: The family room addition now takes the place of the former deck. A dining area occupies the former living room. The former formal dining room became a home office. Taking over the breakfast area allowed the kitchen to expand and include the flex space (top middle). These major remodeling moves helped create a more open, connected layout for the family of eight.
“One of the complaints they had about their old layout is that they wanted everyone to be together,” Richard says. “Now people can sit in that main space, and everyone can communicate and be together.”
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“One of the complaints they had about their old layout is that they wanted everyone to be together,” Richard says. “Now people can sit in that main space, and everyone can communicate and be together.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with six kids
Location: Wake Forest, North Carolina
Size: 211 square feet (20 square meters)
Design-build firm: Richard and Monica Ryder of Clearcut Construction
Before: In the former layout, a wall and peninsula closed off the kitchen from the living room. A tight breakfast area sat to the right of the kitchen. Out the living room windows partially seen on the right was a deck. The white door on the left led to the garage. To the left of that was a door to the dining room.
In the kitchen, basic oak cabinets, laminate countertops, aging wood flooring and an abundance of brown and beige finishes created a bland and boring vibe. “One of the big problems was storage,” Richard says. “I knew right away I had to create more storage. They needed an addition to handle the load with six kids.”