This 1940’s Colonial style home in Boston’s Jamaica Plain had strong bones and rich character but lacked the space, modern conveniences, and storage that our clients desired. While they wished to retain the look of the exterior, as well as some of the home’s unique original features,, the kitchen and dining room needed to be reimagined in design, layout, and functionality. Key considerations were the compact size of the home and a smaller lot that didn’t give our client the flexibility of an addition. Without adding on to the existing floor plan, we needed to find a way to gain vital extra space in the kitchen, which, with walls enclosing it on all sides, was dark and disconnected from the rest of the house. Our design team coordinated with our client to reconfigure the space by opening up the wall between the dining room and the kitchen to add a few extra inches – just enough to create an open flow between the two rooms. With the removal of that wall, the formerly dark kitchen was flooded with the natural light coming from the existing dining room windows, making the entire space feel brighter and more cohesive. The original kitchen dated back to the mid-20th century and lacked, among other conveniences, a dishwasher, enough storage, or even countertop space for food prep. In redesigning the kitchen, we visually expanded the space by incorporating white upper cabinetry, open shelving, and white subway tiles extending from the backsplash to the ceiling. A new, larger window featuring a deep stone sill brought in even more light, and the appliances and apron sink were selected to retain the traditional look of the home while delivering modern functionality. Considering how our client would use this space, we focused on creating a purposeful workspace and storage, ensuring that there was ample countertop space and cabinetry between the sink and range. A multi-purpose cabinet and countertop which serves as a microwave station and food service area were added to the backside of the dining room wall, packing a lot of utility into a small space. Prior to this renovation, our client had painted the dining room in Mount Saint Anne by Benjamin Moore, a tranquil blue-gray that suited the room well and allowed the original built-in corner cabinetry to stand out, highlighting the home’s charm. With the newly opened floor plan extending into the kitchen, we selected a deep custom color for the base cabinets, Yorktowne Green by Benjamin Moore, to complement the dining room and pull all of the elements together in a cohesive space. This transformation was remarkable, both functionally and visually. The kitchen is now a bright and inviting space that flows seamlessly into the rest of the house. The homeowners are thrilled with the results, and the small changes we incorporated that made a big difference in the overall feel and functionality of the space.

Small elegant ceramic tile kitchen photo in Other with white cabinets

This 1940’s Colonial style home in Boston’s Jamaica Plain had strong bones and rich character but lacked the space, modern conveniences, and storage that our clients desired. While they wished to retain the look of the exterior, as well as some of the home’s unique original features,, the kitchen and dining room needed to be reimagined in design, layout, and functionality. Key considerations were the compact size of the home and a smaller lot that didn’t give our client the flexibility of an addition. Without adding on to the existing floor plan, we needed to find a way to gain vital extra space in the kitchen, which, with walls enclosing it on all sides, was dark and disconnected from the rest of the house. Our design team coordinated with our client to reconfigure the space by opening up the wall between the dining room and the kitchen to add a few extra inches – just enough to create an open flow between the two rooms. With the removal of that wall, the formerly dark kitchen was flooded with the natural light coming from the existing dining room windows, making the entire space feel brighter and more cohesive. The original kitchen dated back to the mid-20th century and lacked, among other conveniences, a dishwasher, enough storage, or even countertop space for food prep. In redesigning the kitchen, we visually expanded the space by incorporating white upper cabinetry, open shelving, and white subway tiles extending from the backsplash to the ceiling. A new, larger window featuring a deep stone sill brought in even more light, and the appliances and apron sink were selected to retain the traditional look of the home while delivering modern functionality. Considering how our client would use this space, we focused on creating a purposeful workspace and storage, ensuring that there was ample countertop space and cabinetry between the sink and range. A multi-purpose cabinet and countertop which serves as a microwave station and food service area were added to the backside of the dining room wall, packing a lot of utility into a small space. Prior to this renovation, our client had painted the dining room in Mount Saint Anne by Benjamin Moore, a tranquil blue-gray that suited the room well and allowed the original built-in corner cabinetry to stand out, highlighting the home’s charm. With the newly opened floor plan extending into the kitchen, we selected a deep custom color for the base cabinets, Yorktowne Green by Benjamin Moore, to complement the dining room and pull all of the elements together in a cohesive space. This transformation was remarkable, both functionally and visually. The kitchen is now a bright and inviting space that flows seamlessly into the rest of the house. The homeowners are thrilled with the results, and the small changes we incorporated that made a big difference in the overall feel and functionality of the space.

Recently, this Victorian style home welcomed its new owners with open arms – the only glitch in the budding relationship, the kitchen. The U shaped kitchen huddled in just half of the nice large room available to it – a long peninsula bisecting the space creating an awkward divide between the work area and the cramped breakfast nook/serving area. The new owners enjoy cooking and they needed space for both of them to work in the kitchen at the same time. The old U shape did not accommodate this. The sink was too close to the range, the peninsula hemmed them in without providing a focused workstation, and the refrigerator sat at the end competing with people entering the space. And finally, the kitchen just lacked style – it did not fit with the Victorian style architecture and décor of the home. San Luis Kitchen to the rescue! After attending a few of our monthly design seminars, the homeowners decided to take the remodeling plunge. They brought us a sketch of the space, explained their need for a more functional 2-cook space, and expressed interest in replacing the peninsula with an island. After visiting the home, we identified some other areas of design opportunity/constraint – an exterior door that was seldom used, an existing wood floor that extended throughout the house, a beautiful view from the breakfast nook windows, and a large existing pantry. Our first thought for the new kitchen was to provide a visual focal point. The homeowners were excited by the idea of a “mantle” type wood hood which we situated facing out toward the formal dining room as the opening statement for the kitchen. We also added an island set at 90 degrees to the prior location of the peninsula – decorative open shelves face out from the island creating more visual interest. The new island not only reinforces the focal point of the hood, but also, working with the new built-in hutch, embraces the breakfast nook and integrates it with the rest of the kitchen. (Changing the peninsula to an island did create a need to patch the hardwood floor – thankfully the homeowner was able to find a source for replacement flooring that was almost a seamless blend) Working with both the homeowners and their interior designer, we decided to combine a creamy white finish for the main cabinets with a cordovan maple stain for the island and hutch. The goal of this color scheme was a bright happy kitchen (the white) with a formal furniture feel to the cabinetry (the dark red maple pieces). Often, in Victorian or other classic style spaces, we see different pieces brought together (over time or as a planned design) to form a cohesive but diverse whole. As functional considerations for the design, the main sink was moved to the island and a prep sink was added in the corner between the new cook-top and a designated bake center/prep station located where the old range had been. This gives space for both homeowners to work in the kitchen simultaneously using multiple workstations. We added a built-in refrigerator with decorative door panels (to blend comfortably with the cabinets), a wall oven/microwave combo – both of which are now in the space that used to have the redundant exterior door – expanding the kitchen all the way to the far wall. And lastly, keeping the basic structure of the existing pantry, we refaced it with matching doors and added rollout shelves for convenience. The new kitchen gracefully meets all of the homeowners needs both as a showpiece and as a backdrop to their daily lives. Now they are comfortably ensconced in their entire home, including the kitchen!

This 1940’s Colonial style home in Boston’s Jamaica Plain had strong bones and rich character but lacked the space, modern conveniences, and storage that our clients desired. While they wished to retain the look of the exterior, as well as some of the home’s unique original features,, the kitchen and dining room needed to be reimagined in design, layout, and functionality. Key considerations were the compact size of the home and a smaller lot that didn’t give our client the flexibility of an addition. Without adding on to the existing floor plan, we needed to find a way to gain vital extra space in the kitchen, which, with walls enclosing it on all sides, was dark and disconnected from the rest of the house. Our design team coordinated with our client to reconfigure the space by opening up the wall between the dining room and the kitchen to add a few extra inches – just enough to create an open flow between the two rooms. With the removal of that wall, the formerly dark kitchen was flooded with the natural light coming from the existing dining room windows, making the entire space feel brighter and more cohesive. The original kitchen dated back to the mid-20th century and lacked, among other conveniences, a dishwasher, enough storage, or even countertop space for food prep. In redesigning the kitchen, we visually expanded the space by incorporating white upper cabinetry, open shelving, and white subway tiles extending from the backsplash to the ceiling. A new, larger window featuring a deep stone sill brought in even more light, and the appliances and apron sink were selected to retain the traditional look of the home while delivering modern functionality. Considering how our client would use this space, we focused on creating a purposeful workspace and storage, ensuring that there was ample countertop space and cabinetry between the sink and range. A multi-purpose cabinet and countertop which serves as a microwave station and food service area were added to the backside of the dining room wall, packing a lot of utility into a small space. Prior to this renovation, our client had painted the dining room in Mount Saint Anne by Benjamin Moore, a tranquil blue-gray that suited the room well and allowed the original built-in corner cabinetry to stand out, highlighting the home’s charm. With the newly opened floor plan extending into the kitchen, we selected a deep custom color for the base cabinets, Yorktowne Green by Benjamin Moore, to complement the dining room and pull all of the elements together in a cohesive space. This transformation was remarkable, both functionally and visually. The kitchen is now a bright and inviting space that flows seamlessly into the rest of the house. The homeowners are thrilled with the results, and the small changes we incorporated that made a big difference in the overall feel and functionality of the space.

This 1940’s Colonial style home in Boston’s Jamaica Plain had strong bones and rich character but lacked the space, modern conveniences, and storage that our clients desired. While they wished to retain the look of the exterior, as well as some of the home’s unique original features,, the kitchen and dining room needed to be reimagined in design, layout, and functionality. Key considerations were the compact size of the home and a smaller lot that didn’t give our client the flexibility of an addition. Without adding on to the existing floor plan, we needed to find a way to gain vital extra space in the kitchen, which, with walls enclosing it on all sides, was dark and disconnected from the rest of the house. Our design team coordinated with our client to reconfigure the space by opening up the wall between the dining room and the kitchen to add a few extra inches – just enough to create an open flow between the two rooms. With the removal of that wall, the formerly dark kitchen was flooded with the natural light coming from the existing dining room windows, making the entire space feel brighter and more cohesive. The original kitchen dated back to the mid-20th century and lacked, among other conveniences, a dishwasher, enough storage, or even countertop space for food prep. In redesigning the kitchen, we visually expanded the space by incorporating white upper cabinetry, open shelving, and white subway tiles extending from the backsplash to the ceiling. A new, larger window featuring a deep stone sill brought in even more light, and the appliances and apron sink were selected to retain the traditional look of the home while delivering modern functionality. Considering how our client would use this space, we focused on creating a purposeful workspace and storage, ensuring that there was ample countertop space and cabinetry between the sink and range. A multi-purpose cabinet and countertop which serves as a microwave station and food service area were added to the backside of the dining room wall, packing a lot of utility into a small space. Prior to this renovation, our client had painted the dining room in Mount Saint Anne by Benjamin Moore, a tranquil blue-gray that suited the room well and allowed the original built-in corner cabinetry to stand out, highlighting the home’s charm. With the newly opened floor plan extending into the kitchen, we selected a deep custom color for the base cabinets, Yorktowne Green by Benjamin Moore, to complement the dining room and pull all of the elements together in a cohesive space. This transformation was remarkable, both functionally and visually. The kitchen is now a bright and inviting space that flows seamlessly into the rest of the house. The homeowners are thrilled with the results, and the small changes we incorporated that made a big difference in the overall feel and functionality of the space.

Easton, Maryland Traditional Kitchen Design by #JenniferGilmer with a lake view http://gilmerkitchens.com/ Photography by Bob Narod

Scherr's doors and drawer fronts on IKEA Sektion cabinets. #125 Slab Walnut Veneer. Horizontal Grain Matching.
Small minimalist single-wall concrete floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen photo in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, concrete countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, no island and white countertops

Jeff Amram Photography
Trendy 3/4 gray tile multicolored floor bathroom photo in Portland with medium tone wood cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

Make a closet laundry space work harder and look better by surrounding the washer and dryer with smart solutions.
Example of a small transitional single-wall light wood floor laundry closet design in Charlotte with wood countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer, beige countertops and green walls

Two adjacent warehouse units in a circa 1915 building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were combined into a single modern live / work space. Careful consideration was paid to honoring and preserving original elements like exposed brick walls, timber beams and columns, hardwood and concrete floors and plaster walls.

A quaint private garden sits to the side of the home surrounded with concrete pavers creating a fairytale lounging area.
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Naturalistic meadow.
Design ideas for a large rustic drought-tolerant and full sun backyard gravel garden path in San Diego.

The shape of the angled porch-roof, sets the tone for a truly modern entryway. This protective covering makes a dramatic statement, as it hovers over the front door. The blue-stone terrace conveys even more interest, as it gradually moves upward, morphing into steps, until it reaches the porch. Porch Detail The multicolored tan stone, used for the risers and retaining walls, is proportionally carried around the base of the house. Horizontal sustainable-fiber cement board replaces the original vertical wood siding, and widens the appearance of the facade. The color scheme — blue-grey siding, cherry-wood door and roof underside, and varied shades of tan and blue stone — is complimented by the crisp-contrasting black accents of the thin-round metal columns, railing, window sashes, and the roof fascia board and gutters. This project is a stunning example of an exterior, that is both asymmetrical and symmetrical. Prior to the renovation, the house had a bland 1970s exterior. Now, it is interesting, unique, and inviting. Photography Credit: Tom Holdsworth Photography Contractor: Owings Brothers Contracting

Haris Kenjar http://www.hariskenjar.com/

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Furnishings & Photo Styling | John Kraemer & Sons, Builder | Charlie and Co Design, Architect | Corey Gaffer Photography Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

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