The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Columbus

Photo byAngie Seckinger Small walk-in designed for maximum use of space. Custom accessory storage includes double-decker jewelry drawer with velvet inserts, Maple pull-outs behind door for necklaces & scarves, vanity area with mirror, slanted shoe shelves, valet rods & hooks.

A PLACE TO GATHER Location: Eagan, MN, USA This family of five wanted an inviting space to gather with family and friends. Mom, the primary cook, wanted a large island with more organized storage – everything in its place – and a crisp white kitchen with the character of an older home. Challenges: Design an island that could accommodate this family of five for casual weeknight dinners. Create more usable storage within the existing kitchen footprint. Design a better transition between the upper cabinets on the 8-foot sink wall and the adjoining 9-foot cooktop wall. Make room for more counter space around the cooktop. It was poorly lit, cluttered with small appliances and confined by the tall oven cabinet. Solutions: A large island, that seats 5 comfortably, replaced the small island and kitchen table. This allowed for more storage including cookbook shelves, a heavy-duty roll out shelf for the mixer, a 2-bin recycling center and a bread drawer. Tall pantries with decorative grilles were placed between the kitchen and family room. These created ample storage and helped define each room, making each one feel larger, yet more intimate. A space intentionally separates the upper cabinets on the sink wall from those on the cooktop wall. This created symmetry on the sink wall and made room for an appliance garage, which keeps the countertops uncluttered. Moving the double ovens to the former pantry location made way for more usable counter space around the cooktop and a dramatic focal point with the hood, cabinets and marble backsplash. Special Features: Custom designed corbels and island legs lend character. Gilt open lanterns, antiqued nickel grilles on the pantries, and the soft linen shade at the kitchen sink add personality and charm. The unique bronze hardware with a living finish creates the patina of an older home. A walnut island countertop adds the warmth and feel of a kitchen table. This homeowner truly understood the idea of living with the patina of marble. Her grandmother’s marble-topped antique table inspired the Carrara countertops. The result is a highly organized kitchen with a light, open feel that invites you to stay a while. Liz Schupanitz Designs Photographed by: Andrea Rugg

A kitchen made to display recipe books, flowers and brightly colored vegetables. We took the sunny, eclectic nature of our client and ran with it, using Lyptus cabinets, rich red oak floors, Copper Meteorite Satin granite countertops, and splashes of color throughout. Photos by Aaron Ziltener

This creative transitional space was transformed from a very dated layout that did not function well for our homeowners - who enjoy cooking for both their family and friends. They found themselves cooking on a 30" by 36" tiny island in an area that had much more potential. A completely new floor plan was in order. An unnecessary hallway was removed to create additional space and a new traffic pattern. New doorways were created for access from the garage and to the laundry. Just a couple of highlights in this all Thermador appliance professional kitchen are the 10 ft island with two dishwashers (also note the heated tile area on the functional side of the island), double floor to ceiling pull-out pantries flanking the refrigerator, stylish soffited area at the range complete with burnished steel, niches and shelving for storage. Contemporary organic pendants add another unique texture to this beautiful, welcoming, one of a kind kitchen! Photos by David Cobb Photography.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   The homeowners of this mid-century Colonial and family of four were frustrated with the layout of their existing kitchen which was a small, narrow peninsula layout but that was adjoining a large space that they could not figure out how to use. Stealing part of the unused space seemed like an easy solution, except that there was an existing transition in floor height which made that a bit tricky. The solution of bringing the floor height up to meet the height of the existing kitchen allowed us to do just that. This solution also offered some challenges. The exterior door had to be raised which resulted in some exterior rework, and the floor transition had to happen somewhere to get out to the garage, so we ended up “pushing” it towards what is now a new mudroom and powder room area. This solution allows for a small but functional and hidden mudroom area and more private powder room situation. Another challenge of the design was the very narrow space. To minimize issues with this, we moved the location of the refrigerator into the newly found space which gave us an L-shaped layout allowing for an island and even some shallow pantry storage. The windows over the kitchen sink were expanded in size and relocated to allow more light into the room. A breakfast table fits perfectly in the area adjacent to the existing French doors and there was even room for a small bar area that helps transition from inside to outside for entertaining. The confusing unused space now makes sense and provides functionality on a daily basis. To help bring some calm to this busy family, a pallet of soft neutrals was chosen -- gray glass tile with a simple metal accent strip, clear modern pendant lights and a neutral color scheme for cabinetry and countertops. For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Paige Pennington
Kitchen pantry - large contemporary porcelain tile kitchen pantry idea in Kansas City with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances

Orren Pickell Signature Series cabinetry with 5/8" edge slab door style, painted maple. Full height pull out pantry cabinet. Countertop: 2cm Superwhite Fantasy Quartzite Backsplash: Solo V1 Honed Dolomite from The Fine Line Cooktop: Thermador Oven: Thermador Microwave Drawer: 24" Sharpe Photo by Mike Kaskel

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

**Project Overview** This new construction home built next to a serene lake features a gorgeous, large-scale kitchen that also connects to a bar, home office, breakfast room and great room. The homeowners sought the warmth of traditional styling, updated for today. In addition, they wanted to incorporate unexpected touches that would add personality. Strategic use of furniture details combined with clean lines brings the traditional style forward, making the kitchen feel fresh, new and timeless. **What Makes This Project Unique?* Three finishes, including vintage white paint, stained cherry and textured painted gray oak cabinetry, work together beautifully to create a varied, unique space. Above the wall cabinets, glass cabinets with X mullions add interest and decorative storage. Single ovens are tucked in cabinets under a window, and a warming drawer under one perfectly matches the cabinet drawer under the other. Matching furniture-style armoires flank the wall ovens, housing the freezer and a pantry in one and custom designed large scale appliance garage with retractable doors in the other. Other furniture touches can be found on the sink cabinet and range top cabinet that help complete the look. The variety of colors and textures of the stained and painted cabinetry, custom dark finish copper hood, wood ceiling beams, glass cabinets, wood floors and sleek backsplash bring the whole look together. **Design Challenges* Even though the space is large, we were challenged by having to work around the two doorways, two windows and many traffic patterns that run through the kitchen. Wall space for large appliances was quickly in short supply. Because we were involved early in the project, we were able to work with the architect to expanded the kitchen footprint in order to make the layout work and get appliance placement just right. We had other architectural elements to work with that we wanted to compliment the kitchen design but also dictated what we could do with the cabinetry. The wall cabinet height was determined based on the beams in the space. The oven wall with furniture armoires was designed around the window with the lake view. The height of the oven cabinets was determined by the window. We were able to use these obstacles and challenges to design creatively and make this kitchen one of a kind. Photo by MIke Kaskel

Kitchen features all Wood-Mode cabinets. Perimeter features the Vanguard Plus door style on Plain Sawn Walnut. Storage wall features large pull-out pantry. Flooring by Porcelanosa, Rapid Gris. All pictures are copyright Wood-Mode. For promotional use only.

Space planning and cabinetry design: Jennifer Howard, JWH Photography: Mick Hales, Greenworld Productions
Example of a large transitional u-shaped concrete floor enclosed kitchen design in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, stone slab backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

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

Andrew McKinney Photography Not every kitchen on houzz is enormous! Here's a 10' x 10' kitchen. It seems that painted white kitchens never go out of favor. While the cabinets, faucets and hardware lean toward a more traditional look, that look is tempered by the modern lines of grey glass tile and the chimney hood. And instead of carrara marble counter tops, the client opted for quartz for a similar look (Cambria's "Torquay").

A wide shot, showing just how much storage is gained with a pull out pantry. Items are covered and out of the way, but easily accessible from both sides of the cabinet. Fewer lost cans! Photos by Aaron Ziltener

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Our clients and their three teenage kids had outgrown the footprint of their existing home and felt they needed some space to spread out. They came in with a couple of sets of drawings from different architects that were not quite what they were looking for, so we set out to really listen and try to provide a design that would meet their objectives given what the space could offer. We started by agreeing that a bump out was the best way to go and then decided on the size and the floor plan locations of the mudroom, powder room and butler pantry which were all part of the project. We also planned for an eat-in banquette that is neatly tucked into the corner and surrounded by windows providing a lovely spot for daily meals. The kitchen itself is L-shaped with the refrigerator and range along one wall, and the new sink along the exterior wall with a large window overlooking the backyard. A large island, with seating for five, houses a prep sink and microwave. A new opening space between the kitchen and dining room includes a butler pantry/bar in one section and a large kitchen pantry in the other. Through the door to the left of the main sink is access to the new mudroom and powder room and existing attached garage. White inset cabinets, quartzite countertops, subway tile and nickel accents provide a traditional feel. The gray island is a needed contrast to the dark wood flooring. Last but not least, professional appliances provide the tools of the trade needed to make this one hardworking kitchen. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Mike Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Pantry pull-out storage units. Richelieu. design: Marta Kruszelnicka photo: Todd Gieg
Example of a mid-sized trendy medium tone wood floor kitchen pantry design in Boston with flat-panel cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

Food storage has never been more attractive. This maple wood pantry features pull out baskets, turntable spice storage and wine racks. An organized storage solution for pantry items, this custom built pantry provides easy access for often used kitchen and food items.