PROJECT OVERVIEW: This 1929 Tudor style home was perfect for a couple that loves to collect antiques, but the original kitchen that came with it didn’t work for their family lifestyle. The original floor plan included a small, irregular shaped kitchen with a very large brick fireplace, small nook area, and rear porch entryway, all compartmentalized by load bearing walls. The new design boasts a large kitchen defined by a 24’ fridge and freezer tower wall paneled to match perimeter cabinetry and flanked by double arched entries to both the new butler’s pantry and dining room. WHAT MAKES THIS PROJECT UNIQUE: Besides eliminating all the large, load bearing walls that divided the overall space, both floors and ceilings had to be aligned to bring the space together. On either end of the long, paneled tower elevation, arched doorways lead to a new butler’s pantry on the left (which then leads into the dining room) and a newly created hall with floor to ceiling bookshelves on the right (which also leads into the dining room). Archways, butler’s pantry, and hall all match kitchen cabinetry. Even retro light switches and receptacles were designed into matching paneling. DESIGN CHALLENGES: The homeowners wanted a large, family friendly kitchen and better flow between the kitchen and dining room. To achieve this 18’ X 19’ family sized kitchen with a clean ceiling, 31 lineal feet of load bearing wall had to be suspended at 9’. Back-to-back steel C- channels bolted together and a steel I Beam were installed to carry the load of 11” thick brick, 2 ½ story walls.