A common complaint from by clients is that their old kitchens are too isolated, so you end up with a lonely cook, or too many people in the kitchen visiting when the cooking needs to be done. The solution is simple—knock out some wall and create a living space which is integrated with the adjacent rooms, making the kitchen the center—or “heart”—of the home. This is the finished kitchen, open to the living room, with the renovated fireplace. Photo by Mike Medford.