Open Concept Kitchen

This entertainer’s kitchen provides an inviting place for guests and family to cook, dine and gather. It features a spacious 9-ft island in Maritime Blue. The tumbled Travertine backsplash, white cabinets and sculpted glass pendants create a soft background for the gorgeous vent hood.

Project Overview:

There were many design challenges to address in this kitchen. My client enjoys entertaining and she is a wonderful hostess, however, when she had guests over she felt like she couldn’t be a part of the event because the kitchen was closed off from the living room. The kitchen was too small to have guests gathering around the island. This area of her home wasn’t meeting her needs. She said “I’m ashamed to have people in my home because of my kitchen.”

Open Concept Kitchen

We wanted to open up the kitchen and give her what she desired but we had to overcome several challenges. Taking out a wall of cabinetry and appliances meant she would lose a lot of storage. There was also a concern for the structure of the home since the wall in question was load bearing. My client also requested a pot filler over the range. She wanted new floors throughout the whole house and wanted them to be consistent. There were a lot of challenges but the outcome was well worth it!

The Design Plan

In order to open up the kitchen to the living room we removed a load-bearing wall with four appliances plus the cabinetry. Next we built two columns, stained to match the new wood floors, to anchor the kitchen and maintain the structural integrity. Our design plan highlighted her favorite color with a traditional vent hood and 9-ft x 5-ft island in Maritime Blue. We relocated the microwave from over the range to an oven/microwave combination. This allowed for a pot filler and beautiful tumbled travertine backsplash. The new cabinetry is Dover White with a Graystone glaze, which adds depth and character to the cabinets.

As a designer my favorite item in this kitchen is the granite. The white background is mottled with grey, black and flecks of garnet. The large flow of complex veins give this kitchen movement.

We completed the gorgeous kitchen with sculpted glass pendants, an iron chandelier and kitchen table. Now there is enough space for guests to gather and the homeowner is proud to entertain guests.

Before
After