|
Our clients purchased their 2,000 square foot, two-story
suburban home in Shoreview 1998. The home was built in 1978 and
had no updates made to the property to that time. Soon
after moving in, our client's began to cosmetically change
the home to better match their design ideals. A failing
refrigerator drove the decision of the clients to completely
remodel their kitchen and dining room. If they merely replaced
the refrigerator with one that fit the space, they would
continue making due with a 14 cubic foot refrigerator for a
family of four that cooks, cans, and dehydrates. Removing
cabinets a
round the refrigerator to accommodate a larger
size would have compromised the already minimal storage
space. A total remodel was the key to designing the space
to match their cooking, entertaining, and lifestyle goals.
The
Shoreview remodel began with the removal of the seven foot drop
ceiling that defined the tiny kitchen space. For a family of
"six-footers," restoring the ceiling to a normal height
was
imperative in creating a more open feeling. Equally important
was the need to bring more natural light into the room and
improve the views to the wooded backyard. By widening the
opening between the kitchen and dining room and removing
upper peninsula cabinets,a greater sense of space and con-
nectedness to the outdoors was created through a larger
window in the kitchen and the improved line-of-sight to the
existing dining room window. All of these design strategies
create a more "open" floor plan that encourages movement
from the living room through the dining room to the kitchen
and beyond to the family room.
The
original kitchen table was replaced with a raised bar for
serving casual meals and for seating guests while the cooks
work in the kitchen. The short end of the peninsula that
defines the raised bar is the area in which the gas cooktop
is located. A telescopic downdraft ventilation system was
chosen over an overhead exhaust system so that the line of
sight from the family room to the dining room would not be
interrupted.
A single French door to the porch replaced the
six-foot patio door gaining three feet of space in the length
of the kitchen. The creation of a longer kitchen footprint
resulted in losing table space in the kitchen area. The dining
room became a place of greater importance as a result. It now
serves dual roles- it is casual and comfortable for everyday
dining while being formal enough to encourage guests to mingle
about the living room, dining room, and kitchen. A granite
buffet flanked by tall cabinets provides formality and counter
space for serving. The existing wood floor is easy to care for
and clean.
The
creation of this open floor plan resulted in the need to
carefully craft the flow of color from the bold-gold and wine
colored living room to the apricot and soft sage family room.
This challenge was met through the use of cherry wood millwork
and alderwood cabinetry. Apricot and wine became the pre-
dominate colors in the walls and flooring. The wave pattern in
the linoleum complimented the homeowners' interest in contemp-
orary art while providing a sense of movement from the dining
room to the family room. Shaker-style cabinetry was used to
blend the transitional and contemporary styles found throughout
the main floor.
This
kitchen remodel
in Shoreview
was the first
kitchen in Minnesota to
be "Certified Green" by
the Green Built Initiative. See more about
our green remodeling and the benefits here!
Shoreview
"Tuscan" Kitchen Remodel
Vadnais Heights Kitchen
Remodel
Mac-Groveland Kitchen
Return To "Our Projects"
|
|
