Pam Stewart Ross Design

MARG AND PETE - KITCHEN

Marg and Pete are a retired couple who purchased a smaller home when it was time to downsize after the kids left. They are now ready to renovate the kitchen of their new home and make it work for them. 

The problems with the existing floor plan is 1) the existing peninsula with upper cabinet divides the already small kitchen and eat-in area, and 2) the awkward traffic flow.

Floor Plan BEFORE

The following are some BEFORE pictures of the existing kitchen to illustrate the problem of the kitchen being closed off to the eating area.



The solution was to 1) remove the peninsula and upper cabinet to create a galley kitchen; and 2) add a banquette to provide more seating and create better traffic flow to the backyard. 

The gas stove needed to be moved away from the wall 12" to comply with the building code and in doing so we had to replace the double sink with a single sink. Marg and Pete kept their original appliances which were in good condition, saving them money. They also wanted to keep their existing table; but by taking out a leaf and making it round, instead of oval, it provided better flow. There are many different types of flooring on the main floor and since they are renovating their kitchen they will replace all the flooring now with vinyl plank. 

Floor Plan AFTER

The concept for a new kitchen layout is shown below in the perspective drawing and mood board.

To provide more storage:
the cabinets were extended along the back wall (below);

the fridge was enclosed with floor to ceiling cabinets (below);

and the option of a pantry OR a pantry and a breakfast counter can be added to an unused wall (below). The wall behind the breakfast counter can be a magnetic blackboard wall to display messages, pictures and notes - to help keep the clutter off the fridge door!

This design addresses the problems with the original layout of bad traffic flow, poor site-lines and little storage. Removing the overhead cabinet allows the eye to move around the room making the space more open and spacious. Adding more cabinets and enclosing the fridge provides for more storage and anchors the fridge so it is not floating in the room.

The breakfast counter can be used when entertaining as a bar or a buffet table. Additional chairs can be pulled up to an extended table when needed. The white cabinets and back-splash keep the space light and airy and the graphic wallpaper add energy. Accents can be added in the colour blue or shades of gray, taken from the wallpaper.

The room not only functions well with the added storage and compact work triangle, but looks good too.

Update:
The kitchen has better traffic flow to the backyard since they moved their existing kitchen table  to the corner where they are building a banquette, a project Marg and Pete are still working on.

Here are some pictures from the renovated kitchen.

The peninsula was removed and the counter extended to open up the space (below). The sink was replaced with a single sink with a faucet in the same finish, and traditional white subway tiles were installed.

The fridge (below) now looks like it is built-in and the cabinets provide lots of storage.

The vinyl plank flooring was used in the galley kitchen and throughout the main floor to provide a consistent look and natural flow. The stove was moved over to comply with the building code, which provided a space to install a bank of drawers to the left of it (not shown), adding more storage.

The new pantry and breakfast counter along the back wall (below) provide more storage and a surface to place the coffee maker or use as a buffet. I suggest adding some art or a blackboard to the wall above the counter to create a focal point and add some contrast.

You always learn from each project you do. The lessons learned from this project is to always test your paint colour BEFORE buying; and always check stock of your wallpaper BEFORE committing to your paint colour.

Comment from Client ...

Pam' s design of our kitchen was completely different from what we had originally imagined.  Her ideas provided a much better use of the space and we now have a design that will meet all of our needs.Thanks again Pam

Marg