The Watchung, New Jersey homeowners have a beautiful ranch home on a large property with great views. The only downside to their home is a small, closed in kitchen. They want a bigger, better kitchen that will suit daily meals as well as entertaining family and friends. They hired Design Build Planners to create a kitchen remodeling design with an open floor plan.
The existing overall kitchen space is 13′ x 12′, but with the entry door, path to the dining room doorway, and the large rear windows make the usable space only 8.5′ x 12′. That is a small kitchen area for any home, but especially for a spacious 1,800 square foot ranch style home. The existing kitchen feels even smaller with the two large black labs, Lucy and Ricky.
The plan discussed included removing the walls to the dining and the living room to make an open floor plan. We also agreed to use some of the living room to expand the kitchen foot print. The living room is over 380 square feet so there is space to give. The remodeling design plan doubles the size of the kitchen area!
Here is the overview of the kitchen remodeling design scope:
- Remove wall from the kitchen to the living room
- Remove wall from the kitchen to the dining room
- Remove wall from dining room to the living room
- Build knee walls behind the base cabinets to the living room
- Add semi-flush header and column for structure and to separate the rooms
- Expand the kitchen into the living room
- Recess the refrigerator and cooktop area over the garage/basement stairs
- Relocate HVAC and electrical as needed to move walls
- Relocate sink to dining room wall and add a prep sink to the cooktop area
- Add cabinets on dining room side of kitchen
- Add base and wall cabinet against rear wall
- Add raised height counter top with seating
- Add desk and storage area on front wall (unfitted design)
- Tile floor and backs plash
- Quartz Counter tops
- New lighting per plan
The homeowners style preferences were for a timeless look and finishes. They drew their inspiration from kitchen projects featured on Houzz.com. The design options are a result of homeowners online research combined with an in-home consultation with Design Build Planners. There is also a proprietary profile checklist that homeowners fill out that depicts their lifestyle and kitchen use. After compiling this information, Design Build Planners incorporates their construction knowledge and design creativity for the space with a focus on the budget and overall investment.
At the top is one of the design options not selected. Below are a couple of before photos of the existing space. Also below are the final computer designs created by Jason Parsons, a Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler. This project is on order and scheduled to start in the summer of 2014. There is a pending option to convert the back window to a patio door and balcony connecting to the existing elevated deck.
Look for Lucy and Ricky in the designs!
