Gone are the days when kitchens were hidden away in the back of the house, closed in with walls and given the architectural attention of a utility closet. In an age when reality TV has made cooking into a spectator sport and family members prefer individualistic diets, kitchens are the Grand Central Station of the American home.
“Most people are looking for a space where they can communicate and socialize with their family without actually having to walk through a door,” said Paula Truchon, a senior designer with EXPO Design Center in Bethesda. The modern kitchen is an entertaining space, an art and crafts center and a command hub.
So Truchon knew exactly what her clients were talking about when they requested a kitchen redesign that would accommodate an open flowing lifestyle and social activities. They wanted to get rid of the visual clutter and segmented spaces that cramped their small kitchen and create a warm, functional center for their home.
Truchon started by gutting the kitchen and knocking out the laundry/mudroom, a dry bar area, and header and jack studs that separated the kitchen from the breakfast area and family room. This opened up visual sightlines and allowed the living, dining and kitchen spaces to flow more naturally into each other. The laundry room was relocated upstairs — a practical, up-to-date change.
To keep the newly opened space cozy and welcoming, the clients chose a casual Tuscan-inspired look and custom details that were neither stuffy nor budget breaking. The cherry cabinets are KraftMaid semi-custom cabinets with Englewood door style and nutmeg glaze. The clients found a meticulous carpenter to adjust and install the cabinets just right — a secret to achieving that custom cabinet look.
Truchon said, “The most challenging aspect was trying to the L-shaped wall not to look like just a room full of cabinets.” She decided to balance it with function as a buffet-style serving area, dressing it up with under-cabinet lighting and the Giallo Veneziano granite countertop used throughout the kitchen.
With the money the clients saved on the cabinets, they were able to purchase a custom bronze range hood, a luxurious detail to complete the European feel. “My favorite feature,” Truchon said, “was the new bay window with the farmhouse-style sink.” The white fireclay sink is a unique focal point, accentuating the beautiful backyard view through the large windows.
Warm-colored granite and a Tuscan-inspired stone tile backsplash balance the windows and opened-up spaces to create a cozy atmosphere that is not stuffy or busy. And Truchon said the open-kitchen style was only getting more popular. “A lot of new home designs feature this, so people wanting to remodel are asking for it too,” she said.
