Kitchen Remodel

Kitchen at Completion

Kitchen Remodel Westlake Hills, Texas (size: approx. 500 square feet)

Kitchen Remodel for a professional couple with two young boys that are in and out of the house all the time using the kitchen as the main thoroughfare. Traffic is a constant factor in the use of the space. Additionally, the couple entertains quite often and, as most parties do, the participants end up in the kitchen. The previous kitchen layout proved to be frustrating on both of these fronts. The U-shape design didn’t allow for very many occupants during the gatherings, let alone for those preparing the lavish meals. Both the proximity of the refrigerator to the adjacent countertop and the narrow hallway near the desk served to constrict any circulation through the space. The lack of natural light into the space left anyone having to spend any lengthy amount of time in the kitchen to feel alienated from the outdoors and the natural sense of time passing. Finally, the couple felt that the kitchen didn’t come close to living up to the finished quality of the rest of their house. In redesigning the space, my first goal was to keep people moving, or at least, make motion a subliminal suggestion for anyone who would be in the area. Flexibility of movement as well as curved dynamic shapes proved to be my most useful tools. The long, curving island allowed people to work from either side of the countertop and provide two ways to travel through the space. The curved ends of the cabinets, the circular soffit in the ceiling and the arched pot rack served to reinforce that sense of motion within the built environment of the kitchen. Additionally, the wave pattern of the backsplash copper and the run of the wood flooring kept people mindful of the direction of flow. The next departure point for my design was opening up adjacent spaces to the kitchen in order to allow for natural light to balance the ambiance of the setting. The desk space replaced the playroom and allowed us to steal the great skylight opening for the kitchen. By replacing the simple plastic domed skylight with a clear, efficient Velux roof window, we doubled the feeling of the amount of light that entered the space. By opening the wall at the staircase to the skylit stairwell, we then tripled that sensation. The light stain of the ash floor and the stainless steel appliances worked to our advantage by letting the new light bounce around the room. Finally, the addition of texture and color in the finish material selections brought a sense of tactile refinement to the overall environment. The granite slab countertops almost demand that you feel them, as do the tumbled marble tiles in the backsplash. The darkened copper vent hood and selected copper accents work with the stainless steel appliances to give an appeal of cleanliness and quality to the finished design.