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range on open stairway pony wall?

13 years ago

a friend is looking at options for remodeling her kitchen, including removing/reducing the height of the walls around the stairways to downstairs (walkout basement) to open the view to the dining/living room and windows facing the water an Olympic mountains. In the photo the door is to the stairway, and the light from the dining room is from the windows facing the water.

She's hoping that a pony wall around the stairwell would allow for a view to the windows.

Options?

tia

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

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Comments (4)

palimpsest
13 years ago
I think it would be helpful to see a floorplan and how the kitchen is going to get laid out differently to try and make this work.

It may make more sense to open the other side of the stairwell completely and do some kind of "window" in the kitchen wall, while leaving a good portion of the kitchen wall intact. Having a run of cabinets with the range on it backed by an open stairwell could be problematic functionally and the esthetics would also have to be carefully considered.
chicagoans
13 years ago
She should check the building codes in her area. A range in front of an open stairwell might not be allowed. She'll also need to consider how she'll vent it and whether a downdraft vent would work by the stairs.

As palimpsest suggested, posting a proposed floorplan would help. Someone may be able to help her come up with a better option.
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Let me see if I can find them. Photobucket recently changed their hosting/linking policy...heck, I can;t even access my PB account anymore. But I have some of the photo files on a backup drive. Here's a shot showing each side of the "pony cabinet". And the tub. I've never been a huge fan of the design of the frame on the three panels on the tub apron. I wanted them to more closely match the detail on the window casing and the mirror frame, which are identical to each other. But as built, they work. I am still pleased with how I made them removable. Each panel can be removed individually simply by lifting and rotating it out of the frame. No tools, no magnets. Or the three panels as well as the entire face frame can be removed in the same manner.
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I was about to suggest radiator covers and then teacats beat me to it! I would do a radiator cover and then mount a shelf and appropriate sized mirror over that. I am going to be the naysayer about hooks on that wall at the bottom of the stair. You don't have a ton of space there, and that means that the bottom of the stair will look even smaller and more crowded when you have a bunch of coats hanging on the pegs or hooks. I would use that wall for the 14 pix that you discussed. Use the upstairs wall to do the family geneology items. By the way, I don't think the window at the top of the stairs looks high at all. It is in proportion to the upper floor. Once you hang artwork on the wall to the right of that window, it will connect with the window and make it all work together. The topiary you have there only accentuates the height of the window, as it is still taller than the top of the topiary. If you want something there, I would look for a small arts and crafts style plant stand and put a large vase or a plant with trailing ends like an ivy on the stand. Or you could stand a large vase in the corner with tall twigs and grasses coming out of it. Your home is fabulous - I am SOOOO jealous. It feels like a place that I could just walk in and be at home.
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Off topic: I'd move the fridge out of the corner and put both the sink and range on the back wall so you have continuous counter between the two. This way, quick trips to the fridge or pantry don't get in the way of the person who is cooking and i's so much easier to prep and cook when you're not transferring stuff across an aisle between sink and range.
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You need to be a bit careful when doing major changes in a new to you home. That pony wall if opened up will allow avisual from the lower floor all the way to the halway upstairs is that something you are okay with? Then as far as the railing goes you could replace what you have with a glass railing as for opening up that tiny space below the railing I would not bother and for sure that would be the only part of that wall that could be opened so put the sculpture in front of the space or better yet just forget removing that area since IMO it will look bad and serve no purpose .
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lascatx
13 years ago
Doesn't sound like a good idea to me -- mainly for venting and safety issues. I suspect she can get a better layout.
User
Original Author
13 years ago
thanks, she will have her contractor check building codes. She had hoped to move the fridge about 8 ft over to a perpendicular wall to where it is now, which was the small dining nook. But I'm not sure about running the water line for the fridge there as there is no water on that wall. So perhaps keeping the wall behind the range and fridge, and making the fridge counterdepth would help to open up the area.
She's having HD measure, and I think she's got a great designer to work with.
I'll post a floor plan when available.
tia!

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