Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week: Bright and Functional in 94 Square Feet
An improved layout and white cabinets and appliances create a pretty and practical design in a compact space
From the moment this Minnesota homeowner moved into her 1980 townhouse four years ago, she began dreaming about renovating the tight 81-square-foot kitchen. Dark oak cabinets gave the space a heavy appearance. Nonstructural walls created an impractical shell around the room. And the corner sink placement left no room for a dishwasher.
The recent retiree, who lives in the townhouse with her boyfriend, didn’t want to waste money that she could otherwise use for her retirement years ahead. To help stretch her budget and focus on high-impact design decisions that would deliver the kitchen of her dreams, she hired designer Jolynn Johnson. They removed the cabinets and nonstructural walls and rejiggered the layout, which added 13 square feet to the space. All-white cabinets and appliances and brass hardware and accents add fresh style to the functional new kitchen.
The recent retiree, who lives in the townhouse with her boyfriend, didn’t want to waste money that she could otherwise use for her retirement years ahead. To help stretch her budget and focus on high-impact design decisions that would deliver the kitchen of her dreams, she hired designer Jolynn Johnson. They removed the cabinets and nonstructural walls and rejiggered the layout, which added 13 square feet to the space. All-white cabinets and appliances and brass hardware and accents add fresh style to the functional new kitchen.
After: Johnson removed two walls around the kitchen and extended the peninsula to add more work surface, room for counter seating and a spot for a dishwasher. This increased the size of the kitchen by 13 square feet, to 94 square feet. “One wall had to stay because it housed the plumbing vent,” Johnson says. “A few extra square feet for the kitchen came from the dining room.”
White cabinets, countertops and appliances give the compact space a light and airy feel. Johnson extended the cabinetry a foot higher than before, to 8 feet, for more storage and a loftier look. The honey bronze finish of the faucet and the cabinet and appliance hardware add a warm shine.
Cabinet hardware: Ascendra pull in Honey Bronze, Top Knobs; wall paint: Accessible Beige, Sherwin-Williams
White cabinets, countertops and appliances give the compact space a light and airy feel. Johnson extended the cabinetry a foot higher than before, to 8 feet, for more storage and a loftier look. The honey bronze finish of the faucet and the cabinet and appliance hardware add a warm shine.
Cabinet hardware: Ascendra pull in Honey Bronze, Top Knobs; wall paint: Accessible Beige, Sherwin-Williams
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Johnson kept the range and microwave in the same location to keep costs down. White quartz countertops feature gray veining that coordinates with the warm greige wall color above the cabinets (Accessible Beige by Sherwin-Williams). The backsplash is a mosaic of white marble, glass and pearly shell tile. “It just ties everything together,” Johnson says. “It also brought in texture and pattern.”
The floors are 5-inch-wide planks of luxury vinyl tile that look like wood.
Browse kitchen appliances on Houzz
The floors are 5-inch-wide planks of luxury vinyl tile that look like wood.
Browse kitchen appliances on Houzz
Before: The former corner sink had little functional work space on either side. This photo also shows the mirrored panels accenting the walls above the sink.
After: The new undermount double-basin white sink sits in the extended peninsula and overlooks the dining room, freeing up the corner for more storage. Johnson says the undermount sink was about half the cost of a farmhouse-style sink.
Three open shelves on the upper cabinet end offer a spot for the homeowner to display her favorite cobalt blue decorative pieces.
Sink: Deerfield, Kohler; sink faucet: Trinsic, Delta
Three open shelves on the upper cabinet end offer a spot for the homeowner to display her favorite cobalt blue decorative pieces.
Sink: Deerfield, Kohler; sink faucet: Trinsic, Delta
A new white dishwasher sits to the left of the sink. A narrow cabinet (not shown) to the left of the dishwasher stores a handy folding stepladder the homeowner uses to reach the top shelves of the upper cabinets.
Undercabinet lights on dimmers help illuminate task areas.
Undercabinet lights on dimmers help illuminate task areas.
A countertop cabinet with glass-front doors gives the homeowner a way to store and display her blue glasses and blue-and-white Scandinavian Dansk dishes.
The homeowner had the idea to include two “junk drawers” below the cabinet to store pens, paper, batteries, stamps and tape. To the left, an appliance garage tucks away a toaster, a food processor, cutting boards and an electric can opener.
The homeowner had the idea to include two “junk drawers” below the cabinet to store pens, paper, batteries, stamps and tape. To the left, an appliance garage tucks away a toaster, a food processor, cutting boards and an electric can opener.
The homeowner found the white refrigerator in the bargain room at her local appliance store during a big holiday sale. Budget shopping and smart design decisions from Johnson helped her create a more functional and stylish kitchen in a tight layout. “If anything was my favorite, it was taking those walls down and opening it up to the living room,” Johnson says. “I’ve been over there for dinner since we finished this kitchen, and it’s been a delight.”
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More on Houzz
19 Design Tricks to Maximize a Small Kitchen
12 Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look and Feel Bigger
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A recent retiree and her boyfriend
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota
Size: 94 square feet (8.7 square meters)
Designer: Jolynn Johnson, owner of Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Before: A shell-like structure that didn’t extend to the ceiling surrounded the former kitchen, cutting it off from the dining room and living room. The homeowner disliked almost everything inside the kitchen as well — dark oak cabinets, laminate countertops, mirrored accent wall, worn-out vinyl tile floors. The corner sink and short peninsula left no room for a dishwasher and made for a rather cramped 81 square feet.
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