Kitchen of the Week: More Space and Style for Family Time
A design-build team helps homeowners add footage and create a practical layout with a large island for gathering
Jeannie Matteucci
March 24, 2022
Houzz Contributor. Home design writer and lifestyle reporter with a love for stylish spaces, smart lighting and a good decaf dry cappuccino.
Houzz Contributor. Home design writer and lifestyle reporter with a love for stylish... More
This Minnesota couple wanted a welcoming family kitchen where they could gather with their young kids. But the tight configuration and small island in their existing kitchen made that almost impossible. To get the space they wanted, they hired design-build pros Steve McDonald and Angela Barnhart of White Birch Design.
The two turned their attention to an unused formal dining room, incorporating that space by knocking down a wall, a move that expanded the kitchen footprint by 138 square feet. From there, McDonald and Barnhart created a more workable kitchen layout with an 11-foot island that has plenty of seating. Crisp white cabinets, a blue island base and rustic wood-look vinyl flooring give the space an updated color palette that creates the welcoming feel the couple wanted.
The two turned their attention to an unused formal dining room, incorporating that space by knocking down a wall, a move that expanded the kitchen footprint by 138 square feet. From there, McDonald and Barnhart created a more workable kitchen layout with an 11-foot island that has plenty of seating. Crisp white cabinets, a blue island base and rustic wood-look vinyl flooring give the space an updated color palette that creates the welcoming feel the couple wanted.
“After” photos by Spacecrafting / Architectural Photography
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with young kids
Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota
Size: 450 square feet (42 square meters)
Design-build pros: Steve McDonald and Angela Barnhart of White Birch Design
Before: The previous kitchen had plenty of storage but felt cramped. A soffit pushed down the upper cabinets, further cluttering the space. And a narrow island blocked the flow while offering seats for just two people. “While the space wouldn’t qualify as small by certain standards, the kitchen had always felt tight to the homeowners due to its configuration,” Barnhart says.
Meanwhile, the honey oak cabinets visually blended with the wood floor, and the light-toned laminate countertops almost matched the walls, giving the whole room a muted look that made the appliances stand out like black voids.
The back doorway led to the seldom-used formal dining room.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with young kids
Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota
Size: 450 square feet (42 square meters)
Design-build pros: Steve McDonald and Angela Barnhart of White Birch Design
Before: The previous kitchen had plenty of storage but felt cramped. A soffit pushed down the upper cabinets, further cluttering the space. And a narrow island blocked the flow while offering seats for just two people. “While the space wouldn’t qualify as small by certain standards, the kitchen had always felt tight to the homeowners due to its configuration,” Barnhart says.
Meanwhile, the honey oak cabinets visually blended with the wood floor, and the light-toned laminate countertops almost matched the walls, giving the whole room a muted look that made the appliances stand out like black voids.
The back doorway led to the seldom-used formal dining room.
After: McDonald and Barnhart knocked the kitchen back to the studs, took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and pushed the footprint into the former dining room. That expanded the kitchen by 138 square feet and allowed room for the 11-foot island with seating for five.
“We decided to put the sink there because you can work there and see the backyard, and that overhang on the back side of the island allows for traffic flow to stay out of her work area,” Barnhart says.
New durable wood-look vinyl plank flooring anchors the room in warmth and coordinates with the wood window frames. The rich wood tones complement the new navy blue island base (Naval by Sherwin-Williams). Soft greige walls (Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams) add a subtle warm counterpoint to the white cabinets (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) and backsplash.
The existing kitchen sink window (seen in this photo on the right) offers backyard views. “I liked keeping the wood tone of the window frames because it helps add a bit more warmth,” Barnhart says.
Flooring: Adura MAX, Heritage Timber, Mannington
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“We decided to put the sink there because you can work there and see the backyard, and that overhang on the back side of the island allows for traffic flow to stay out of her work area,” Barnhart says.
New durable wood-look vinyl plank flooring anchors the room in warmth and coordinates with the wood window frames. The rich wood tones complement the new navy blue island base (Naval by Sherwin-Williams). Soft greige walls (Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams) add a subtle warm counterpoint to the white cabinets (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) and backsplash.
The existing kitchen sink window (seen in this photo on the right) offers backyard views. “I liked keeping the wood tone of the window frames because it helps add a bit more warmth,” Barnhart says.
Flooring: Adura MAX, Heritage Timber, Mannington
Find a kitchen designer
With the soffit removed, McDonald and Barnhart took the cabinetry to the ceiling, maximizing storage and reducing visual clutter. The Shaker-style door fronts feature flat black bar pulls. The drawer fronts have the same hardware in a slightly larger size, “just to create some dimension and interest,” Barnhart says.
The island features a marble-look quartz countertop with dramatic gray veining on a soft white background. Honed black granite forms the perimeter countertops.
Galvanized steel pendants over the island have a modern farmhouse look. Recessed LED lights in the ceiling provide general lighting. Midcentury-modern-style counter stools upholstered in caramel-colored faux leather coordinate with the warm wood tones in the space.
Cabinet hardware: Euro bar pull in flat black, 6 5/16 inches and 3¾ inches, Cosmas; island top: Calacatta Leon, MSI; pendants: Cartwright in galvanized steel, Hinkley
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The island features a marble-look quartz countertop with dramatic gray veining on a soft white background. Honed black granite forms the perimeter countertops.
Galvanized steel pendants over the island have a modern farmhouse look. Recessed LED lights in the ceiling provide general lighting. Midcentury-modern-style counter stools upholstered in caramel-colored faux leather coordinate with the warm wood tones in the space.
Cabinet hardware: Euro bar pull in flat black, 6 5/16 inches and 3¾ inches, Cosmas; island top: Calacatta Leon, MSI; pendants: Cartwright in galvanized steel, Hinkley
Shop for kitchen island lighting
A large stainless steel undermount sink coordinates with the stainless single-handle pull-down faucet, the steel pendant lights and the stainless steel appliances.
Sink faucet: Broderick in Arctic stainless, Delta Faucet
8 Trends in New Home Design Products for 2022
Sink faucet: Broderick in Arctic stainless, Delta Faucet
8 Trends in New Home Design Products for 2022
A 36-inch gas stainless steel cooktop sits below a European-style 36-inch stainless chimney hood with five-speed fan and LED lighting.
The 3-by-12-inch glossy ceramic subway tiles in the backsplash have a wavy, delicately uneven surface that adds texture and interest. “I love that tile because it’s a classic, but it also jazzes up that classic look of subway tiles,” Barnhart says.
Backsplash tile: Marlow Mist, 3 by 12 inches, Anatolia Tile & Stone
The 3-by-12-inch glossy ceramic subway tiles in the backsplash have a wavy, delicately uneven surface that adds texture and interest. “I love that tile because it’s a classic, but it also jazzes up that classic look of subway tiles,” Barnhart says.
Backsplash tile: Marlow Mist, 3 by 12 inches, Anatolia Tile & Stone
A 30-inch stainless steel double wall oven includes convection baking and a self-cleaning feature. The cabinet above has tray dividers for baking sheets. A large, deep drawer below offers space for oversize items.
See the Latest Kitchen Appliance Trends for 2022
See the Latest Kitchen Appliance Trends for 2022
This wider view of the cooking zone shows how a bump-out gives the cooktop prominence. “We wanted to break up that straight line and provide more interest for that wall,” Barnhart says. “It makes the cooktop feel more special.”
The casement windows, formerly part of the dining room, bring in fresh air, natural light and views of the backyard.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The casement windows, formerly part of the dining room, bring in fresh air, natural light and views of the backyard.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
A widened opening to the left of the double ovens creates better connection with the family room. A 36-inch easy-clean stainless steel French-door refrigerator stands next to a built-in microwave. To the left is a large pantry cabinet. And to the left of that is a new beverage station with glass-front upper cabinets for displaying fine glassware. Cubbies store wine bottles. A beverage fridge sits below. “They love to entertain, and keeping it out of the work zone was important,” Barnhart says. “Having all the beverages and supplies there in one area is great.”
Refrigerator: 800 Series French-door bottom-mount in easy-clean stainless steel, Bosch
Refrigerator: 800 Series French-door bottom-mount in easy-clean stainless steel, Bosch
Before: This floor plan shows the layout of the former kitchen (top center). A narrow island created a tight configuration with limited seating. The unused dining room (top left) offered potential to expand the kitchen and create better connection with the family room. “That family room space felt unused because it was so cut off from the kitchen,” Barnhart says.
After: By removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and expanding the kitchen into the dining room’s space, McDonald and Barnhart created a breezier layout with a large island. They also enlarged the opening to the family room to improve flow between those spaces. “They can do more things together now inside the kitchen,” Barnhart says.
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@tammyj1000 - the ceilings are 8' and the pendants are typically 30-36" above the countertop
@HU-663215429 - the floor is from Mannington, it is from their AduraMAX line, its called Hertiage, the color is Timber
@Lynn Kim - The color is Hale Navy from Sherwin Williams :)
These days it seems that bigger and bigger islands, or islands with table extensions, try to provide the welcoming family seating and work space that we get from a 7-foot x 34” wooden table. I love that I can sit to prep green beans while my granddaughter draws across from me, and that my husband and I can have a casual kitchen meal face-to-face on normal chairs, not in a row on high bar stools.
We are planning to remodel our large kitchen, and want more convenient storage and usable counter space, but we refuse to replace the big, beautiful table with a clunky island. Luckily, there is much better cabinet storage available now, and other ways to optimize counter space.
There’s a reason the heart of the old farmhouse kitchen was the kitchen table. Who knows? In another 10 years, it may be trendy.
Love your island quartz would you share the name of the color and brand?