Kitchen of the Week: Clean and Minimalist With Organic Warmth
A designer found on Houzz expands a teeny-tiny kitchen into a whole-floor cooking and dining entertainment space
This Toronto couple loved to host their extended family for meals. But the tiny kitchen and dining area in their townhome didn’t have enough space for all of them to eat together. They searched for local interior design work they liked on Houzz, and after admiring designer Ketty Khuong’s Houzz portfolio, they hired her. Their wish list included a larger dining area with a built-in banquette, more pantry storage and an island with seating. The new modern, minimalist space has warm organic touches and plenty of room for the whole extended family to eat together.
After: Khuong removed the L-shaped wall where the range had been, to the left of the fridge. This opened the kitchen up to the former living room space. She transformed the living room space into a new dining room.
Because this is a condo, there were some elements that couldn’t be moved, including electrical and plumbing. And a few other things came up along the way, such as an existing gas line that had been hidden by the L-shaped wall. Khuong concealed it with the slim cabinet next to the fridge. “We put the hardware on the door to make it look like a pantry cabinet, but it doesn’t actually open,” she says.
Because this is a condo, there were some elements that couldn’t be moved, including electrical and plumbing. And a few other things came up along the way, such as an existing gas line that had been hidden by the L-shaped wall. Khuong concealed it with the slim cabinet next to the fridge. “We put the hardware on the door to make it look like a pantry cabinet, but it doesn’t actually open,” she says.
Before: This photo shows the front door and the coat closet that served it. The existing style of the kitchen was not to the homeowners’ tastes. “They like modern minimalism with some organic warmth,” Khuong says.
The homeowners wanted the kitchen to work with the existing flooring. “We planned the entire palette around this flooring,” the designer says. However, the contractor found that saving the floor and weaving new pieces in was impossible, so they wound up replacing it.
The homeowners wanted the kitchen to work with the existing flooring. “We planned the entire palette around this flooring,” the designer says. However, the contractor found that saving the floor and weaving new pieces in was impossible, so they wound up replacing it.
After: Khuong disguised the coat closet with a wardrobe that blends in seamlessly with the kitchen. “They didn’t have any room for shoes near the door, so I mounted the shoe cabinet to the wall on the left,” she says. The slim cabinet adds some black to the white-and-wood scheme, playing off the freshly painted front door, as well as the matte black faucets and pendant lights.
“Since we had already planned our palette around the existing flooring, we found something very similar,” Khuong says. The new floor is engineered oak hardwood.
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“Since we had already planned our palette around the existing flooring, we found something very similar,” Khuong says. The new floor is engineered oak hardwood.
Hire a local countertop pro
Before: Space in the existing kitchen was very tight. The homeowners wanted a layout that included an island with seating. Also note the bulky soffit between the upper cabinets and ceiling.
After: By opening up the kitchen to the dining room, Khuong made space for an island that has room to seat three on one side and storage for dishes and glassware on the other. The waterfall countertop gives it a clean, minimalist look.
The designer also reduced the depth of the soffit, making it less obtrusive. She added recessed lights into it as well as into the ceiling.
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
The designer also reduced the depth of the soffit, making it less obtrusive. She added recessed lights into it as well as into the ceiling.
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
Khuong chose a quartz with warm cream veining to bring in the organic feel, as well as veneers in an elm look for the lower cabinets. The veneer product is melamine-saturated decor paper that’s thermally fused to the MDF cabinet doors.
“We had this leftover space on the upper cabinets, and adding another door would have looked odd,” Khuong says. Instead, she left an open cubby lined in wood that picks up on the lower cabinets.
“We had this leftover space on the upper cabinets, and adding another door would have looked odd,” Khuong says. Instead, she left an open cubby lined in wood that picks up on the lower cabinets.
The backsplash is a little hard to make out in these photos. It’s vertically oriented subway tile laid in a grid pattern. This composition gives the traditional element a modern look.
The new dining table has a modern Scandinavian look, and its wood adds more of the natural warmth the clients like. Another item on their must-have list was a banquette, which makes it easier to squeeze in more family members. Khuong wrapped the built-in banquette around two sides of the table.
The large cabinet to the right of the table serves as a pantry and has rollout shelves inside. It also houses the microwave and other small appliances.
Browse dining chairs in the Houzz Shop
The large cabinet to the right of the table serves as a pantry and has rollout shelves inside. It also houses the microwave and other small appliances.
Browse dining chairs in the Houzz Shop
The side of the table next to the window can also serve as a sunny spot to relax. The homeowners chose the black-and-white photographs themselves, with some general guidance from Khuong.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
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More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Toronto
Size: 500 square feet (46 square meters)
Designer: Ketty Khuong of Ke Design Collective
Before: The existing kitchen was tiny. “The homeowners have a lot of extended family in the area and wanted space to have them over for dinners,” Khuong says. The small dining table was inadequate for that type of entertaining.
The kitchen is on the first floor. “Because this townhome is four stories high, my clients decided they didn’t need a living room on this floor. There wasn’t a good spot to mount a TV, so they figured they would use space on another floor for that,” Khuong says. Without the need for a living area down here, they decided to dedicate the entire first floor to the kitchen and dining space. The floor is about 500 square feet.
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