Kitchen of the Week: From Dated and Isolated to Open and User-Friendly
Rethinking spaces allows an active California family to enjoy a modern, smartly designed kitchen and dining area
Scott Hanin and Laurel Bray-Hanin love to entertain, but their kitchen, which was cut off from their home by a series of doors, wasn’t exactly a welcoming party zone. “When they entertained, everyone would end up clogged in the kitchen,” says designer Rochelle Silberman, who helped the couple create a more open layout and update the finishes.
AFTER: Looking at the rooms now from pretty much the same angle, you’re probably having trouble believing that it’s the same space. Silberman turned the previous pantry, bathroom and laundry area into the extended kitchen space you see here — everything from the refrigerator to the left. (See floor plans at the end of this article for more detail.)
The window around the corner from the fridge to the right was where the previous corner sink sat. Silberman relocated the pantry to another spot in the kitchen, and she moved the laundry and bathroom to other spaces in the house.
The kitchen now enjoys designated zones for prepping, cooking and serving meals. A new five-burner gas cooktop from Wolf, with a stainless steel hood and drawer storage below for pots and pans, sits next to double wall ovens and a warming drawer. Both the cooking zone and the sink area enjoy lots of natural light, thanks to an expanded back window over the cooktop, and a new window created above the kitchen’s main sink. “I wanted to have the kitchen more exposed to the outdoors, to views and the greenery in the backyard,” Bray-Hanin says.
A flat-screen TV above the new stainless steel refrigerator allows the family to catch up with the news or a big sports game. A microwave and coffee center with drawers below for mugs and coffee essentials to the left of the fridge form a breakfast center. Silberman kept upper cabinets to a minimum for a more open and spacious feel.
Refrigerator: Samsung; vent hood: Zephyr; sink: Schock; sink faucet: Grohe; wall ovens, microwave and warming drawer: Bosch Home Appliances; coffee center: Miele; windows: Integrity, Marvin Windows & Doors
The window around the corner from the fridge to the right was where the previous corner sink sat. Silberman relocated the pantry to another spot in the kitchen, and she moved the laundry and bathroom to other spaces in the house.
The kitchen now enjoys designated zones for prepping, cooking and serving meals. A new five-burner gas cooktop from Wolf, with a stainless steel hood and drawer storage below for pots and pans, sits next to double wall ovens and a warming drawer. Both the cooking zone and the sink area enjoy lots of natural light, thanks to an expanded back window over the cooktop, and a new window created above the kitchen’s main sink. “I wanted to have the kitchen more exposed to the outdoors, to views and the greenery in the backyard,” Bray-Hanin says.
A flat-screen TV above the new stainless steel refrigerator allows the family to catch up with the news or a big sports game. A microwave and coffee center with drawers below for mugs and coffee essentials to the left of the fridge form a breakfast center. Silberman kept upper cabinets to a minimum for a more open and spacious feel.
Refrigerator: Samsung; vent hood: Zephyr; sink: Schock; sink faucet: Grohe; wall ovens, microwave and warming drawer: Bosch Home Appliances; coffee center: Miele; windows: Integrity, Marvin Windows & Doors
A wine bar and drink station now occupy the space formerly held by the refrigerator. Silberman expanded the entrance to the dining room by removing a portion of wall and upper cabinets in the previous kitchen.
Bray-Hanin came up with the soothing gray-and-white color scheme. “I just wanted a neutral palette that I thought would be ageless,” she says. The new gray walls, contrasting quartz counters — frosty white on the island, concrete gray on the perimeter counters — porcelain-tile floor and backsplash of light gray subway tile complement the semicustom white cabinets with oil-rubbed bronze hardware.
Wall paint: Proper Gray SW-6003, Sherwin-Williams; floor tile: Freedom in Nero, 12 by 24 inches, Import Tile; counters: Frosty Carrina and Sleek Concrete, Classico collection, Caesarstone; island stools: Crate & Barrel; cabinets: StarMark Cabinetry; drawer pulls and cabinet knobs, Rejuvenation; beverage center with wine cooler: KitchenAid
Bray-Hanin came up with the soothing gray-and-white color scheme. “I just wanted a neutral palette that I thought would be ageless,” she says. The new gray walls, contrasting quartz counters — frosty white on the island, concrete gray on the perimeter counters — porcelain-tile floor and backsplash of light gray subway tile complement the semicustom white cabinets with oil-rubbed bronze hardware.
Wall paint: Proper Gray SW-6003, Sherwin-Williams; floor tile: Freedom in Nero, 12 by 24 inches, Import Tile; counters: Frosty Carrina and Sleek Concrete, Classico collection, Caesarstone; island stools: Crate & Barrel; cabinets: StarMark Cabinetry; drawer pulls and cabinet knobs, Rejuvenation; beverage center with wine cooler: KitchenAid
AFTER: Silverman closed off part of the breezeway and converted it to a walk-in pantry. Upgraded windows removed the draft and offer improved views.
Breakfast table: Room & Board; chairs: Crate & Barrel; windows: Integrity, Marvin Windows & Doors
Breakfast table: Room & Board; chairs: Crate & Barrel; windows: Integrity, Marvin Windows & Doors
The pantry features pullout drawers and a magnetic chalkboard on the insides of the doors. “This pantry allows food to be in one central location, instead of being spread out in a bunch of different spots,” Silberman says.
She also added electrical outlets and a USB port on the walls inside the pantry for charging phones and electronic devices.
She also added electrical outlets and a USB port on the walls inside the pantry for charging phones and electronic devices.
A view into the kitchen from the dining room shows the new corner prep sink and storage area for pet items like leashes and medications.
Panels covering the wall that encloses the refrigerator and the painted dentil fascia molding in the dining room give the updated spaces a finished look. Recycled bourbon bottles encapsulate LED filament bulbs for a retro light fixture in the dining room.
Dining room wall paint: Mink SW-6004, Sherwin-Williams; pendants: Metro Lighting; prep sink: Schock; sink faucet: Grohe
Panels covering the wall that encloses the refrigerator and the painted dentil fascia molding in the dining room give the updated spaces a finished look. Recycled bourbon bottles encapsulate LED filament bulbs for a retro light fixture in the dining room.
Dining room wall paint: Mink SW-6004, Sherwin-Williams; pendants: Metro Lighting; prep sink: Schock; sink faucet: Grohe
AFTER: Rethinking the layout of the kitchen and changing the location of surrounding rooms (including the new full bath, now easily accessible from the breezeway-hallway off the living room) result in better use of the available space.
The custom island has an angled design that works with the layout to offer a bit more countertop space and seating. There’s also a pullout trash, compost and recycling station on the end across from the main sink.
“The kitchen now allows us to cook and entertain in a much more organic way,” Bray-Hanin says. “I love how it looks, but it’s also incredibly functional, and that’s the best part.”
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The custom island has an angled design that works with the layout to offer a bit more countertop space and seating. There’s also a pullout trash, compost and recycling station on the end across from the main sink.
“The kitchen now allows us to cook and entertain in a much more organic way,” Bray-Hanin says. “I love how it looks, but it’s also incredibly functional, and that’s the best part.”
See more Kitchens of the Week
Find out which of 12 great kitchen styles is right for you
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Scott Hanin and Laurel Bray-Hanin, their two children, dog Olive and cat Max
Location: El Cerrito, California
“Before” size: About 195 square feet (18 square meters)
“After” size: About 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Rochelle Silberman
BEFORE: The compartmentalized kitchen had a U-shaped cooking area, seen straight ahead, that caused a bottleneck for any guests trying to gather in it. The door to the left led to a combined pantry, powder room and laundry area. In the foreground sat a dining space with a door that opened right into it from a breezeway. Turning right past the refrigerator led to a formal dining room. “They needed something open,” Silberman says.