Small Shift for a Big Difference

Small Shift for a Big Difference

This John’s Creek home was typical of homes built in the 1980’s. The owner had added an island cabinet for the microwave and for storage. Countertop space was at a a minimum and the pantry space in the kitchen was insufficient. To help with that, a pantry cabinet had been installed in the laundry room resulting in poor workflow for both the kitchen and laundry room.

There were a number of minor changes to the floor plan that had a huge impact on the overall layout and functionality of the space. We moved one of the laundry room walls about 15 inches, relocated the refrigerator, and created a space for the new oven and a pantry cabinet that doubled the storage space.

Storage space was significantly increased by adding cabinets to the back side of the island instead of using it for seating. Since the laundry room size was reduced, there wasn’t as much wall space for cabinetry but to compensate, 27 inch deep upper cabinets were used. With this, the owner doesn’t have to lean over the washer and dryer as far to reach items and the extra depth gives them more storage.

We wanted to keep the look lighter than the old dark kitchen. Painted cabinets are more expensive and traditionally stained cabinets are not in keeping with modern design. The good news is that manufacturers have non-traditional stains that integrate well with todays look. We used painted upper cabinets combined with gray stained lower and tall cabinets to control costs. The painted uppers keep the look lighter while the darker cabinets anchor the space.

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Project Overview

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A view of the completed kitchen with the laundry room in hte background. We were able to change the configuration of the room with only minor repairs to the existing slate tile floor.

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Countertop space was a premium, so to maximize what was available, we used an induction cooktop. It heats faster and with more control than a gas cooktop and when not in use, it can function as counter space. To provide a landing zone for keys and the things the homeowner would grab on the way out the door, the desk in the kitchen was replaced with a hutch. The top drawer in the lower cabinet has a charging station for cell phones and other electronic devices.

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End panels and furniture baseboard moldings were used on the island to give it an upscale feel. The storage cabinets on the back of the island gave the impression of a high end paneled back while providing more space.

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An overview showing the revised work flow for the space. The refrigerator, sink, and cooktop are arranged in a traditional work triangle. A downdraft vent was used to removed cooking odors. Since the only option for this kitchen was a downdraft vent, it was advantageous to use an induction cooktop because a downdraft can blow out a gas burner on a low setting.

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The reconfigured laundry room with the front loading washer and dryer. The work surface above them can be used for folding clothing and the storage cabinet on the left is sized for detergent bottles and the like so reaching above isn’t necessary on a day by day basis. The upper cabinets are deep and don’t require much of a reach to access items stored there.

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The new panty with roll out shelves. With the revised floor plan, this pantry became a possibility. The lower shelves pull out allowing the owner to see everything in a quick glance – the dark corners are not there anymore.

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Two cabinets were added to the back of the island. Traditionally owners want this space for guests to sit, but in this case the size and configuration of the space didn’t support sitting on the back side of the island. In order to not waste what was there, we used two cabinets to provide additional storage for occasional use and seasonal items.

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The original kitchen. Dark and brown from the 1980’s complete with the faux wood beams that break the space up making it appear to be smaller than it really is.
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Another view of the original kitchen with the added island.