Transforming main level living to improve functionality for this family of 5

Let’s take a look at how we transformed this space to improve functionality for this busy family of 5. We started with a floor plan that is commonly seen in homes built in the 90’s. You walk into this home and are greeted by a staircase in front of you, and a formal living room to the left. As you walk into the home, you find the kitchen towards the back of the house that is centered between the family room and a formal dining room. More and more, we are doing away with the “formal” spaces. The challenge becomes how to re-invent these rooms to function for a modern family, and that is exactly the problem we set out to solve for this busy family of 5.

Some of the goals for this remodel were to utilize the unused spaces, create an open floor plan, and improve the function and flow of the main gathering areas. Must have items for this family of 5 were-

• A large island with lots of seating

• A walk-in pantry

• To let in as much natural light as possible

• Coffee Station

• A modern, bright feel

• Cabinet accessories to keep their new space organized.

We started by removing the wall that was separating the kitchen and formal dining room/ kids’ room, which created a blank canvas to work with. Opening these spaces also came with challenges because we were left with a long and narrow rectangle space, and we needed to figure out the best design plan that would meet all of their needs. A few things we did-

• We made the window over the sink as large as possible while being cognizant of how it would look from the exterior of the home.

• We removed all of the soffits.

• We replaced the window in the former dining/kids’ room in order to keep natural light coming into the new pantry area.

My client had great ideas of how to incorporate a large walk-in pantry, so we came up with a few design layouts to see which would be the best fit. We landed on a galley style kitchen layout with a large center island to incorporate everything on their wish list. To incorporate the pantry space, we took up part of what used to be the formal dining room/ kids’ area. The formal living area would stay somewhat separated but become more open to the adjacent new kitchen. That space will be used as another gathering area for when they entertain, as well as incorporate a desk space while working from home.

We went with finishes that would lighten up the space. We replaced the dark floors with highly durable luxury vinyl plank flooring in a light white oak. We used painted white cabinetry on the perimeter and paired them with Whitecliff Cambria countertops. We wanted the island to be a showpiece, so we pulled wood tones from the flooring to use on the island and as an accent color on the hood and floating shelves. What makes this island a showpiece is the beautiful Southport Cambria countertop!

To reflect this homeowners modern and fun sense of style, we went with a stunning blue glass tile backsplash along the sink and stove wall, around the window in the coffee niche, and in the pantry. To keep a modern and unique feel, we chose to lay 3x6 subway tile in a stacked vertical pattern. We also laid a complimentary linear mosaic glass tile vertically around the window in the coffee area.

To finish the space, we brought in some black accents with light fixtures and cabinet hardware.

Now this space is bright and open with seating for everyone, and a spot for everything, and this family could not be happier with how everything turned out.