{ KITCHEN: DESIGN: LAYOUT }

…we love to cook …well, Manny loves to cook, I love to do some of the prep work, prepare cold dishes and appetizers, plate, and stand around with a glass of wine while he does the cooking... so, we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. aside from needing a major make-over, the kitchen layout was not conducive to that. therefore, the goal was not only to update the kitchen, but to reconfigure the layout to make it work for us. in order to do this, the new design needed to:

·  “feel bigger,” as it is a small kitchen (120 SF);
·  be efficient;
·  provide more counter space and distinct prep areas;
·  provide more storage area;
·  provide functional storage areas;

…and last but, definitely not least, this one is difficult:

·  have the right balance between form and function

…redesigning the kitchen entailed:

·  inverting the location of the refrigerator and range. the previous layout felt small because every wall plane was broken up. this change creates an unobstructed wall, opening up the space; inverting these appliances also creates a better flow or “work triangle;”

·  removing the unnecessary soffit. the result of this was instantaneous; immediately it felt as though the volume had grown;

·  extending the partition wall to create additional counter area. creating a separate prep area, outside the triangle, eliminates  path conflicts and unintentional toe-stepping. as it turns out, there was no actual net gain in counter area [I had to do the math twice]; however, increasing their functionality, creates the illusion that counter area was added;

·  using every inch of space by designing floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets;

·  using open shelving in lieu of upper cabinets to maintain the “openness.” In spite of eliminating upper cabinets, the usable storage area increased by 40%;

·  shifting the location of the sink. in order to maximize storage areas, the dishwasher had to be moved to the exterior wall; in order for it to fit on that wall, the sink had to shift from its location (centered on the window). …and no, it doesn’t bother us that it is off-center. symmetry is overrated;

·  removing the ceiling fan. it had to be done; and

·  installing recessed light fixtures. the lighting placement was perfected by our light-savvy friend, Hector, whose only direction was “It needs to be bright and Manny does not want to see his own shadow as he is chopping away on the counter.” not only did he accomplish this, but he also successfully used lighting to emphasize design elements.

…take a look:

...existing plan:

...proposed plan (roll over the image):

...interior elevations: