03/21/2022
I learned so much when I was in design school: color theory, drafting, material sourcing, etc.; however, the most important lesson I learned is KNOW YOUR CLIENT – HOW THEY LIVE AND HOW THEY WORK! Ask the questions, spend time shadowing them in their home/office, watch how they interact with the space and the missteps they take to put the knife away or try to open the cabinet door that is blocked by the open dishwasher. This lesson proved to be the most important with my first kitchen remodel job after graduation. When I first met with the homeowners, their biggest concern was the lack of storage as you can see from the this previous post: https://www.facebook.com/hamptonid/posts/151006323313053. The ceilings are only 8ft, there is not much natural light, and with the peninsula and the stove, dishwasher, fridge and sink tucked in one corner, there is not much room for both to work.
As I began to learn how this couple “lived” and “worked” in their kitchen space, more things became apparent that we needed to address. 3 young kids living at home, tall husband who cooks a lot, wife who bakes, large family who they entertain frequently, flooring that must stay because it is throughout the home, a workplace for bills/mail, a place for the kids school stuff, baking storage, spice storage, more outlets, more seating, a 19” tall bottle of tequila that they pick up every year on vacation from Mexico and THE LIST GOES ON!! THIS WAS THE HUB OF THE HOME – of the family! And you could feel it.
Although these talented clients picked all their cabinet, tiles, finishes/colors, we were brought in for planning and layout. We were able to:
- create a more functional layout and traffic flow by moving the refrigerator and eliminating the peninsula.
- add substantially more storage, including 2 pantries in the kitchen which were non-existent before
- add a serving buffet with multiple power outlets for entertaining and potlucks in the dining area.
-increase light (naturally and artificial) which gives the feeling of a larger, taller space by adding a larger kitchen window, 3-pane cascading sliding door, and adequately placed recessed lighting.
- organize purposeful cabinet placement – a place for everything, including the 19” tall tequila bottle.
- design a workspace appropriate for both chef’s height in the kitchen – 40” high island in contrast to the typical 36" countertops throughout the rest of the kitchen, even added a cutting board at 36" in a cabinet in the island over the trash can for "normal" cutting height.
Another big thanks to Melissa Kuret Photography for the beautiful photos.
