Design by Meghan Browne in Washington, DC

The original kitchen was completely closed off to the other spaces in the house, making the existing kitchen footprint cramped and unsocial.  We decided to take down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room.  In addition, we opened up the landing space behind the kitchen that leads to the basement from the front foyer.  These small adjustments in the footprint completely transformed the flow of the kitchen from a closed-off separate room into the center of the home.  It also allowed us to add a large island with seating, making it perfect for entertaining as well as everyday family meals.

By taking away a small kitchen window and replacing it with two large windows along the back wall it allowed to light to flood into the kitchen and for the family to enjoy the view of their evergreen garden year-round.

The open window wall created an opportunity to add a feature color to the back wall.

The blue-green tile was a beautiful match with the clean Scandinavian look of the maple cabinets and a pop of grey-blue base cabinets.  The walnut accents with the beams and countertop brought in a warm contrasting tone to the rest of the materials.

The cabinet doors were kept flat and clean with minimal hardware.  In order to keep that clean, clutter-free look, we included several cabinet features that made storing countertop clutter a breeze.  The corner tall cabinet doors bi-fold to reveal the coffee maker and toaster storage.  The microwave is hidden behind a tilt-up door in a convenient location next to the Refrigerator.   Finally, we added a small drywall niche for a desk area with tilt-up doors for storage.