Suitland, MD

When the clients contacted me they were doubtful that the kitchen they desired could be created in the existing space. The house was built from granite block and they did not want to extend beyond the existing footprint of the house. The space in which the  kitchen had been accommodated was created by combining two smaller areas, making a long narrow room which was only 63” wide. It had one exterior wall 89” high which supported the roof joists, making for a rather low ceiling. There were two windows in this wall which, although the same size, were installed at two slightly different heights and both were below standard counter top height.  There were two doorways one into a living room, one into a conservatory.  

By removing the wall between the kitchen and living room and extending the wall forming the front face of a free-standing fireplace in the living room enabled me to use the side wall of the fireplace as the back wall of an area to accommodate the refrigerator and a breakfast bar. The third wall, in the previous configuration , had been in the hallway leading from the entrance hall to the kitchen. In this new configuration shallow wall cabinets were installed at base cabinet height .

During the demolition of the existing kitchen it was discovered that the wall cabinets were the only supports for ceiling. When the new ceiling was installed it was installed following the rake of the roof. This angled ceiling, the recessed lights installed in the ceiling and the concealed lighting installed behind the trim at the top of the wall cabinets all helped to make the room feel wider.

The range was installed between the two windows where the sink had been and the sink was moved to the far wall where the range and refrigerator had stood. Cabinets with angled fronts and decreased in height are installed under the low windows. The windowsills are now of Absolute Black granite with a Leather finish, matching the granite counter tops. Between the sills and the counters are short backsplashes, one slightly higher than the other to disguise the difference in the heights of the widows. Above the windows the framing has also been changed to achieve the same effect. The angling of these cabinets allows for wider floor space where needed, for instance where more cabinet frontage was required  in order to be able to install a DW. They also help to disguise how long and narrow the room really is.  

Inside the cabinets are rollout shelves, tray dividers and a trash rollout.  

The finished product is a compact, contemporary kitchen with lots of style and great storage where a family can sit and have breakfast.

Designed by #JGKB. Photography by Bob Narod.