Even within smaller perimeters, the hardest working room in the house can still offer efficiency and style in grand measure.
Story by Ann Buteans | Photos courtesy of Your Inspired Kitchen
Don’t let the seemingly compact scale of this newly-remodeled kitchen fool you. Despite its smaller size, it delivers all the necessary goods needed to cook, entertain and simply enjoy the space with confidence, class and style.
When the homeowners decided it was time to upgrade the look of their kitchen, they turned to Tom Euston of Your Inspired Kitchen to get the job done. Not only did they want to change the overall appearance of the kitchen, they also wanted to expand its capabilities in terms of storage space.
“This is a fairly small kitchen, but it is really quite open,” explained Euston, who artfully made large design and functionality strides within a minimal footprint.
Euston and his team got to work and created a fully functional culinary workspace by incorporating copious amounts of storage that extends beyond what meets the eye. This took a bit of creative space planning and somewhat of a keen architect’s eye to bring the design to fruition. It also involved rearranging a few key players to create a sense of harmony.
“Where the peninsula is now used to be a raised bar,” noted Euston. “I brought that down to all one level to create more counter space, and there was nothing in the space before where the refrigerator and tall cabinets stand now. The refrigerator was actually on the opposite side of the kitchen originally.”
Within the peninsula is a single bowl sink, intentionally undivided to allow for large pots and pans to be easily cleaned, as well as additional storage cabinets.
Euston added a space for the refrigerator with corresponding taller cabinets to one side and a wine cooler on the opposite side with a wine bottle holder situated directly above. The taller cabinets house the pantry, which includes roll out shelves, and most of the lower cabinets have roll out shelves to extend storage ability.
Euston had a narrow range with respect to what he could do in updating the flooring. Hardwood was desired, but it came with a bit of a twist in order to meet the capabilities of the space.
“Because the floor sits upon a concrete slab, are options were limited. Therefore, we installed vinyl flooring that simulates hardwood,” he indicated.
In addition to the ample storage space this kitchen now offers, Euston incorporated numerous aesthetic touches, such as the dark blue painted maple cabinets, the subway-like tile on the backsplash, undercounter lighting, and upper glass front white cabinets with accent lighting to pull together a warm and cohesive look.
“The back of those glass cabinets were painted in the same color as all other cabinets in the kitchen,” noted Euston, emphasizing that such striking colors as dark blue and even some lighter greens are becoming increasingly popular for kitchen cabinet colors. Additionally, the quartz countertops highlight a subtle gray grain to complement the dark blue tone in the space. The vaulted ceiling then adds a strong layer of character to the room. The pocket door contiguous to the wine refrigerator leads to a conveniently-located laundry room.
