Making the Most of a Foxhall Village Townhouse Kitchen: Pt 2
Our last blog post (part one of this two-part series) discussed part of a kitchen remodeling project the Wentworth team completed in the Foxhall Village neighborhood of Washington, DC. Continue reading about this project below:
The Right Details
Small kitchens rely on a host of design features to maximize space. Cabinets with roll-out shelving and functional accessories use space wisely. For this particular kitchen, dead space was found to tuck a pantry under a stair. Glass cabinet doors, mixed with solid doors, create a sense of lightness, pattern, and movement. With glass cabinet doors, one can experience the extra depth of the cabinet to create the illusion of more space. In this kitchen, oak floors were continued from the adjacent space to enhance the flow. White painted cabinets are always light, bright and traditional; and in this case, the backsplash of white 3 x 6 inch subway tile continues a 1920s period style. A manmade countertop of Caesarstone is practical and attractive. An existing cooling duct and a new exhaust duct within a bulkhead minimize visual clutter. A steel beam supports the brick above the new opening at the rear addition and allows the new and old spaces to appear seamless.
New Furniture Plan for the Dining Room
The open plan kitchen fits the homeowners’ informal lifestyle and spurred our design team to tackle the useless “formal dining room” problem to further maximize space. Their traditional dining room table in the middle of the room was sold, and a smaller table with pull-out leaves was purchased to be placed against the wall. When more seating is required for guests, the table is pulled away from the wall, centered in the room, and expands to seat eight. Flexible track lighting suits both furniture configurations. Two upholstered, host and hostess chairs with arms were specified for permanent use, and smaller, armless chairs for guests were placed in various rooms of the house until needed. With some additional upholstered seating, the old dining room can double as a sitting room with a character appropriate to the couple’s informal lifestyle.
Summary
Upon completing the remodeling the homeowners “were pleasantly surprised by the amount of sunlight streaming into the kitchen and dining room—what a difference from their old gloomy galley kitchen.” The design and construction team hit the right balance of efficient use of space and comfortable style.
Do you want to remodel your kitchen or reconfigure space in your home in the Washington, DC area? The Wentworth team has experience remodeling older, historic homes in the DC metropolitan area and looks forward to discussing your project with you.
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