Realtors will tell you that there are two types of home buyers – those who can envision changing an existing home to better suit their needs and those who cannot see past the faults. Many of our clients tend to be the former, as is the case with this Carmel family. “When I moved in, I told my husband that the kitchen was going to have to be redone someday.” stated the homeowner. “It took about 7 years, but we finally did it.”
Built in 1998, the original kitchen reflects the design attributes of the 90s. “it was too small, and we did not have enough storage space,” said the homeowner. “We have a large family and we do a lot of entertaining. We would all be cornered in to the tiny kitchen space, and I would have my back to all of my guests. The flow did not did not make sense and the work triangle was not working.”
Current design trends create kitchens with open flow, a central workspace, lots of storage options, and increased functionality. How each of these principals is applied to a kitchen depends upon the needs of the client.
Open Flow:
Working within the existing footprint to create better flow is a common remodeling goal. For this kitchen, extending the island further in to the empty space between the kitchen and the family room did not obstruct the foot traffic yet greatly expanded the usable space.
Central Workspace:
According to the homeowner, “We wanted a really big island to use as a food prep area, storage and seating area for the kids. But, we did not want just a huge rectangle. My husband came up with the design for a more decorative island. The storage gives us a spot for our cookbooks now, and we added plugs so we could use laptops there.”
Storage:
“Storage was a primary goal for the remodel. In the old kitchen, there were not enough drawers and things were just piled and shoved into any spot we could find,” stated the homeowner. “
In the new kitchen, we went from 7 drawers to 22. I knew I wanted pull-out drawers in the pantry cabinets so it would be easier for the kids. The cookie sheet rack is very helpful too.
“We also needed a place to store glassware and another place to put drinks/plates down when having a get-together,” said the homeowner. “Before the remodel, we had a piece of furniture there that was not working well. It was just wasted space and now it is useful. We also use it as a charging station. ”
Finishes:
“We chose plain cabinetry, so we wanted to choose a few unique pieces like the pendant lights to make the space our own, said the homeowner. “We chose honed granite for the island countertop because we loved it from the beginning. It is a bit different, and we like the texture. It also hides crumbs well.”
Advanced in sink design are marrying the many needs of home cooks. Acccording to the homeonwer, “We originally thought we wanted a farmhouse sink, but then we saw the large sink with the low separator. It keeps food in the garbage disposal area and still gives us the ability to put large pots and pans in it.”
Quick-cooking kitchen technology is also making in-roads into today’s kitchen design. However, speed is not always the only consideration. “We chose an induction cooktop because it is safer for our special needs daughter,” stated the homeowner. “She cannot reach up and burn herself on the burners.”
Having a kitchen designer with you throughout the design process can help balance aesthetics with budget. “When we first went shopping for our materials we fell in love with the glass tile, but it was too expensive to use all over,” said the homeowner. “Our CaseIndy designer came up with the design to mix in the less expensive tile, and we love the look.”
Final Result:
“We now use our kitchen the way we thought we would and designed for,” stated the homeowner. Having the vision to see how this existing house would eventually look allowed these homeowners to turn a not-so-perfect home into a place they now thoroughly enjoy.
Need some help envisioning what your not-so-perfect house could become? Schedule a free in-home consultation with one of our CaseIndy Designers. Send us an email, or give us a call at 317-846-2600.
