Olney Upgrade

THE PROJECT GOALS:
The owners wanted to refresh their kitchen, make it a room that was a delight to be in while they enjoy cooking, eating, and hanging out with family and friends. Additionally, they needed more storage and wanted more of a connection between the kitchen and the family room.

THE EXISTING SITUATION:
The existing kitchen layout was efficient and functional, though the family felt disconnected during daily living. The primary duct lines and plumbing run through the wall between the kitchen and family room, limiting a true "open plan" concept renovation scheme, as re-routing these would be cost-prohibitive. There was also a small area for a breakfast table that was underutilized.

THE SOLUTION:
There was not one big ah-ha solution. Instead, the kitchen and its connection to the family room were transformed with a series of small revisions, which together had a strong collective impact. To better connect the family room to the kitchen, the existing ductwork was kept in place--in order to avoid major costs and renovations on multiple floors--but the remainder of the wall was removed. This expanded opening was taken all the way up to the ceiling. Extending the opening as high as possible made the two rooms feel much more connected, even though the width of the opening is not expansive. The remainder of this necessarily-left-in-place wall was used for the additional storage needed including an appliance garage, broom closet, and open shelving. To save cost, most of the kitchen appliances remained. The existing microwave was relocated and replaced with a minimal exhaust hood. Updated cabinets and shelving further brightened the space, and added additional storage solutions.

CLIENT COMMENTS:
"It’s been months now that we’ve been using the kitchen daily, but I still walk into the room and think, ‘Wow, I love this kitchen!’"

“Longhouse gave us so many practical and aesthetically appealing ideas that enhanced the utility of the kitchen.”

Location:

Olney, MD

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Nathan Webb / Longhouse Architects