Tilden Street Kitchen Addition

This beautiful kitchen was born from a nightmare.  The clients had just finished a rocky kitchen remodel with a small addition, only to discover that the contractor had swindled them.  While permits were pulled, inspectors were paid off, structural components were not installed properly, nothing was level or square and the project was not completed.

Their desire–to tear it down, start over, and build it properly. They were concerned about the safety of the structure for their young family and they knew this was to be their forever home.  They wanted a kitchen that integrated with the rest of their home and included some of the historical details.

While the newly remodeled kitchen was functional, it did not solve many of the family’s issues.  After many discussions, alleviating the bottle neck area at the end of the peninsula while retaining a large eat-in and entertaining space were top priority.

Retaining as many of the newly purchased appliances would also be important.

Reworking the plan so that the chef was protected but the family could easily access the back yard was the first step.  Second, incorporating as much storage as possible and creating a drop zone entry bench was achieved.  Lastly and most challenging was correcting the structure so that the space looked and felt continuous rather than two separate spaces.

The family of four is busy, both parents work, and they have two young children. The kitchen is the most important room of their house and is the hub of all the action. A large island gives all the space they need to eat, prepare food, work, and look after both kids at the same time.

Making the kitchen accessible to the kids and helping to teach them to be self-sufficient, the island contains an under cabinet microwave, and a beverage refrigerator gives the kids easy access to essentials.

By hiding outlets just below the counter surface where they are easily accessible, small appliances or laptop cords don’t have to far to reach!

When making the selections for the kitchen, the backsplash was the inspiration and starting point. The cabinet color came second and the wall color a close third. Light marble-look quartz counters bring brightness and light to the space contrasting the other bold colors and patterns and are the ideal low to no maintenance countertop. Hardwood floors are matched to the rest of the home. The large lantern style chandelier over the island is a statement piece with enough negative space to avoid looking heavy.