A Kitchen Facelift that Looks Like a Brand New Kitchen

One of our latest projects was a kitchen/family room facelift that with a few changes, made the whole project look like a completely brand new space.
 

BEFORE:  As you can see, the sliding door opened right up into the fireplace area.  We replaced that door with a double-hung window and put a door going out to the deck and gazebo in the center of the bay window instead.  The tile floors were replaced with hardwood flooring and the kitchen peninsula was removed to create a more open traffic pattern.

AFTER:  A new, beautiful island was installed with pendant lighting above it, opening up the flow of the room.  Notice the new window by the fireplace, creating a space that the homeowner can now create a cozy, comfortable seating area in.

BEFORE

AFTER:  New countertops and a newer model ceiling fan along with pendant lights above the island complete the look of this kitchen, making it look completely brand new.  The existing cabinets are over 10 years old and you would NEVER know it.  Notice how lovely the new flooring looks too.

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER:  Notice the correct distance between the island and the the wall cabinetry.  Using a contractor who is aware of proper clearances and keeping the working triangle intact is imperative when doing a kitchen remodel!  Also notice how well the new island cabinetry blends with the existing cabinetry.  You would never know there is a more than 10 year difference in the age of the cabinets.  A testimony to using cabinetry from a reputable manufacturer and dealer.

The Not So Big House Comes to Libertyville

It's been a busy fall with full-time school being a huge focus of my time. During the semester, we were invited to a field trip to visit Sarah Susanka's Not So Big House contribution to the new School Street Subdivision that is being built in Libertyville, Illinois.  Being that we are huge fans of Sarah's and model our own business after her concepts, we were so excited that one of her homes was being built in our area and that we were given this opportunity to enjoy a private tour. 

The idea of the School Street Subdivision is to have an urban feel to it with the homes being narrow and taking up most of the lot space. The homes feature a large front porch to encourage getting to know the neighbors in your community. The development is right in the downtown area of Libertyville, close to the train station, to encourage a lot of walking and public transportation use. Very cool concept and development.

The following are pictures of our trip to visit the home. Notice that a signature design feature of Sarah's is to use differing ceiling heights in an open floor plan to differentiate the spaces throughout the home. She also likes to use different paint colors to add interest and drama (don't be afraid to use color!) along with using the same trim throughout the home to connect the rooms.

The third floor as seen here contains a secret get away loft space accessible via a hidden door and ships ladder. This room can also double as a meditation room or a writers/artist studio

Sarah was previously invited by Marvin Windows to design a signature window.  How cool is it that she then included that window in the design of her School Street Home?

Reproduction lighting in the stairwell. The combination of natural and artificial lighting bouncing around through the stairwell create a "daylight shaft" to brighten the back of the house.

The modest-sized kitchen has many unique design features that make a small space a fun and interesting space to spend time in.  Beautiful lighting and tile work along with an eating area with a bench seat complete the Not So Big look and feel of the room.

In this sitting room, a Murphy bed is installed to accommodate visitors. The sofa is part of the bed and doesn't need to be moved to a different place.

Taking space out of the walls to create multiple built-ins is another intelligent and interesting design feature.

With the house taking up most of the lot space, an outdoor living and gardening area has been created on the rooftop in the back of the house.  Notice the recreation of Sarah's signature window as a design feature at the end of the outdoor space.

We hope you found the tour interesting and that you gain some inspiration from the pictures for a project you may want to do in your own home.  As you will see if you visit the School Street Subdivision website, you too can visit and tour her house through May 19th of this year. We hope that you do!