Before & After: Kitchen Opens Up for Entertaining
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(Image credit: Lana Cohen)
Lana’s home was built in the 1930s, and the separate rooms made it tough to entertain. She was also lacking counter space on either side of the stove. See how she opened up the space while keeping the same layout:
(Image credit: Lana Cohen)
From Lana:
Our old kitchen was a great size and decent layout, but was difficult to entertain in— I always felt like I had my back to the conversation and only had 12 inches of counter on either side of the stove.
We took out the wall between the living and dining room, creating a clear sight line from our front living room windows to a new full-pane glass back door leading to the backyard. By adding a bar between the kitchen and living room, we maintained the wainscoting and formality of the dining room and created a great spot for guests to sit, not to mention one of our favorite spots to spend time.
We replaced everything except appliances, but maintained roughly the same layout which helped with the budget. We wanted to keep with the character of our house so went with white cabinets, soapstone counters and a big farmer’s sink. A solid cherry bar made by my dad softens the black and white up. I love having more space on either side of the stove, made by filling in a doorway we never used (there’s another one a few inches over in the dining room) and not having the microwave over the stove.
We love the openness and fact that we get direct sunlight from one spot or another throughout the whole day. It’s completely changed how we use our house and especially entertain.
See more photos and details over on Houzz.
Thank you Lana!