Everything about this kitchen refresh and dining pair-up aimed to illustrate the reality that (even when you don’t cook) – the place where you gather and eat will likely be the hub of your home.

Previously dated and poorly re-modeled by the previous owners – liberties were taken with this kitchen in order to balance it’s functional and aesthetic limitations. While never intending to be a chef’s kitchen, it now offers a cozy feel, great opportunity for sharing travel finds and interesting art and objects and inspires a gathering for a meal (or a bottle of wine as the case may be). A statement backsplash helped unify existing base cabinets which were refinished and the upper cabinetry was removed to offer some variety – a custom hood surround, floating shelves, and upper cabinets with lovely grasscloth featured in the back. New light fixtures and a fresh roman shade and it all feels like new!

Since the footprint of the kitchen was so small and an island for a more casual dine-in opportunity was not feasible, a high-top bistro-type setup was what was opted for, balancing the passage to the cozy dining room and offering up a nice place to perch and watch the chef at work – or a cozy place to read and drink your coffee in the morning. Working around the existing floors and dish pantry storage that was original to the house, playing up this more minor transition area added to the gathering capacity of the home but also really brought purpose to a “hallway” that wasn’t really it’s own room but that didn’t have to be completely useless either.

Then of course, the lovely dining space. With the table being a family heirloom, paired with cheap and cheerful slipcovered chairs and a really awesome light fixture that added a lot of ambiance – this room was the surprise stand out in the project for us. A fresh coat of paint helped accentuate the character of the room with the broad arch from the living room, and we actually love the original plaster texture on the walls in here.

Often in an older home, the balance of functional use of the square footage and opportunity to find new purpose for that same footprint is a critical step to take in the overall design assessment. Adding value where it was not originally, and tying together spaces that warrant a visit or hangout is our favorite thing to do!