As in many older houses, the kitchen in this English Georgian home built in 1925, and located in a Chicago suburb, was closed off from other rooms, leaving the cook isolated and unable to participate in family banter while preparing meals. Not only was the storage inadequate, but the runs of cabinetry along the perimeter made the process of food preparation inefficient. And the small size of the space and its outdated appliances also influenced the laundry list of what the clients wanted to change. “The kitchen as a whole was deteriorating — it was decades old,” says kitchen designer Jean Stoffer of Jean Stoffer Design, River Forest, Ill.
“When I met with the clients, they communicated a desire to open the kitchen to the adjacent breakfast room to make the space more conducive for the husband, wife, and their three children to gather as a family; to have adequate storage in the right places; and to have high-performance appliances — all in a somewhat contemporary aesthetic while still remaining true to the home's traditional roots,” she says.
Assessing NeedsThe first step in Stoffer's approach to designing a space is to assess the client's specific needs. She asks about the basics — How many sinks do you want? How many people do you want to seat at the island? — but also goes a step further. “I ask scores of questions that require a narrative type of response, such as: How do you want your kitchen to feel? Explain how you hope to use your kitchen when you invite friends or family over. Do you have any hobbies for which you need to store special equipment in the kitchen (e.g., baking, candy making, etc.)?
Stoffer then develops concept drawings — to-scale hand-drawn sketches — of the floor plan and wall elevations. She shows the client the drawings, answering any questions and paying close attention to the client's comments. She meets with them again after they've had a couple of weeks to consider the design, to see if it accommodates all their needs. With revisions made, she then creates the shop drawings.
Making It WorkTo open up the kitchen area, architect Thomas Bair first determined which of the columns and beams between the kitchen and breakfast room were structurally necessary. Although most could be removed, one column had to remain in the middle of the kitchen. Stoffer made it an integral part of the design by paneling it in cherry to match the island and hutch cabinetry.
At less than 12 feet in width, the narrowness of the space proved the most difficult challenge because the client had requested an island in addition to ample storage. “As a solution, I lined up the rangetop, hood, microwave, sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, and two ovens (all requiring 24 inches of depth) along the north wall,” Stoffer says. “We kept the island slender at 27 inches, and lined the south wall with 12-inch deep, floor-to-ceiling pantry storage.”
“With all the necessary equipment and storage taken care of, I was then able to design something pretty for the west wall where the architect suggested putting a window looking through to the mud-room,” Stoffer says. She designed a built-in hutch, common in dining rooms in that type of home, in an Arts and Crafts style, which the clients appreciate.
“We put art glass in the upper portion of the doors and hung pendants with art glass shades in front of the window,” she says. “The whole piece was made in cherry, which contrasts nicely with the natural maple cabinetry. It references the traditional styling of the home and provides a great foil for the maple cabinetry's more modern styling.”
The location of the hutch, however, created a design challenge by turning the countertop area in the corner to the right of the hutch into dead space. The designer solved the dilemma by installing cherry apothecary-style drawers where the clients can store recipe cards, birthday candles, and more.
Tying It All TogetherStoffer satisfied the clients' desire for the infusion of a contemporary aesthetic by using natural maple for most of the cabinetry. “A personal favorite design detail is the marquetry inlays on the maple panels,” she says. “This gives quite a visual zing without appearing overdone. I specified extra-wide rails on the panels to enhance the modern feel. And the frosted glass panels at the top of the cabinets provide an interesting change of texture and bring the eye upward.”
The contemporary feel continues with the appliances. “Stainless steel was an easy choice and offers a textural change from all the wood cabinetry,” Stoffer says. Added to that are the polished chrome cabinet pulls and polished Blue Eyes granite countertops. Iridescent blue circles within the black granite come alive when light from the pendants suspended over the island shines on them.
The style of the faucet, apron-front sink, and backsplash tile tie the kitchen to its traditional roots. “One of the clients is from England, and the tile is also from England. I felt that the antique crackle and Old World–style hand-painting was an interesting juxtaposition to the more contemporary elements in the room,” Stoffer says.
A stickler for details, the designer packed every inch of the kitchen with functional elements. “Favorite details include the pull-out columns for spice, oil, and vinegar storage on either side of the rangetop, and pull-out columns for baking ingredients including specialty sugars and flavorings on either side of the dropped-down counter below the mudroom window,” she says. The area underneath the sink houses pull-out trash and recycling bins. There's also a towel bar built into the side of the island.
Then there are the surprises that come when walls and partitions are moved. “After demolition we discovered that we had 6 inches more space on the north wall than we originally thought. I came up with the broom storage pull-out column at the far-right end of the wall of cabinetry,” Stoffer says. “It solved the broom and dustpan storage problem and gave us a visually interesting item to frame the large block of stainless steel by the refrigerator and ovens.”
Probing clients for details about how they want their kitchen to feel and perform has enabled Stoffer to artfully design a well-crafted space that improves both the quality of family life and the quality of cooking.
Project Details
Project | Remodel small, enclosed kitchen into larger 240-square-foot space that opens to breakfast nook
Location | Chicago suburb Cost | $90,000
Kitchen designer | Jean Stoffer, Jean Stoffer Design, River Forest, Ill., www.jeanstofferdesign.com
Architect | Thomas Bair
General contractor | Tom Madden
Products and Materials
Cabinetry | Stoffer Design Collection
Countertops | Stone Design
Main sink and island sink | Kohler
Main faucet and island faucet | The Whitehaus Collection
Refrigerator | Sub-Zero
Rangetop | Viking
Wall ovens | Miele
Dishwasher | Bosch
Microwave | KitchenAid
Backsplash tile | Ann Sacks
Temporary Kitchen
“Living through a kitchen remodel can be very difficult physically, emotionally, and mentally. One recommendation I strongly make is to set up a temporary kitchen in a section of the house that is not terribly affected by the dirt of remodeling,” Stoffer says. “Living out of a microwave and the laundry tub in the basement is too difficult for a period of several months. The burden to manage in this situation, and the associated problems with nutrition and the inability to properly sanitize dishes and glasses, can lead to emotional turmoil.”
Stoffer suggests you encourage clients to spend a few extra dollars to have a refrigerator, stove, sink, and dishwasher installed in a temporary location. “A temporary kitchen,” she says, “is a very smart investment.”
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