Travis Neighbor Ward

A Cramped, Worn-Out Kitchen Becomes a Spacious and Efficient Cooking Space for Two.

By Travis Neighbor Ward

Belinda Chan, M.D., and Peter Schott knew they were headed for a renovation when they bought their 1909 Shingle Style house. Holes in the ceilings on all three floors needed plastering over, plumbing and wiring had to be replaced, and the outdated kitchen needed more than a cosmetic overhaul. But the house had other attributes they wanted. It was big (4,100 square feet and six bedrooms), situated on a tree-lined street with a nice backyard, and within walking distance of the Yale University Campus in New Haven, Connecticut, where Peter is a professor of economics. "All the homes in the area we liked needed work," says Belinda, who was undeterred by the condition of the place. So in February 1999 they moved in, and by August were addressing their biggest concern, the time-worn kitchen.

The cheap oak-veneer cabinets, peeling laminate countertops, pockmarked blue linoleum flooring, and old appliances would go. In their place, the couple, both avid cooks, wanted state-of-the-art appliances and an open layout designed for team food prep, since they like to make dinner for as many as 30 friends at a time. The existing 14 1/​2-by-16-foot space was too cramped for their needs-and for the eating area they desired. Also, since they knew they'd be spending much of their time in the kitchen, they wanted a warm and comfortable room that would work stylistically with the rest of the house.

PROBLEM
The kitchen's existing work triangle was very tight. The range sat along the one windowed wall within an L-shaped counter. Just 3 1/​2 feet across from the L, another length of counter held the sink. Hemming in the space further was a 28-inch-deep niche that housed the refrigerator. "It just stuck out in the middle of the room," says Belinda. What's more, five separate doorways opening off the kitchen to the living room, butler's pantry, mudroom, basement, and laundry room made traffic flow a nightmare. With just two windows and poor overhead lighting, the room was also dark, which made it seem even more confining.

SOLUTION
The couple turned over their rehab wish list to a local firm, Common Vision. Designers Steve King and Cyrus Miller suggested annexing the space of three adjacent rooms-the butler's pantry, laundry room, and mudroom-to provide the wide-open expanse the couple needed. Knocking down the one wall that separated these rooms from the kitchen and removing the fridge niche netted a total of 330 square feet. "Space-hunting is often the first task in the design process," says This Old House host Steve Thomas. "Belinda and Peter were lucky to be able to grab three neighboring areas, providing lots of room for their new kitchen."

The new plan called for turning the old work zone into a light-filled eating area framed by five double-hung windows, plus a glass-paned door leading to the backyard. The food-prep arena would shift to the former laundry and mudroom spaces—where, conveniently, plumbing and electrical systems were already in place. A 7-foot-long peninsula would separate the dining area from the work area in the open-plan kitchen. The alcove for the butler's pantry, now shallower, would hold facing 8foot-tall built-in hutches for storage.

King and Miller placed the sink in a counter along the wall to the left of the peninsula, and pro-style appliances-a six-burner gas cooktop, dishwasher, and fridge-in the counter perpendicular to that. Double wall ovens went opposite the sink. In addition to professional appliances, Belinda requested another chef's amenity: a pot-filler faucet by the cooktop. "An extra faucet here is handy, so you don't have to lug pots of water," says Miller.

To unify the thoroughly modern kitchen with the rich chestnut woodwork and aged oak floors in the dining room, King and Miller chose Shaker-style cabinetry made of cherry, and pale maple floors. "The choice of woods and simple lines of the cabinetry complement what's in the rest of the house without trying to compete," says King. Adds Steve: "And all that wood helps to soften the brawny toughness of the stainless appliances."

FINISHING TOUCHES
The Common Vision team recommended honed black Ubatuba granite countertops for their softer patina. "Polished granite would have looked too glitzy. Plus, it would have picked up glare from the overhead recessed and undercabinet lighting," explains Miller. Because honed granite is porous and prone to stains, the surfaces were treated with a color-enhancing sealer, which should be reapplied annually.

The couple requested two special storage features that are kept under well-designed wraps. A wine rack is concealed in one of the hutches' 12-inch-deep shelves, and a cabinet in the peninsula hides hanging files for recipes.

Though the couple had to live through their kitchen makeover for three messy months, it was worth any inconvenience, says Belinda. "We love being in our new kitchen, whether it's to eat breakfast or to cook for friends. It really matches the vision we had."

Their choice of materials couldn't be better, as far as Steve is concerned. "A great thing about wood is that it mellows. The cherry will get a richer red, and the maple flooring will become more honey-colored. By choosing woods and granite, the couple has stuck to the classics and created a functional, inviting, and timeless kitchen."

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