Designed by: Susan Serra
When my daughter, Kelly, and her husband, Dave, asked me to design a new kitchen for them "just to explore the possibilities," I was off and running. I knew that I could take their kitchen design to places they couldn't have imagined—all while advising Kelly when her 8-month-old was ready to start eating protein. Family domination aside, I knew that these "places" I had in mind would either be an easy or a difficult sell; I didn't know which. What I did know is that it would be a very interesting ride for all of us!
As Kelly noted last week, the kitchen's layout left much to be desired. When more than three people were in the kitchen, the cooking and dining functions were at cross purposes. Another critical issue was "the wall"—i.e. the short wall to the left of the sink. More than a few times since Kelly and Dave bought the house, I said, "I'd really like that wall to disappear." It served zero aesthetic purpose, and the section beyond the wall was an extension from many years ago, so it must have been structural. I began the design process ready to declare that wall a goner.
Photo: Courtesy of Susan Serra
Designed by: Susan Serra
When I started drawing up plans for Kelly and Dave in autokitchen, I knew immediately that the design of the dining area would be the catalyst for a better functioning kitchen. To that end, I felt the door to the deck had to go—with another back door only 10 feet away, this was a no-brainer that would result in three major advantages. First, Kelly and Dave could have a much more expansive backyard via a patio. Second, the addition of large, wide windows would bring the outdoors in, provide a lovely dining area and exploit a horizontal line, visually expanding the rear wall. Third, the main kitchen work area could now feel separate from the dining area, allowing for more gracious entertaining and far better traffic flow. I quickly realized that the short wall I had hated from the moment I stepped foot into the kitchen was actually situated in the perfect place, as it separated the dining area from the working kitchen area.
A significant bonus of this design concept is the drama that the windows, visible from the front entrance, would create. An even bigger bonus is that the dining area could double as a truly comfortable hangout spot. I envisioned them in the evening after the kids went to bed: Dave putting his feet up on the luxurious built-in banquette, while Kelly sat sewing at the other end.
Photo: Courtesy of Susan Serra
Designed by: Susan Serra
Although the appliances stayed close to their existing places, the cabinet storage was completely reconfigured. Since the side-by-side Bosch refrigerator required space on each side to fully remove the drawers, it was a natural choice to add a pantry to one side of the refrigerator, at the front corner of the room, which added good storage to make up for the lack of wall cabinets. In order for the kitchen to double as a true extension of the front living room and create a seamless flow to the dining area, we needed it to appear spacious and much less utilitarian. Our cabinetry, designed with legs and an open toe kick, much like furniture, is another visual clue as to how one should feel in this space.
I'm a strong advocate for considering both aesthetics and function during the design process. (Too often, function alone drives the core of a design, with aesthetics filling in the blanks later on. But I think every kitchen design can benefit from treating function and aesthetics equally, no matter how small the kitchen is.) To increase the functionality of this kitchen, I wrapped a countertop around the wall adjacent to the sink and added open shelving above it to provide additional storage, which is positioned far enough from the dining area to reduce visual clutter. A row of small appliances will be lined up like soldiers on this handy, shallow countertop. The large appliances stayed relatively close to their existing locations, and I even managed to design a spot for Kelly's treasured (it's true) German trash can.
Photo: Courtesy of Susan Serra
Designed by: Susan Serra
We were also lucky enough to discover a large window opening over the sink, revealing a surprisingly beautiful view. We dropped the window all the way to the countertop, a common treatment in many Scandinavian kitchens. Kelly chose a large sink from Kohler that has a built-in wood cutting board (which doubles as extra counter space) and bottom protective strainer. She also chose a stylish Kohler faucet that we knew could be featured as a sculptural design element, given the dramatic position of the kitchen window.
Once we finalized the plan, the kitchen was ready to undergo a dramatic transformation from a barely functional, aesthetically yawn-worthy space to one that appears far more spacious, functions better, includes smart storage ideas and adds true comfort. The Scandinavian-inspired design is modern yet warm, invisibly utilitarian and easy to completely transform from classic modern to traditional to pure Scandinavian via the décor. Kelly and Dave haven't fired me yet, so I must be on the right track!
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