Photos Renovations Home Page

Being located in the center of the house, the kitchen of Dave and Sue Lukasik was on display from every room in the public living areas of their Maitland home. Although they had updated other rooms in their 50’s ranch a few years earlier, the Lukasiks decided to save the kitchen for last. It had been given a facelift in the 70’s and was “serviceable”, as Dave describes it, but uninspiring in layout and design. Dave and Sue realized the kitchen did not serve them—or the rest of the house—well. Since the couple was not interested in adding on to the 2,000 square foot home, however, the challenge was how to incorporate elements important to the homeowners and make the kitchen work efficiently at the same time.

In addition, the couple wanted to make better use of the overall layout of the public areas of the home, which were small and inefficient. Dave and Sue did not want any space to go unused. They currently had a traditional living room that they rarely spent time in, and felt they were being cheated out of perfectly usable space. “We thought about how we wanted to live,” Dave explains. “There are just the two of us, and we are ‘home bodies’. Our home was big enough in size for us, but the space was not being utilized in the best way for how we lived.”

Coupling PSG Construction’s in-house design services with assistance from Central Kitchen and Bath, a kitchen design was created that could successfully meet the couple’s goals and needs. The designers were challenged by Dave and Sue's desire to open the kitchen up to the rest of the home but still have adequate storage space in a rather small area. A kitchen wall needed to be eliminated to open up the kitchen. This meant losing valuable cabinetry space. The couple also wanted to incorporate elements that typically take up more space: a 36 inch cooktop--6 inches wider than a traditional model—and a wall oven and microwave. In addition, the Lukasiks wanted dishwasher drawers instead of a traditional dishwasher.

The designers borrowed a small portion of space from the oversized dining room to help meet the Lukasik’s goals.  Additional storage space was found by building a narrow pantry behind the refrigerator. The kitchen sink, originally located in a corner, was moved to take up less room.

Shaker-style cabinetry finished in natural cherry, black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances give the kitchen a sleek transformation. Slate used at the front entry and foyer was carried inside and repeated on the kick space of the raised bar.

Replacing the outdated dropped ceiling and fluorescent lighting with a raised ceiling and recessed lighting make the kitchen look even larger. The raised bar with pendant lights overhead help separate the kitchen from the great room without visually closing it off. A 12 inch “docking area” adjacent to the bar is perfect for plugging in a laptop, recharging mobile phones and storing keys.

One of the bonuses of the kitchen’s location--a beautiful view of Lake Charity at the edge of the property—was obstructed by unattractive metal-framed windows above the sink. Since it was not important to the Lukasiks for the windows to be operable, the outdated windows were replaced with large panes of fixed glass. This design element also helps the kitchen appear more spacious. The redesign allows the lake to be fully enjoyed--all the way from the front of the house.

“The kitchen is now designed for the two of us,” Dave says, “and we fit in the kitchen very nicely.”

In order to give the couple living space that was more suitable to their lifestyle, the existing family room, which was adjacent to the kitchen, was converted into the dining room. The existing L-shaped dining room and living room is now used as a great room that offers considerably more leisure space.

“The renovation actually relocated where we spend most of our time,” Dave says. “It is a big change, but it fits our lifestyle. Once we completed the project we realized how enjoyable the change is for us.”

Living without a functional kitchen during the homeowner’s renovation would have become frustrating. Eating in restaurants on a daily basis would have been costly. To help keep inconveniences to a minimum, PSG moved the stove and microwave to the garage and installed a temporary hook-up. PSG also separated the construction area from the rest of the house by constructing a temporary wall with a door between the two areas. This helped the couple maintain as much privacy as possible, while keeping construction dust and debris out.

Dave says that the small details made a big difference in the success of their project. “The thought that went into the design was very helpful,” Dave says. “The new layout is perfect--from the traffic flow to where light switches and outlets were positioned. These are small but important incidentals.”

As the center of attention, the kitchen is now the showplace it was meant to be. With the home’s public areas more functional, Dave and Susan are enjoying the full rewards of being ‘home bodies.’ PSG

Photos
Renovations Home Page