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Home>Ideas | More in Remodels

A Husband-and-Wife Team Tackles a Kitchen Reno

With their first big DIY project, a couple transforms a cramped cook space into the heart of the home 

By Nina Malkin of - saboteamos.info magazine // Photo by Nathan Kirkman
A Husband-and-Wife Team Tackles a Kitchen Reno
1 ×

Before: Begging for an Upgrade

 

Before: Begging for an Upgrade

Old kitchen, with brown cabinets and stove in a corner
View as slideshow

Call them “two-it-yourselfers.” Danielle and Derek Coleman, of Highland Park, Illinois, like to work as a team. They first honed their chops on small stuff before tackling home reno. “We refinished some furniture, built a coffee table, but that didn’t cure our itch,” Danielle says. Then they bought their first house, a 1920 Colonial Revival with a tiny kitchen, and really got busy. 

The 10-by-12-foot cook space was not only too small, “It felt dirty, with layers of wallpaper coated with smoke because there was no exhaust vent,” Danielle says. “Plus, the brown cabinets made the room even darker.” So they annexed part of an adjoining sunroom and the side yard next to it for an extra 80 square feet, then bumped out the sink wall 4 feet, more than doubling the footprint. 

Framing the additions, however, required calling in a pro. “Since it was winter, we needed it done quickly,” says Derek. But the couple committed themselves to the rest of the job, including rewiring the electrical, fashioning an island out of stock cabinets, building the vent hood, and trimming upper cabinets with five-piece crown molding. 

Shown: The old kitchen was dreary, with dark cabinets, laminate counters, and a cracked tile floor. A stove jammed in the corner next to the sink didn’t help.

 
2 ×

After: Bigger and Brighter

 

After: Bigger and Brighter

Kitchen remodel After
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

Airy and bright, the new kitchen is now all the Colemans hoped for. The enlarged footprint made room for a spacious center island and plenty of cabinets. “I have more storage now than I know what to do with,” says Danielle. A radiator concealed in the island also helps warm the marble countertop.

“It feels good to come home every day and see everything we accomplished together,” says Derek.

Contractor: S&O Brothers Construction; 773-451-9437.

 
3 ×

Custom Effects

 

Custom Effects

white kitchen cabinet with blue dishes behind glass door
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

The couple chose stock cabinets, making a few changes to achieve a one-of-a-kind look, including combining different door styles and configurations. Derek also saved money by making and installing all the end panels himself.
Cabinets: . Hardware: .

 
4 ×

Artful Island

 

Artful Island

Kitchen Island
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

The island is made up of four connected base cabinets. An opening cut into one of them fits the microwave.

Homeowner Tip from Derek Coleman, Highland Park, Il:
“Visit resale sites to seek out bargains when shopping for appliances; you can find manuals online, if the owner doesn’t provide them.”

Countertops: . Microwave, dishwasher: . Fridge, range: . Wine fridge: .

 
5 ×

Easy Access

 

Easy Access

small shelf unit with cookbooks, kitchenware and decorative objects
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

At one end of the island, a base cabinet without a door provides open shelving for Danielle’s cookbooks and outsize cookware, making a decorative display of frequently used items. On the floor, dark grout blends with the color of the slate to help play up its texture.
Slate tile: .

 
6 ×

Hot Idea

 

Hot Idea

closeup of kitchen island with microwave and radiator screen
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

The Colemans moved the kitchen’s hot-water radiator from a demolished exterior wall, and worked it into the island to disguise it. The pipes and shut-off valve are accessible from the basement. Derek put sheet metal between the radiator and the adjoining cabinet so it doesn’t absorb the heat.
Radiator screening: .

 
7 ×

Favorite Feature

 

Favorite Feature

corner of kitchen showing stove with pot-filler faucet over the cooktop
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

The Colemans purchased the pot filler above the cooktop before they bought the house, so its placement was a key consideration. They moved the range to an interior wall so the water line feeding the filler faucet wouldn’t freeze in cold weather. 
Pot filler: . Backsplash tile: .

 
8 ×

Tile With Style

 

Tile With Style

closeup of gas range with tile backsplash
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

A marble basketweave tile inset, centered above the range, frames the pot filler and creates a focal point. The vent hood is made of plywood dressed up with tiers of crown molding and painted to match the cabinets.
Vent hood liner: . Paint: .

 
9 ×

Clever Cabinet

 

Clever Cabinet

Slide-out cabinet with stored trays
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

A slender slide-out cabinet to the left of the sink neatly stores trays, baking sheets, and cutting boards and allows Danielle to find at a glance what she needs.

 

 
10 ×

Mini Mudroom

 

Mini Mudroom

Mudroom with built-in bench and dog eating from a bowl
View as slideshow
Photo by Nathan Kirkman

In the corner located by the sliding door to the new deck, Derek built a high-back bench that serves as a drop zone. Throughout the kitchen, elaborate crown molding extends the upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling.

This area is also a dog zone, an ideal dining area for Decker, the Colemans’ Australian cattle dog/terrier mix. The slate floor helps hide dirt and paw prints.
Bench cushion:

 
11 ×

Floor Plan: Before

 

Floor Plan: Before

Before kitchen floor plan
View as slideshow
Floor plan by Ian Worpole

A 120-square-foot box, the old kitchen offered scant prep and storage area.

 
12 ×

Floor Plan: After

 

Floor Plan: After

After kitchen floor plan
View as slideshow
Floor plan by Ian Worpole

Bumping out in two directions more than doubled the size of the kitchen to 280 square feet.

1. Took a 10-by-8-foot space from the sunroom and adjacent side yard; bumped out the sink wall 4 feet.

2. Centered basin along the new sink wall and replaced one double-hung window with three casement units.

3. Moved the hall passageway to fit in a larger range with counter space on either side. 

4. Created a wide cased opening to allow for easy flow between kitchen and sunroom.

5. Relocated the fridge from a remote corner to save steps during food prep and cleanup.

6. Added an 8-foot-4-inch-long storage island with a microwave and radiator built in.

 
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Old kitchen, with brown cabinets and stove in a corner
×
Kitchen remodel After
×
white kitchen cabinet with blue dishes behind glass door
×
Kitchen Island
×
small shelf unit with cookbooks, kitchenware and decorative objects
×
closeup of kitchen island with microwave and radiator screen
×
corner of kitchen showing stove with pot-filler faucet over the cooktop
×
closeup of gas range with tile backsplash
×
Slide-out cabinet with stored trays
×
Mudroom with built-in bench and dog eating from a bowl
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