9 Steps to Getting the Kitchen You Want

Modern Loft
Downstairs, owner Liz Bagley wants to open up walls so she can see the water out the front of the house. So kitchen designer Kathy Marshall designated sleek, dark cabinetry and counters and lots of storage to unclutter the room and create a "contemporary loft." She also worked in a peninsula to keep the large room from feeling like a bowling alley.

Seaside Cottage
Upstairs, in Chris Flynn's apartment, the same footprint gets a completely different treatment. For this "cottage by the sea," Marshall designated white beadboard and light-colored appliances. The new layout steals space from a bedroom to make a casual family room with raised bar, but preserves both a formal dining room and an informal eating area—all great for the gatherings of family and friends that Chris likes to host.

Modern-Loft Kitchen
The original small space of Liz Bagley's kitchen opens up into what had always been a formal dining room—a feature she has no need for. Instead, the arrangement of the cabinetry leaves one corner free for a small dining table. A built-in hutch that used to divide the dining room from the kitchen will be moved upstairs for linen storage.

Seaside-Cottage Kitchen
Chris Flynn started with the luxury of five bedrooms spread over two stories, meaning she could spare two to expand her second-floor kitchen to include a family room area and an island. A small room that held the refrigerator in the original kitchen now becomes a pantry with open shelving—an inexpensive storage solution.