1. Took over a bathroom to add 55 square feet, allowing the homeowners to extend an L-shaped run of cabinets, move the range to a better spot, and drop an island and two stools in the center of the room.
2. Knocked out two slivers of wall and removed a narrow doorway leading to the former dining room. This surgery, coupled with the addition of a second passageway between the kitchen and living room, eased traffic flow and created a more spacious feel.
3. Relocated a doorway between the kitchen and the back porch. Eliminating the door swing—and an adjacent radiator—opened up space for a 7-foot-tall pantry, one of two flanking the fridge.
4. Sealed up one window to gain wall space over the sink for open shelves. The redesign, meanwhile, positioned a food-prep area under the former bathroom window, which they replaced with one nearly 12 inches wider. "It made more sense to have a window over a counter," says designer/homeowner Susan Smart. "Today, with dishwashers, you don't need the window for daydreaming at the sink. It's better to have one where you spend time chopping onions and reading recipes."
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