A Kitchen Facelift Offers a Fresh, Functional Redo
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After: Functional Flaws
After: Functional Flaws
Shortly after moving into their 1950s North Tustin, California, ranch house in 1998, Jason and Irene Jacobson renovated the kitchen with help from an interior designer. While pleased with the way the new space looked, they found some negatives. Drawers to the left of the range didn't open at all. Ones to the right were so skinny as to be useless, and abutted a tall pantry unit that limited elbow room while cooking. Plus, the bi-level island had a skimpy work surface.
Fast-forward several years: While adding on a master suite, the couple started talking to kitchen and bath designer Dana Jones about their kitchen. Jones suggested relocating the laundry—which sat in a closet in the L-shaped space—to the addition. Moving it created a domino effect, making room for a walk-in pantry and for reconfiguring the area around the range. "We didn't want to redo the room from scratch," says Irene. "Little tweaks made it all work."
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Before: Off-Putting Color Combo
Before: Off-Putting Color Combo
The color-drenched blue-green kitchen had red counters—and some awkward cabinets.
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Floor Plan Before: Tight L-Shape
Floor Plan Before: Tight L-Shape
Cabinets flanking the range were a tight squeeze in the 11-by-14-foot L-shaped kitchen. The washer and dryer were located behind bifold doors, so laundry piled up on the floor in plain sight.
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Floor Plan After: What They Did
Floor Plan After: What They Did
1. Installed a Lazy Susan inside the cabinet to the left of the range, replacing nonoperable drawers from the previous remodel. The turntable is now hidden behind a double-hinged corner cabinet door.
2. Added an Upper Cabinet and Lower Drawers to the right of the range, replacing a super-skinny (useless) cabinet and a full-height pantry unit that made the cooking space cramped. A new section of glass-tile backsplash and a ribbed-glass cabinet door blend with the rest of the kitchen.
3. Moved the Laundry from a closet in the kitchen ell to the addition, and converted the area into a walk-in pantry for food, canister, and cookbook storage.
4. Added a Skylight to bring much-needed natural light into the room.
5. Widened a Doorway to the hall to improve traffic flow into the kitchen.
6. Reconfigured the Island. The base remained, but the countertop was changed to one 36 inches high, comfortable for both working and eating. A 42-inch-high cabinet was placed along one side to screen it from the dining area.