Words by Michelle Heslop. Photography by Tony Colangelo.
For these passionate chefs, the kitchen is the one room in their home in high demand and it was underperforming. When it was time for an upgrade, the couple turned to Carly Sanderson from Carly Sanderson Interiors to transform their cramped 1940’s kitchen into a functional, culinary space where they can cook and bake with ease, and comfortably entertain guests. Once the renovation budget was established, Sanderson determined that an extension on the kitchen was necessary to create an efficient sense of flow and increase its availability of natural light.
Quality materials like quartz countertops and Olympia tile backsplash were paired with custom cabinetry by Thomas Philips Woodworking to bring the homeowners a hardworking, transitionally-styled kitchen. Built-in features include drawer inserts for baking tray dividers and pull-out drawers for storing frequently used ingredients like their oversized flour containers. A built-in appliance garage keeps specialty appliances, like their beloved Kitchen Aid mixer, easily accessible.
“We even embedded a cutting board into the countertop to improve the kitchen’s workflow and more than doubled the original kitchen’s storage capabilities,” says Sanderson, who adds that it was also important to the owners to improve on the traffic flow between the kitchen and dining area.
With entertaining high on their list of priorities, the door to the backyard (and future deck) was repositioned to facilitate smooth transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces. A sliding glass pocket door to the dining area was integrated into the design to maintain the open feel but offer privacy when needed.
“The homeowners are thrilled with the reconfigured design that streamlined the functionality and the abundance of natural light we managed to let in while maintaining the huge trees on their property,” says Sanderson, who unlocked the potential of the home’s existing footprint and proved that a kitchen reno can revive the feel of the entire home.
