Proper after I completed writing yesterday’s submit about my probability assembly with the challenge supervisor who oversaw our garage-to-studio conversion within the Dwelling Depot parking zone, I bought a cellphone name from one of many three contractors that I had referred to as earlier within the week about our addition. I’ll be assembly with him this morning. So naturally, whereas I used to be working within the studio yesterday (and making some actually encouraging progress that I’ll share on Monday), my thoughts was spinning with the totally different concepts I’ve had for the addition, the knowledge that I wish to make sure to inform him, and so forth.
One factor that I virtually forgot about is the kitchen. I’ve weighed a number of totally different choices for the kitchen through the years that I’ve been considering and planning for this addition, every part from leaving it simply as it’s to making a cased opening on the wall between the kitchen and the place the longer term household/media room can be.
The wall in query is that this wall of cupboards. The brand new household/media room can be simply on the opposite aspect of this wall. (Sorry, that is an older image.)
I believe the final time I shared about my ideas about this wall and the way it will be affected by the addition, I had envisioned one thing like this actually dangerous mock up I did final December. ?
However since sharing that, so many individuals have cautioned me about having the kitchen so huge open to so many totally different rooms of the home. It cuts down on priceless storage areas, however it will additionally remove any privateness within the household/media room as a result of there could be a straight line of sight from the road, via the entrance lounge, via the kitchen, and into the household room. In the course of the day, that’s not an issue. However at evening, if I’m in there watching TV, I’d actually favor some privateness. (I by no means shut the blinds on our home windows, and I don’t plan on beginning that sooner or later.)
So I’ve been attempting to concentrate. First, I’ve been attempting to concentrate to how we actually use our house, and the way the brand new household/media room may change issues. And second, I’ve tried to concentrate and be looking out for an concept that may meet all of these (new) wants.
We host a bunch from our church each Wednesday evening, and that group has been as much as about 17 individuals. As soon as we’ve got this new room, I’ve little doubt we’ll meet in there as a substitute of the entrance lounge for the reason that new room can be larger and (hopefully) extra snug. And we eat a meal collectively each time we collect, so the kitchen may be very a lot part of that gathering. Due to that, I actually would really like for the kitchen and the brand new household room to be open to one another in a roundabout way.
So I’ve been looking out for an concept that can (1) enable the kitchen and household room to be open to one another, (2) enable me to maintain as a lot storage as attainable within the kitchen, and (3) enable for privateness at evening.
Nicely, a number of months in the past, I got here throughout what I consider to be the right resolution. I occurred upon this lovely design from Wilcon, Inc.
After all, that could be a passthrough from a kitchen to a eating room, and mine could be from the kitchen to a household/media room. However what struck me (and what I had by no means even thought of earlier than) was placing storage on either side! A great deal of household rooms have built-in storage, so I couldn’t solely make the most of all the width of decrease cupboard area on the kitchen aspect, in addition to have two floor-to-ceiling top cupboards on every finish of that wall within the kitchen aspect, however I may additionally add storage on the bottom (i.e., the household room aspect).
So what about that privateness I wished? Nicely, I’m considering that I may add some pocket doorways (half-doors, actually) behind the cupboards on the kitchen aspect and re-create the same look that I’ve within the music room, which is correct subsequent door to the kitchen.
Besides as a substitute of getting full-length doorways and a walkthrough like within the music room, the kitchen would have half-length pocket doorways (pocket window?) and a passthrough with a full width of decrease cupboards beneath.
In order of proper now, that’s the plan. And it’s been the plan for a number of months now. I didn’t wish to share it earlier as a result of (1) the addition wasn’t actually on our radar on the time, and (2) I wished a while to ruminate on this plan with out the confusion of lots of exterior enter. However the extra I give it some thought, the extra I adore it!
Right here’s a very horrible mock up of what this sort of passthrough would appear like on the again wall of our kitchen…
After all, no kitchen cupboards of mine would ever be white. And I don’t have the slightest clue about tips on how to mock up these pocket doorways that may give privateness at evening. So that you’ll have to make use of your creativeness there. ?
UPDATE: A reader who’s far more gifted than I’m at doing mock ups despatched me this. It’s just about precisely what I had in thoughts! (Thanks, Chris!!) The left reveals what it would appear like with glass-front cupboards, and the suitable with solid-front cupboards. I adore it each methods, in order that can be a tough resolution.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and embellish the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You may study extra about me right here.
