A Middleton, Wisconsin Family Gets a Full Kitchen Remodel

We recently completed a full kitchen remodel in Middleton, Wisconsin. Our clients, Joe and Lila, are entrepreneurs who live in a lovely transitional Colonial in Prairie Home Estates with their two children. The home was in an ideal neighborhood but had a unique problem. It featured a tiny kitchen in an ample space. In fact, you could line dance in the wasted floor space. Yet, there was not enough cabinet or countertop space for daily living. The kitchen needed some serious help!

Identifying The Kitchen Design Challenges

Upon meeting with Joe and Lila and seeing the space, there were several challenges we needed to address. The kitchen had a "subway" banquette table that left the family climbing over each other to take a seat. A significant reason for this full kitchen remodel was the size of the island. It was barely big enough for a banking pan.

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The original kitchen design was obstructed. There was no good way to look out into the backyard. To look out meant climbing on the subway table or looking through the narrow door leading to the screened-in porch. It was easy to lose track of the kids playing in the yard.

On top of the inefficient seating and lack of sight lines, the refrigerator stuck out too far, creating a narrow tunnel when walking toward the formal dining room or mudroom. Finally, the kitchen was mostly closed off and isolated from the family room. There was just a narrow doorway connecting the rooms.

Creating a Functional Kitchen Layout

After meeting with the homeowners, we returned to the office to plan a full kitchen remodel and create a functional kitchen design. Our solution started with the removal of the banquette table. Our design gave the space a purpose and new life in two important ways. We replaced the table with Amish cabinetry, handcrafted in Wisconsin, with a Silestone Blanco Matrix polished quartz countertop and a beverage center perfect for coffee or drinks for the kids.

Once we removed the banquette, we moved the door to the screened-in porch around the corner. This freed up space to install a 9-foot window that connected the kitchen and the porch allowing a clear view of the entire backyard and flooding the kitchen with light.

Joe and Lila wanted to create a more open flow between the kitchen and the family room. To achieve their goal, we doubled the size of the opening between the two rooms creating a perfect archway that ties into the other arched doorways throughout the home. We centered the arch balancing the look from both rooms. This allowed for a new bank of cabinets along the interior kitchen wall.

We were already doing extensive drywall repair for the window and door openings, so it made sense to get the pantry right-sized and the refrigerator perfectly placed. With careful planning and skillful execution, the new pantry and refrigerator wall look beautifully uniform and straight across its face. To accomplish this, the two cabinets on the right are shallow pantries, and the appliance center middle left is full depth. We recessed the refrigerator, allowing the full-size refrigerator to look like a premium built-in cabinet depth unit.

By relocating the fridge, the entire kitchen is now open to the back drop-zone making the entry to the dining room more inviting. With a full kitchen remodel, little changes like this can be the difference between a dining room that is never used and one that is routinely enjoyed. The design benefits more than just the kitchen!

Implementing The Full Kitchen Remodel

We started by modifying the pantry by moving the entry door around the corner. This necessitated moving the refrigerator. Now, when entering the home from the garage through the mudroom, you can conveniently enter directly into the pantry to drop off the groceries. While the entry is slightly narrower, the pantry is more easily accessible and usable. We replaced the hinged door with a barn door. Now it slides open to allow access, unlike the hinged door that, when open, blocked access to a third of the space.

Joe loves to cook, and Lila was looking for everyday functionality. It was crucial to design a high-functioning space. The cooking amenities were a big deal. We fit in a 36-inch Wolf gas range with a griddle. The kitchen has a second oven in the form of a Wolf Speed Oven, which we placed in the island for maximum convenience. The speed oven combines a microwave, convection, and broil technology for added versatility. The appliance suite was completed with a Bosch dishwasher, a Zephyr hood, and a full-size GE refrigerator. We also added a Zephyr under-counter beverage fridge in the space to complete the amenities.

The kitchen island is really the star of the show. It is a long rectangular island that provides this young family with everything they need – room for the family plus a friend or two. There is plenty of cabinet storage and a spot for the Wolf Speed Oven. Everyone has the space to sit comfortably, go in and out to the screened porch, or cook a great meal.

The screened porch was also improved as part of the kitchen remodel. It was formerly isolated with a big blank wall. It now shares a large window with the kitchen. One challenge we faced with this project was replacing several windows, and the fiber cement board was no longer made. We changed the vertical wall of the screened porch to a board and batten style, solving the problem and making it more beautiful than new. The new kitchen created a better transition to the porch.

Joe and Lila's Kitchen Remodel Satisfies Their Needs

Now, there is a place for everything and a spot for everyone. The redesigned porch and reconfigured kitchen layout are the perfect combinations of form and function. Whether on the porch, kitchen, living room, or deck, you are now connected within the home. This is precisely what Joe and Lila wanted!

If you are considering a full kitchen remodel and live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call (608) 846-5963. We can help you to take your kitchen to the next level of comfort and function! Ready to know more? We are always happy to answer your questions.