A New Kitchen and Laundry Room Design Transforms This Couples Home

We recently completed a kitchen and laundry room design for Ed and Melanie, a couple of empty nesters living in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Ed and Melanie love their 1990s home in the Westwynde neighborhood in Sun Prairie. The couple came to us looking for a solution to open up their existing kitchen and bring more light into their living room, where Melanie would often sit and play her beautiful grand piano.

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The living room was large and featured tall ceilings and large transom windows, but remained dark. Ed and Melanie wanted to honor their love of nature and painted the walls a dark green, Unfortunately, their color choice only darkened the room more – and although the kitchen and living room were painted the same green, because of the way the light bounced, they looked like different greens that actually clashed.

See how we addressed these issues with our new kitchen remodel, living room refresh, and laundry room design.

Starting Our Design in the Kitchen

We started our approach by redesigning the kitchen space before addressing the. The existing kitchen was large but inefficient in its use of space. There was a lack of storage space, and the kitchen was far from the open, bright space the couple wanted. Our design team decided this was the perfect space for a double island. One island would function as a food prep area, and the other would be an informal dining area for the couple. Ed and Melanie already had a large dining room they used for family gatherings, so this was an excellent solution.

In the corner was an underused circa 90s kitchen desk, the perfect place to add a Sunrise Custom Kitchen Amish Cabinetry pantry and space for relocating the refrigerator, which originally opened into the middle of the walkway at the edge of the kitchen. On the opposite wall from the desk stood a large, narrow pantry, which took up the entire wall that separated the kitchen from the living room.

After we moved the pantry to the opposite wall, we opened the wall to increase the width and height of the opening to the living room so the light could flow between the spaces. We removed the dark-colored trim from the existing openings. To complete the new look, we built arched drywall returns. We also added a small beverage center between the openings.

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We kept the sink and stove in their original locations to maximize the couple's budget. We removed the microwave over the stove and replaced it with a Zephyr Stainless Steel range hood to create a visual focal point. The hood added a bright, modern touch to the space. We installed a beautiful, glossy, textured Lifestyle Tribeca tile backsplash in Oatmeal. Finally, the worn, dark hardwood floors were refinished in a lighter color to add another bright element to the space.

Brightening the Living Room

Along with the kitchen improvements, and laundry room design, Ed and Melanie wanted to brighten up the living room and create space for Melanie to display treasured artwork. As an avid hiker, world traveler, and photographer, Melanie requested a place to hang some of the couple's favorite landscape photos.

Just around the corner from the kitchen was a narrow wall which would be the ideal location for an art wall. We started by painting the room in Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray, lightening the space, and preparing it for the gallery area. We created a wall niche that matched the shape of the new arched openings in the living room. It functions as a recessed space for the family's most treasured artworks. The niche is visible from the living room when looking through the identically shaped archway, which adds an unexpected finishing touch to the space. An art light above completes the concept.

As a finishing touch to the living room update, we worked closely with Melanie to add additional gallery walls around the living room, giving her a place to truly showcase her worldwide travels!

Updating the Laundry Room Design

Down the hallway from the kitchen was the couple's existing laundry room. It felt cluttered and was an inconvenient use of available space. We started by addressing the layout to improve flow and functionality. Then we redesigned some cubbies to perfectly fit the laundry baskets. Adding a new mudroom bench, we installed hooks above to serve as the perfect place for hanging dog leashes, hats, jackets, and keys.

The result is a kitchen, laundry room design, and updated bright, airy living room that floods with natural light. Our redesign has created a home that perfectly complements Ed and Melanie's lifestyle and desired aesthetic.

Are you considering a remodeling project? Let us help you create a new look and design the perfect finished space to meet your needs! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Are you ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.