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Kitchen Tour: Pale Oak and White Create a Calm, Japandi Mood
Combining three small rooms allowed a young foodie couple to create a lovely light and welcoming kitchen-diner
It’s not often a bedroom gets transformed into a kitchen, but this young couple, one of whom is a chef, thought an unused guest room in their Minneapolis home would make a great location for their new space. It would at least be better than the existing kitchen’s location in a dark, walled-off corner.
They hired design and build firm McDonald Remodeling to tackle the major update. Designer Alisa Dragt-Hoffman helped spearhead the project, which entailed taking down several walls to combine the former kitchen, the dining room and the guest bedroom into one spacious, open-plan layout that now enjoys abundant natural light.
Channelling the homeowners’ desire for a warm, Japandi style, Alisa added bespoke, rift-cut white oak cabinets with sliding doors on the upper units that allow the chef to quickly grab items while cooking.
They hired design and build firm McDonald Remodeling to tackle the major update. Designer Alisa Dragt-Hoffman helped spearhead the project, which entailed taking down several walls to combine the former kitchen, the dining room and the guest bedroom into one spacious, open-plan layout that now enjoys abundant natural light.
Channelling the homeowners’ desire for a warm, Japandi style, Alisa added bespoke, rift-cut white oak cabinets with sliding doors on the upper units that allow the chef to quickly grab items while cooking.
A matt black single-handle pull-down tap complements the other black finishes. A pro-style stainless-steel dishwasher sits to the left of the stainless-steel single-basin under-mounted sink.
To the lower right of the sink, an open cabinet with a T-shaped divider stores chopping boards and towels. “That was a tight corner and, as a chef, I knew he needed easy access to things,” Alisa says. “It was a win-win situation.”
The awning window has a warm wood frame and charcoal-painted sash (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams). Bespoke, rift-cut white oak open shelves in the corner offer space for collectibles, cookbooks and plants.
To the lower right of the sink, an open cabinet with a T-shaped divider stores chopping boards and towels. “That was a tight corner and, as a chef, I knew he needed easy access to things,” Alisa says. “It was a win-win situation.”
The awning window has a warm wood frame and charcoal-painted sash (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams). Bespoke, rift-cut white oak open shelves in the corner offer space for collectibles, cookbooks and plants.
A 90cm gas range cooker has an infrared grill and a simmer setting on all burners for flexible cooking. “[The owner] knew exactly what he wanted,” Alisa says. The bespoke plaster cooker hood includes a powerful fan and LED lights.
A quartz slab with dramatic strokes of warm copper, gold and greige forms the focal point splashback. A shelf in the same material sits just under the cooker hood. “The same plaster for the hood was used for the rest of the [splashback], from the countertop to the first floating shelf,” Alisa says. The lower cabinet to the left of the cooker includes a pullout for storing small appliances.
The white oak flooring is a mix of existing and new wood added where needed, all with a clear-coat finish. “We refinished the floor throughout the home, so it’s the same wood from the entry all the way through to the kitchen and dining room,” Alisa says.
Brittanicca Gold Warm quartz splashback, Cambria.
A quartz slab with dramatic strokes of warm copper, gold and greige forms the focal point splashback. A shelf in the same material sits just under the cooker hood. “The same plaster for the hood was used for the rest of the [splashback], from the countertop to the first floating shelf,” Alisa says. The lower cabinet to the left of the cooker includes a pullout for storing small appliances.
The white oak flooring is a mix of existing and new wood added where needed, all with a clear-coat finish. “We refinished the floor throughout the home, so it’s the same wood from the entry all the way through to the kitchen and dining room,” Alisa says.
Brittanicca Gold Warm quartz splashback, Cambria.
A single-door stainless-steel fridge stands to the right of the range area. “They have a freezer downstairs,” Alisa says. “As a chef, [the owner] cooks with a majority of fresh food. They also have no microwave in here.”
The worktops are pale, marble-look quartz. The interior side of the island, across from the sink, is all drawers. There’s a knife block inside one of the top drawers, a utensil divider in another.
More: How to Choose a Kitchen Designer
The worktops are pale, marble-look quartz. The interior side of the island, across from the sink, is all drawers. There’s a knife block inside one of the top drawers, a utensil divider in another.
More: How to Choose a Kitchen Designer
A pair of deep drawers to the right of the range cooker offer storage for pots and pans. The shallower drawers on top hold utensils, pot holders and tea towels.
With the walls removed, the new kitchen has an open connection to this dining area, where the former kitchen once stood. A short drum pendant light hangs over the wood table with midcentury-style chairs.
The French windows between the two spaces is from the same collection as the awning window above the kitchen sink. “There’s a small deck that leads down to a paved patio for entertaining,” Alisa says. “They also have a garden out there.”
In the back corner is built-in boot room-style storage. A side entry to the home is out of view to the left.
Pendant light: Short drum in natural linen and dark bronze, West Elm; door: Elevate swinging French door, Marvin
The French windows between the two spaces is from the same collection as the awning window above the kitchen sink. “There’s a small deck that leads down to a paved patio for entertaining,” Alisa says. “They also have a garden out there.”
In the back corner is built-in boot room-style storage. A side entry to the home is out of view to the left.
Pendant light: Short drum in natural linen and dark bronze, West Elm; door: Elevate swinging French door, Marvin
The boot room area has bespoke cabinetry and details that match those in the kitchen. “Over here, the top cabinet can be entirely closed,” Alisa says. “We live in Minnesota and this is their [boot room], and there are things you want to hide.”
The floor plans show the home’s former layout on the left and the update on the right. In the former layout, the kitchen (top left) was walled off from the dining room (top middle). The unused guest bedroom (top right) sat off the dining room.
In the updated layout on the right, the spacious new kitchen (top right) is open to the new dining area (top left). “I think now when you walk into this house, it’s so much lighter, brighter and welcoming than it was previously,” Alisa says. “The kitchen feels like a really gracious space to host in, move around in and entertain in.”
Tell us…
What do you think of this smart redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
In the updated layout on the right, the spacious new kitchen (top right) is open to the new dining area (top left). “I think now when you walk into this house, it’s so much lighter, brighter and welcoming than it was previously,” Alisa says. “The kitchen feels like a really gracious space to host in, move around in and entertain in.”
Tell us…
What do you think of this smart redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A young couple, one of whom is a chef
Location Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Size 17 sq m
Designer Alisa Dragt-Hoffman of McDonald Remodeling
“After” photos by Drew Gray Photography
The couple took their time planning the design of the new kitchen in their 1950s Cape Cod-style home. “Being in the restaurant industry, they would go out eating at restaurants and show me photos of what they liked,” Alisa says.
After considering various layouts, they decided that relocating the kitchen to the unused guest bedroom was the way to go. The move expanded the kitchen footprint by 10 sq m.
“It gave them the open concept and square footage they wanted for entertaining,” Alisa says. “It also gave them the space for the back doors to the [garden]. They don’t have kids and don’t plan on having them, so this space was about what works for them.”
The bespoke, rift-cut white oak cabinetry adds warmth and style. The wall cupboards’ sliding doors have round drilled finger pulls. “As a chef, [the man] requested the ability to reach things without having to open any doors,” Alisa says. “It also gives the [couple] the ability to hide things. They felt the oak would be warm without feeling dated. The sliding doors are one of the design elements that stayed with their desire for some Asian-inspired elements.”
The backs of the wall units feature a slatted detail that echoes that of the island end. Above the island, large pendant lights in black metal and natural wood coordinate with matt black cabinet handles and other black and wood details in the space. The kitchen also has LED recessed ceiling lights on dimmers.
A tall wine rack integrated into the cabinetry on the left offers storage for up to 11 bottles. “I felt we needed to have ‘bookends’ for the kitchen,” Alisa says. “We have a tall refrigerator on the right side and we needed something on the left. When we talked about it, they said they enjoy wine and it would be nice to have a place to put it.”
Black metal and natural wood pendant lights, Shades of Light. Cabinet handles in matt black, Element Designs.
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