Mount Adams Kitchen Renovation
Owing to the existing spatial parameters of this narrow, urban row house, the kitchen renovation posed numerous design challenges. The existing kitchen contained an endless series of wall cabinets, which
Further compressed the narrow space. The existing island was over-scaled and largely unusable due to
a large cooktop that occupied most of it and limited clearances around the island itself. Our desire was
to resolve these issues using sustainable practices.
Our strategy for providing a light, open kitchen was to diminish the amount of wall storage and
re-proportion the island. We swapped locations of the sink and cooktop – the cooktop moved to the
sink’s existing location and vice versa. Seating was moved from the island’s side to the end, allowing the overall width to be reduced. To employ sustainable practices, we chose to retain the existing cabinetry,
since it was classic in design, modifying it with obscured glazing for the wall cabinets. This decision
prevented the cabinetry from going to the landfill. Any remaining cabinetry went to a local resale center.
The existing base cabinets were refinished with low-VOC paint and reinstalled. The cabinets received
durable quartz countertops. Back-painted glass, containing recycled content, was utilized for the backsplash and installed behind the cooktop. Additionally, energy-saving appliances and plumbing fixtures, including a water-conserving dishwasher and faucet were installed.
The existing kitchen with its thick, monolithic appearance and limited utility was modified into a fully-functional kitchen using environmentally-friendly methods. The renovation maximizes the limited space, while simultaneously exhibiting a light, minimal aesthetic.
Photo Credit: Scott Hisey