Our team at Dover was honored with the 2019 NARI Contractor of the Year (CotY) Award: 1st Place, Residential Interior $175,001-$250,000, for this fabulous renovation. For the next 3 weeks, designer and Dover blogger Beth Orr will walk you through this award-winning remodeling project which features an open concept kitchen and shared dining/living space. Enjoy!
BLOG #1 of 3 IN A SERIES:
CotY Award Winner: First Place, Residential Interior: $175,001 – $250,000
Creating an open-concept chef’s kitchen and living space with Tuscan flair
This family of four was feeling cramped in their 1956 split-level home. While the main living area was spacious, its layout was choppy. Walls separated the kitchen, living room and formal dining room, creating crowded rooms with no sense of cohesiveness or flow.
But these homeowners had a vision: A roomy, open-concept living space, with a Tuscan-inspired chef’s kitchen as the centerpiece. He wanted a kitchen with all the bells and whistles (and had already selected the high-end appliances). She wanted space to accommodate their formal dining room table. This redesigned interior delivers on all fronts: the ultimate cooking/family gathering/entertainment space with an open, airy feel.
A complete re-design of the kitchen, dining and living rooms was necessary to create this home chef’s dream kitchen.
To create the ultimate open concept, we began by removing all walls on the first floor. Once the drywall and soffits were removed, all mechanicals not only needed to be relocated but also updated to code. Knob and tube wiring was replaced, HVAC feeding the second floor was relocated, and plumbing was added for the gas range and sink in the working island.
To maintain structural integrity after the living and dining room walls were removed—and to create a smooth, seamless ceiling—we installed a 24’ steel beam, an 8’ LVL beam and a steel column.
With demo complete, we’ll move on to construction in next week’s blog. Don’t miss it!
Beth Orr
