This stunning renovation earned our team at Dover the 2020 NARI Contractor of the Year (CotY) Award: Honorable Mention, Residential Interior: Under $100,000. For the next two weeks, Dover designer and guest blogger Amy Tilow will walk you through this award-winning home remodeling project featuring a fabulous open-concept family kitchen and living space.
BLOG #2 of 3 IN A SERIES:
CotY Award Winner: Honorable Mention, Residential Interior: Under $100,000
Welcome to a brighter, bolder family kitchen
To recap from last week: Instead of an expensive home addition project, we suggested working within the existing space. Our new design plan removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, opening the space to allow for an abundance of light to pour in from the large picture window, while creating an open-concept kitchen-family room-dining room space.
Before and after:
Since the wall that we removed was load bearing, we installed a dropped header that tied into an existing header on the dining room side and supported these with a column at the corner. To establish balance, a second column was also installed on the other end. To ensure structural integrity, we removed floor sheeting and installed a 16’ LVL beam underneath the corner post, tying it into the block foundation walls below. We also widened the doorway from the foyer, making the entry both inviting and inclusive.
Before, during and after:
With the new location for cooking now in the center of the house, we were able to establish island/peninsula-type seating, giving the family an interactive space that flows seamlessly with adjoining living spaces.
In my next and final blog in this series, I’ll highlight more features of this beautiful kitchen along with fixture and product selections.
Amy Tilow
