Managing everyday family life with three young children in a confined, disjointed space had become a major headache for the owners of this traditional colonial home in Strongsville.
But the couple loved their community and location—so they turned to Dover Home Remodelers to reinvent the main living space to create an open-concept design that better suited their needs. This project won an honorable mention in the prestigious NARI Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards for Kitchen Remodels, $60,001 – $100,000.
The Kitchen: Before
The existing floor plan included the kitchen, dining and family rooms all separated by walls. Gathering with friends and family in the small, congested kitchen left the other rooms virtually unused.
Because the kitchen is the center of a modern family home, remodeling that room and improving an inefficient design was a must for this renovation. Our proposed design created one large cohesive space by removing walls and all soffits in the kitchen and increasing counter surface and storage space with updated cabinet amenities—top priorities for the homeowners.
The Kitchen: During
It was discovered during demolition that the wall between the kitchen and dining room, as well as the kitchen soffits, were full of mechanicals. This required careful and strategic rerouting and presented unique challenges for our team as the remaining walls already housed mechanicals connected upstairs. Led by our structural engineer, we orchestrated all relocations while maintaining structural and mechanical integrity.
The Kitchen: After
To accommodate the homeowners’ storage needs, including space for small appliances, the flu chase in the existing pantry closet was removed, and a new power vented hot water heater was installed in the basement. We opted for two large pantry cabinets flanking the refrigerator to provide ample space with easy access. The homeowners’ wish to utilize every inch of storage space with the tallest cabinet possible presented a slight challenge: zero wiggle room. Exceptional carpentry skill was required to maneuver and install pantry cabinets just 2″ away from the ceiling.
To create the seamless, open-concept living area, the post and header were removed in between the kitchen and family room.
The dining room wall was also removed, making functional use of the entire space.
Bright white cabinets (Waypoint Maple 760F painted linen), light Quartz countertops (LG Viatera in Everest), and a glossy marble tile backsplash were selected to provide a light and airy feel to the kitchen, with contrasting wide plank dark bamboo flooring to ground the overall look. Cali Bamboo flooring in Vintage Fossilized was installed throughout the entire first floor for seamless flow.
Recessed can lights were used for ample lighting in the kitchen while pendant fixtures were installed over the peninsula on the dining room side, so the homeowners would have full view of their television in the family room.
A slide-in range with decorative cabinet hood centered between two new windows provides symmetry and balance, with the clean and sharp lines of coordinating stainless steel appliances.
We delivered a modern and sleek kitchen with a functional layout that integrates all three spaces, allowing the family to be together and enjoy entertaining in an inviting, open layout. The result met all the homeowners’ requirements, while exceeding their expectations.