Contemporary Kitchen Remodel: Strategies for Sweet Success

How We Gained a Bigger, Lighter and Better-Organized Kitchen Without Changing Our Home's Footprint

Our house, built in 1995, has a modern flair with a large great-room open to the kitchen, entry and deck. Our home's contemporary style suits both our tastes, but from the beginning, I dreamed of reorganizing and renovating our dysfunctional kitchen. Several years ago, I began researching and working with a kitchen designer to rethink our kitchen layout. Our kitchen remodel is now complete, and we have lived in our new kitchen for about two years. During this time, I have reflected on what features are a slam dunk and what I might have done differently.

During my year of design and planning, I edited and revised the plans relentlessly until they truly addressed and solved most of our requirements. My number one suggestion if you're gearing up for a remodel is don't skimp on the planning phase. Our kitchen designer seemed in a hurry to sign the contract for our cabinets and get the job rolling. I forced him to slow down while I reconfigured the cabinet and appliance layout to carve out functional zones for storage, food prep, cooking and cleanup. I'm glad the design phase took nearly a year to complete ~ that extra time and attention to detail has minimized our regrets or do-overs.

Let's walk through my dream kitchen (now a reality!) together. You'll discover some of my design challenges and how I successfully resolved them. If you seek functional, contemporary and cook-friendly ideas for your dream kitchen, keep reading!

Lack of Space

Problem: Even though it's moderately-sized, our former kitchen was cramped and lacked room to cook and invite guests. A small island was the main set-down and work area, but it got cluttered quickly. Also, our large walk-in pantry was separate from the cooking area. My theory about our walk-in? ~ It wasted valuable floor space that could be better utilized elsewhere in the kitchen. Yes, our pantry was overstocked with household items, but many products could be easily stored elsewhere in the house.