Proper after I completed writing yesterday’s submit about my chance meeting with the project manager who oversaw our garage-to-studio conversion within the House Depot parking zone, I obtained a telephone name from one of many three contractors that I had known as earlier within the week about our addition. I’ll be assembly with him this morning. So naturally, whereas I used to be working within the studio yesterday (and making some actually encouraging progress that I’ll share on Monday), my thoughts was spinning with the totally different concepts I’ve had for the addition, the knowledge that I need to make sure to inform him, and many others.
One factor that I virtually forgot about is the kitchen. I’ve weighed a number of totally different choices for the kitchen through the years that I’ve been considering and planning for this addition, all the pieces from leaving it simply as it’s to making a cased opening on the wall between the kitchen and the place the longer term household/media room shall be.
The wall in query is that this wall of cupboards. The brand new household/media room shall be simply on the opposite aspect of this wall. (Sorry, that is an older image.)
I believe the final time I shared about my ideas about this wall and the way it could be affected by the addition, I had envisioned something like this actually unhealthy mock up I did final December. 😀
However since sharing that, so many individuals have cautioned me about having the kitchen so huge open to so many totally different rooms of the home. It cuts down on precious storage areas, however it could additionally eradicate any privateness within the household/media room as a result of there can be a straight line of sight from the road, via the entrance lounge, via the kitchen, and into the household room. Through the day, that’s not an issue. However at night time, if I’m in there watching TV, I’d actually desire some privateness. (I by no means shut the blinds on our home windows, and I don’t plan on beginning that sooner or later.)
So I’ve been making an attempt to concentrate. First, I’ve been making an attempt to concentrate to how we actually use our residence, and the way the brand new household/media room may change issues. And second, I’ve tried to concentrate and be looking out for an thought that will meet all of these (new) wants.
We host a bunch from our church each Wednesday night time, and that group has been as much as about 17 folks. As soon as we now have this new room, I’ve little doubt we’ll meet in there as a substitute of the entrance lounge for the reason that new room shall be greater and (hopefully) extra comfy. And we eat a meal collectively each time we collect, so the kitchen could be very a lot part of that gathering. Due to that, I actually would love for the kitchen and the brand new household room to be open to one another indirectly.
So I’ve been looking out for an thought that may (1) permit the kitchen and household room to be open to one another, (2) permit me to maintain as a lot storage as doable within the kitchen, and (3) permit for privateness at night time.
Properly, a couple of months in the past, I got here throughout what I consider to be the proper resolution. I occurred upon this lovely design from Wilcon, Inc.
In fact, that may be a passthrough from a kitchen to a eating room, and mine can be from the kitchen to a household/media room. However what struck me (and what I had by no means even thought of earlier than) was placing storage on each side! A great deal of household rooms have built-in storage, so I couldn’t solely make the most of your complete width of decrease cupboard area on the kitchen aspect, in addition to have two floor-to-ceiling peak cupboards on every finish of that wall within the kitchen aspect, however I may additionally add storage on the bottom (i.e., the household room aspect).
So what about that privateness I wished? Properly, I’m pondering that I may add some pocket doorways (half-doors, actually) behind the cupboards on the kitchen aspect and re-create an identical look that I’ve within the music room, which is true subsequent door to the kitchen.
Besides as a substitute of getting full-length doorways and a walkthrough like within the music room, the kitchen would have half-length pocket doorways (pocket window?) and a passthrough with a full width of decrease cupboards beneath.
In order of proper now, that’s the plan. And it’s been the plan for a couple of months now. I didn’t need to share it earlier as a result of (1) the addition wasn’t actually on our radar on the time, and (2) I wished a while to ruminate on this plan with out the confusion of lots of exterior enter. However the extra I give it some thought, the extra I like it!
Right here’s a very horrible mock up of what this sort of passthrough would appear to be on the again wall of our kitchen…
In fact, no kitchen cupboards of mine would ever be white. And I don’t have the slightest clue about the way to mock up these pocket doorways that will give privateness at night time. So that you’ll have to make use of your creativeness there. 😀
UPDATE: A reader who’s way more gifted than I’m at doing mock ups despatched me this. It’s just about precisely what I had in thoughts! (Thanks, Chris!!) The left exhibits what it would appear to be with glass-front cupboards, and the appropriate with solid-front cupboards. I like it each methods, in order that shall be a tough determination.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.
