Art of the kitchen addition: bringing efficiency, spaciousness, and style to the hardest-working room in the house
Sunset, August, 1998 by Peter O. Whiteley, Daniel Gregory, Ann Bertelsen
More room for the island
Problem. Not enough space for working and breakfasting. Solution. A 4-foot-wide, 15-foot-long sliver addition to the cooking and washing-up area (following the ceiling line) made it possible to widen the circulation space, expand the kitchen island, and reshape the cabinetry along the north-facing wall. A shed roof-shaped skylight washes this wall with diffused daylight. The kitchen opens to a new, octagonal breakfast room, which adds to the feeling of airiness and light.
DESIGN: J. E. Caldwell Architect, Woodside, CA (650/851-3353)
CONTRACTOR: Scott Plemons, Palo Alto (650/328-2392)
CABINETS: San Antonio Cabinets, Palo Alto (650/494-6773)
COUNTERS: Verde Chiara from Clervi Marble Company, San Francisco (415/648-7165)
Big enough to eat in
Problem. "We had an inky-dinky kitchen, and we both like to cook," recall Cameron and Lee Tyler. They wanted spaciousness and sunlight.
Solution. They doubled the size of their kitchen/breakfast room and shifted its location. And they opened up a wall to take advantage of expansive views of downtown Portland. The 8- by 16-foot addition extends from the back of the two-story house and opens to a deck on the view side. Large new windows with an upper band of smaller panes brighten the interior and repeat the style of the original windows.
The interior is a study in natural materials: clear maple cabinets, a backsplash made of black slate tiles, and a tawny-colored linoleum floor. A stainless steel hood, more than 32 feet of laminate counter, and the owner's collection of antique glass (displayed above the cabinets) add contrasting color and texture to the room.
DESIGN: Giulietti & Associates, AIA, Portland (503/223-0325)
CONTRACTOR: David Leech, Brightwood, OR (503/622-5675)
CABINETS: Gresham Door & Cabinet, Gresham, OR (503/663-2991)
FLOOR: Marmoleum, distributed by Forbo Industries (800/342-0604 or 717/459-0771)
Three-in-one
Problem. The dated, cramped kitchen was divided into three little rooms.
Solution. An L-shaped addition to Christopher and Sharon Jenkins's kitchen wraps around the front corner of their Glendale, California, ranch house. The addition is just 4 feet wide and adds only 135 square feet to the house, but surprisingly, the remodel feels much bigger inside. That's because what was once a warren of small spaces is now one long room containing a home office, eating area, and kitchen.
A comfortable cottage feeling predominates. Cheerful green paint animates the cabinetry, island, built-in breakfast alcove, and front office. Overhead, false beams echo a detail from the living room. Arts and Crafts-era tiles with Celtic and medieval images punctuate the backsplash; Craftsman-style lights and wrought-iron hinges add ornamental touches.
DESIGN: Kajer Architects, Pasadena (626/795-6880)
CONTRACTOR: Sanctuary Construction Corporation, Woodland Hills, CA (818/346-7646)
PAINT: Custom green by Dunn-Edwards Paints (888/337-2468)
TILES: Mission Tile West, South Pasadena (626/799-4595)
HANGING LIGHTS: Rejuvenation Lamp & Fixture (888/343-8548)
The pop-out booth is back
Problem. The 1930s house had no family-style eating area.
Solution. Incorporate a new version of the breakfast booth. When interior designer Suzanne Miller and her husband, Brad, decided to remodel their farmhouse kitchen, they decided to punch out a rear wall in order to create a large nook. It sports a pitched tongue-and-groove ceiling and board-and-batten wainscoting. New double-hung windows with cottage panes reinforce the farmhouse character of the house.
Miller designed a large banquette to fit below the windows, covering it in bright red paisley cotton to offset the yellow walls. She had the seat laminated for protection from spills. A maple table and wicker chairs with red paisley pillows complete the dinette setting. The addition includes a wet bar, glass-fronted cabinets, and a tumbled-marble backsplash. A jaunty awning in green and white stripes shades the new window.
DESIGN: Suzanne Miller Interior Design, Woodside, CA (650/364-3189)
ARCHITECT: Brian David Peters Architect, Redwood City, CA (650/366-5120)
UNDER-COUNTER REFRIGERATOR: Sub-Zero Freezer Co. (800/222-7820)
PAINT: Custom yellow by Fuller O'Brien (800/834-6077)
The glass bay idea
Problem. Develop a new kitchen and dining area that would brighten the existing house and connect it to the landscape. The owners also wanted to "showcase the cook and provide a dynamic space for entertaining," says the architect.
Solution. A "bistro" addition opens to the house's central stairway and a rear terrace. It's a vaulted pavilion (including 348 square feet of new space) attached to one corner of the house. A long buffet counter under a dark-painted steel beam divides cooking from dining areas and creates a stagelike frame for the chef. French doors set into a window wall connect the dining area to the patio for easy indoor-outdoor living.
DESIGN: Trout Architects/Chartered, Boise (208/344-8646)
CONTRACTOR: Patterson Company, Boise (208/336-6674)
HANGING LIGHTS: Flos USA (800/939-3567)
Most Recent Home & Garden Articles
Most Recent Home & Garden Publications
Most Popular Home & Garden Articles
- 29 Awesome things to do this summer! Lazy summer days… Who need's 'em? Not you! You've got all the time in the world, so here's how to make the best of it and beat summer boredom!
- No-Cook Homemade Ice Cream
- Mowing down mower problems - lawn mower troubleshooting
- Perfect picks: how to tell when your summer garden's ready to harvest
- Your 10 most embarrassing body questions answered: you're going through puberty , and you have questions . The only problem? You're afraid to ask! No worries—we took your most baffling body Q's to the experts for you

