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)