Wonderfully Open in West Orange

Because the appliances were all grouped closely together and the large range was jammed in a corner, there was no comfortable countertop work space. The clearance between the refrigerator and counter at the kitchen entry was very tight 31". The kitchen felt isolated from the rest of the house and there wasn’t a good place to sit while keeping the cook company.

Removing the hall to the powder room and the hall between the kitchen and office added only an extra 15 square feet but wonderfully opened up the space. The opening to the powder room was relocated in to the office as a pocket door. The countertop now wraps around the corner to a beverage center where the powder room hall had been. The window on the driveway side of the house was closed up to allow the range and hood to be centered on that wall. The window overlooking the back yard was enlarged and raised up to allow for the sink and dishwasher. There are at least 4 separate work zones so multiple cooks can easily work in the kitchen, and now a stool for one person to sit.

The clients wanted a 36" wide cooktop but felt the 36" oven in a range looked too bulky. The solution is a 36" cooktop with a 30" wall oven rated for installation below a cooktop in a custom cabinet built on site by the contractor.

White Shaker style cabinets, veined marble-look engineered stone countertop, soft gray crackle backsplash tile in a classic subway pattern, and muted brown/gray wood-look porcelain floor tile all provide a neutral background for displaying pops of color with boldly colored Fiesta ware. Floating 2” thick wood shelves provide easy access to everyday dishes. Base cabinet accessories include: corner spin shelves, blind corner swing out shelves, pull-out trash/recycling, and roll out shelves.

SIZE: 175 square feet

General Contractor: Don Oliver Home Renovations, LLC