Center Street Guest House {Kitchen}
Design Concept Board w/Elevation Sketches + Material Selections
Heart of the Home
How long has the Kitchen been considered the heart of the home? We all know that it is! Regardless, it's certainly a room where family and friends tend to congregate no matter the size. Personally, my galley kitchen is small and I've seen as many as 10 people hanging out together at one time. Community and camaraderie overrule footprint.
One of our project opportunities {Center St. Guest House} was located on the campus of Harding University - a mid-century home from the 1960's that was organized with individual rooms for very specific purposes. There was no room that functioned for more than one purpose. There was a formal sitting room, the formal dining room, the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. We are not ones to flippantly say "let's take down this wall, this wall, and this wall" to create an open concept house because we strongly believe there are thoughtful ways to open up the space.
A New Purpose
Center St. Guest House needed to be transformed into a place that offered room for longer stays as well as social events. The house is meant to serve missionaries, distinguished guests, visitors, social clubs, campus families, and much more. Our design team reimagined the floor plan to offer room for large gatherings with multiple seating options and space to cater to large groups.
The expression of seeing a night-and-day difference truly applies here. A dark, cramped kitchen became open, light, and bright with brand new materials and ample room to host and gather.
The before pictures - a dark galley kitchen with mismatched wood tones and a dining room that was separated from the kitchen and living space.
The kitchen tripled in size! The underutilized formal dining room became a part of the kitchen, offering room for the kitchen to expand in storage and serving space. You'll notice in the before and after photos that the refrigerator moved to a different wall and a central island took shape. The kitchen is technically still a separate room, but there is room within the kitchen for desk space, a breakfast table and island seating. Also, there is a clear view from the kitchen to the living/dining spaces.
A patterned tile was selected to add visual interest to the buffet space.
We collected commemorative Harding Plates and used them for a wall display and for decor in the bookshelves. Quartz countertops and porcelain tile floors provide durable surfaces to be easily maintained.
It’s a project that both of us would call home in a heartbeat! We hope you enjoy seeing the transformation (check out this post for even more yummy before-and-afters!)
