09/10/2026
We spent months and went through countless iterations to land on the plan you see today. There were a lot of functional, spatial and daylight considerations that all had to work together.
The original kitchen was a compact U tucked behind a dividing wall, with awkward, almost maze-like circulation and multiple eat-in areas that rarely got used. Removing that wall gave us a much clearer path through the house and let us use more of the available space where it was actually needed, in the kitchen.
Rather than give up a big chunk of the room to a separate table and chairs, the dining function was built into the 13-foot island. That solution definitely isn’t for every house, but for this project it made a lot more sense. The island could handle prep, storage, everyday meals and gathering all in one place.
Reworking the kitchen also meant moving a large amount of cabinetry onto the south-facing exterior wall. At the same time, bringing in more natural light was a major priority. The backsplash window became one of the solutions to both problems. The openings along that entire wall were reconfigured so the cabinetry, doors and windows could all work together without giving up daylight.
The bathroom changed with a much smaller move. The wall only shifted about 9 inches, but that was enough to completely rethink the room and fit a soaking tub, curbless walk-in shower and double vanity. As the only bathroom on the main level, it also needed to be hardworking. An oversized linen closet that wasn’t using the space very efficiently was reduced to overhead storage above the toilet, freeing up floor area for things that actually mattered more.
The house didn’t get dramatically bigger. The plan just made the existing space work a lot harder.
That was really the starting point for everything that came after.
-Haley
