Lexington Kitchen and Family Room Remodel

This family's kitchen and family room sat side by side but were closed off from each other. The kitchen had dark raised-panel cabinets, laminate counters and a cooktop set into the counter. The family room next door had carpet, dark ceiling beams, paneled walls, a brick fireplace and a sliding door, and only a single door linked the two rooms. They asked us to open the kitchen to the family room and update the mudroom.

We photographed the house and drew the existing first floor, then worked through two layout versions with 3D views. The construction plan kept the footprint exactly as it was. We took out the non-load-bearing wall between the kitchen and the family room, widened the opening to the dining room on a new LVL header, and set new French doors into the old slider opening at the same size, checking the existing header once the wall was open. Every exterior wall we opened got new insulation, and we remodeled the mudroom at the back entry.

The kitchen now has white shaker cabinets, white granite, a gray tile backsplash and a long charcoal island with a wine fridge and seating. Across the island, the family room now opens to the kitchen, with built-in cabinets for the TV and hardwood floors that run straight through from the kitchen.