BEFORE AND AFTER
Park Avenue Kitchen
Taking down the wall between the kitchen and living room opened both rooms up to generous sunshine. It also removed two wall cabinets, and that made Wendy nervous. But building an efficient *tall wall* pantry actually increased storage. The pantry is a cook's dream, with everything easily visible without digging. Since Wendy is petite, we also added toe-kick steps for extra reach.
Layout changes: Removing cabinets that blocked the window restored it to working order; the fridge and stove were moved back to where they'd stood originally, prior to the 1980s renovation.
Dressing everything in white-washed oak makes the open kitchen elegant enough for constant viewing from the living room. On the sink side, base cabinets are clad in stainless, unifying them with the farm sink and speed oven. An inset induction cooktop and cylinder hood keep the look sleek and uncluttered.
Scroll down for the transformation.
