In the 1950s, a University of Washington architecture professor, her student, and her engineer husband built a Northwest Modern-style home with a galley-style kitchen with a small passageway to the dining area.Stuart and Maria Khan, second owners of
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We bought this Seattle property in 1988 and lived in its cramped midcentury kitchen for more than 30 years.
“There was an oven on one side of this small space and a refrigerator on the other, so you couldn't open both at the same time,” said Maria, 71, a retired scientist. “The biggest change after renovating the kitchen is that we can now work together.”
That may mean a lot to the Kahns, but perhaps more impressively, the kitchen's reconfiguration improved efficiency and preserved views of the Cascade Mountains.
The large gas range and hood partially blocked the mountain view, so Alison Walker Brems, the Kahn family's architect and partner at Seattle's Johnston Architects, decided to install the range in a new location and with downdraft ventilation. We designed a kitchen equipped with
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“The kitchen was visible from the living area and also had a walkway to the dining area, partially blocking the view into the house,” Brems said. The challenge was to increase the connection between the kitchen and living areas while maintaining the kitchen's footprint and complementing the home's architectural style.
Her solution: a “secret” kitchen wall with panels that match the finish of the original plywood walls.
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“Alison pulled the refrigerator back and placed it behind the same panel as the other cabinets,” Maria said. “We now have a gorgeous wall of cabinetry with a pull-out pantry, refrigerator and freezer drawers, and other storage space. We also have an appliance garage where we hide all our small appliances when they're not in use.”
The custom cabinetry by Keith Griffin was designed using computer software.
“He made amazingly accurate cuts,” Brems said. “He inputted the dimensions for the cabinets and kitchen in his 3D, and using the computer he cut the materials to 1/256 of an inch. The results were absolutely perfect, as no house is ever perfectly square. This is really great.”
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The pass-through opening to the living area has been enlarged to improve communication between rooms. One of his windows in the kitchen was removed to add cabinets, but Stuart says there's still plenty of natural light.
“There were a lot of noisy fluorescent lights, so Alison removed them and replaced the overhead and under-cabinet lighting with LED lights,” said Stuart, 70, a retired doctor. “In order to install the recessed lighting, we had to remove and replace the wood ceiling.”
The Kahns chose teak countertops with a teak backsplash and stained the wood floors a dark shade to match the abundance of wood used throughout the home.
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“In small spaces, dark floors can make the room feel larger,” says Brems.
The Kahns spent about $200,000 renovating the kitchen, including ancillary projects such as refinishing the floors on the main level and adding wood trim to the windows.
“Our kitchen was completed about a year ago and I'm still blown away by how beautiful it is,” Stuart said. “Instead of having to work away from appliances and clutter, I now have a cozy place to work.”
Q&A
I would describe the aesthetic as follows… “Northwest modernism complements the home's existing style,” says Brems.
my advice to others teeth…“Be patient and let the contractors run the show,” Maria said. “Make sure you hire someone who is easy to communicate with and transparent throughout the process.”
The biggest surprise… “There's no clutter on the counter,” Maria says. “This kitchen is the same size as the previous one, but it's very efficient.''
My favorite feature after the renovation is… “Teak counters and backsplash,” Stewart said. “It’s very warm and fits the overall aesthetic of the house, which has lots of wood walls and wood floors.”
The most dramatic change… “You can hide a large part of the kitchen behind cabinets,” Brems said. “The west wall of the kitchen hides three pantries, a refrigerator, an appliance garage, and additional storage space.”
Favorite materials discovered during the production process was… “Nano indirect fixture LED under cabinet lighting that’s only 5/16” tall and 7/8” wide, Brems says. “Keith Griffin, the furniture maker, told me about it.”
