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Sometimes a layout revamp can turn a beloved home into your forever home – often without the need for a home addition. This Evanston, IL project took advantage of underused areas by working within the existing space and created a whole new feel for the home, which was further enhanced by the rich tones of the forest green kitchen.
When you walked into this quaint corner residence, your eyes originally landed on a refrigerator through the hallway ahead, which partially obstructed the view into the kitchen. “The homeowners wanted to have better sightlines when you walked into their home,” says Normandy Designer Bryan Brisky. “We swapped the locations of the refrigerator and range, so now when you walk into the home you see beautiful pops of color from the forest green hood and cabinetry. By moving the refrigerator, it also opened the view to the sink, which has a window above it that peeks outside and lets in natural light. It’s a more welcoming experience.”
In addition to changing appliance locations – which also included moving the dishwasher to the right of the sink to create more space – this couple requested a larger window at their breakfast nook so they could enjoy looking out into their yard and to let in more natural light. A dining room area they didn’t fully utilize transformed into a mudroom, an office, and two closets. “We took the French doors that originally opened into the dining room and repurposed them for the new office entry off of the new mudroom,” Bryan says. “And we added a transom window above them which lets in even more light.” The closets have beautiful new oak doors to go along with the new oak flooring.
The stairwell in the kitchen got a makeover too. “A spindle railing originally wrapped around the stairs going down to the basement from the kitchen,” Bryan says. “We replaced the railing with a half wall that will be perfect for a storage hutch. It features multiple outlets, so there is the option to plug in additional appliances like an espresso machine or even accent lamps.” At the foot of the new half wall, Bryan transformed an old broom closet into a recessed appliance garage that matches the rest of the green cabinetry.
The former kitchen had cherry red cabinets, and they wanted to give the space a fresher, brighter look, but still wanted it to feel cozy. “She loves earthy tones and cottage aesthetics, so we chose green for the cabinetry, and a little bit of beadboard to play into the appeal of the house. We went with a full height quartz backsplash for the range wall, and around the perimeter we carried the quartz up the wall ever so slightly so the beadboard doesn’t sustain any water damage,” Bryan says. “She also has a very charming personality, so this style of ‘new era vintage’ really worked out well.”
Would a kitchen remodel or layout change be right for you? If you need an expert eye to help you work through your home’s unique challenges, schedule a free consultation with Bryan. And any day of the week, you can find design inspiration on our Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok accounts. Check out our photo gallery of past projects for more design ideas as well.
Having the option to live long-term in your home can be invaluable. It is familiar and rich with memories, which is why aging-in-place remodels are on the rise — especially in today’s housing market where it is sometimes more affordable to renovate instead of buy and relocate.
“With some creative reworking of spaces adjacent to the powder room, we were able to create a spacious full bathroom,” Ashley says. “It not only features an accessible shower, but also two wide doorways with pocket doors — one leads to the hall, one to the bedroom — that not only allow for better wheelchair access, but for more than one person to move in and out of the space more easily when needed.”
