Turquoise stained flooring, a bright yellow wall and crisp, modern cabinetry — you might not guess this was once Grandma’s kitchen. Architect Mark Lawrence inherited this house from his grandparents, and while he looked forward to owning a home with so many memories, he was not certain how to make it his very own. The kitchen specifically hadn’t been upgraded, and there was hardly space for one person to cook. Cutting through walls, tearing up flooring and coming up with a smart new design enabled Lawrence to create a modern kitchen that feels like home.
Kitchen in a Glance
Who lives here: Mark Lawrence
Location: Washington, D.C.
Size: 235 square feet
Price: About $40,000
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The original kitchen had the refrigerator, stove and sink on one side, leaving little to no space for counters. Lawrence recalls his grandparents frequently prepping food onto the dining table at the adjacent dining area since they couldn’t use the kitchen counter in the same moment.
Putting the refrigerator and oven on the opposite wall and extending the countertop all the way to the finish made lots of space for prepping and serving.
Cabinetry: Ikea; countertops: bamboo butcher block, Teragren; hardware: Häfele and Ikea
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Lawrence wished to open the kitchen up, connecting it. During the remodel, the dining area wall on one conclusion was knocked down and the kitchen has been opened to an adjacent sunroom and workplace in the other.
Sink: Blanco; fittings: Hansgrohe; ovens: Jenn Air
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However, the wall between the kitchen and the living area was load bearing, therefore Lawrence cut throughout the unnecessary sections of it to create an easy flow from one space to another. The three remaining segments now house the refrigerator, double oven and pantry, and supply a visual separation between the chambers.
Sofas: CB2
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One of those open sections leads straight from the living area to the dining area — the bold, custom red table could be seen straight from the front door and from the exterior windows. The dining chairs are antiques from Lawrence’s wife’s grandmother.
Floor stain: Minwax; dining table: habit
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While the dining area and living room both had walnut hardwood flooring, the kitchen had old linoleum flooring, which Lawrence ripped up. Underneath, the pine subfloor was in fantastic state, but the knotty, yellow wood appeared odd alongside the oak in the dining area.
New hardwood was not at the budget, therefore Lawrence implemented turquoise Minwax stain to unify the distance. The stain helps maintain the ground floor consistent and also shows the differences between the knotty pine and the walnut.
“The floors were always a thing that my grandma treasured, therefore I really don’t know if she would like exactly what I did,” Lawrence says, laughing.
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Lawrence didn’t want to destroy the kitchen open look with upper cabinetry, therefore he left the chimney and stretched the countertop to generate space for additional base cabinets from Ikea. A bold block of Benjamin Moore yellow provides a subtle visual separation between the kitchen and the dining space.
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