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EXPANDING
YOUR KITCHEN |
Ever since man discovered fire and harnessed its heat for cooking,
we have been drawn to its power. Throughout the centuries the application
of the age-old hearth has changed significantly with the ever-growing
trends in technology, giving us endless variations on this original
theme to complement our daily lifestyles. However, while today’s
kitchens offer a multitude of options that our ancestors could never
have dreamed of, its central role in our lives has remained the
same. Let’s face it, the kitchen is where the heart is: Couples
and families congregate in the kitchen for food preparation, meals,
an afternoon chat over a steaming cup of coffee, or the celebratory
glass of wine after a huge sales commission. Even during dinner
parties, guests tend to flock toward the hearth of your home, even
when ample seating is available in the living and dining room.
Whatever the reason we are drawn to our kitchen spaces, this instinct
can be problematic in today’s overcrowded New York City buildings.
(Even some older Bergen County and Westchester homes are still burdened
by small, poorly designed kitchens.) In an effort to provide more
space for growing families and even couples who just want to expand
the hubs of their homes, more and more homeowners are remodeling
their kitchens to create more airy, open spaces to accommodate the
amount of time they spend there.
But if you live in a two-bedroom apartment in Midtown West, your
options for expansion may seem limited. This is why design professionals
like architects and designers are so much in demand. They can offer
numerous clever and creative ways you can open your kitchen into
an adjacent space. Try stealing space from an adjoining food cupboard
or hall closet, for example, or inching a few feet into the next
room. Just a few feet here and there may provide enough space for
the custom refrigerator you’ve been eyeing or add just enough
counter space so both you and your partner can cook together without
using open drawers for extra countertops.
Another, more dramatic option, is to remove your kitchen and dining
room or even your living room to make one large kitchen. This option
provides the most graceful flow-through for entertaining. Now you
and your guests can talk and mingle while you prepare dinner or
crank out another batch of your famous margaritas. Opening up the
kitchen in this fashion also makes sense for modern families: kids
can sit at the dining room table doing homework while Mom and Dad
prepare dinner so that families that spend their days apart can
spend quality time together.
If you don’t want to eliminate an entire wall for either aesthetic
or budgetary reasons, consider creating a wall opening between the
kitchen and dining room or family room. This opening allows you
to see into the other room, creating light and a feeling of roominess
that doesn’t exclude you from your guests or family. It can
also serve as a breakfast bar with high stools so you can actually
talk with your kids as you feed them before school.
If you then add design elements like unbroken runs of work space,
natural lighting, and floating fixtures, your kitchen opens up even
more to present a truly flowing space that gives the spirit of your
kitchen to everyone along with the elbow room to enjoy it.
If you’re kitchen is too small, this is the perfect chance
to take advantage of MyHome’s free consultation to get ideas
for how you might be able to expand your space. Each of our Design
Consultants has experience in both urban and suburban markets and
can adapt to your taste and architectural constraints to give you
the best your space can offer. Call us today and let MyHome spread
the heart of your home as far as your space will allow. |
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