Sleek Design Sets the Stage for Teens and Adults to Come Together

If you’ve had a chance to look through my website you’ll notice that I don’t design kitchens or living rooms or bedrooms. I design spaces to eat, gather, play and rest. Spaces for coming together to create meaningful connections and make lasting memories. Because my design philosophy resonated, I was approached by a family that wanted to renovate their kitchen and gathering areas.

They were looking for better flow so they could spend time cooking, hanging out and playing games together. They understood that having thoughtfully designed spaces would enhance their relationships and create deep bonds of togetherness. With the kids entering the teen years, they wanted a shared space that fostered connection and togetherness.

The home is a lovely light-filled bungalow in a mature Calgary neighbourhood with large trees and a real community feel. Like most homes of this era, there were walls separating the kitchen, dining area and front entrance, creating a lot of small separated rooms. A few years ago the homeowners opened up the space by removing the walls separating the kitchen and living areas. They said it worked well when the children were younger, but now wanted more defined zones and better storage.

The homeowners and I spent a lot of time discussing how they lived and how they would like to go forward. They’re a close-knit family and the energy radiating from their home was full of love and respect for each other. I worked with them to create a floor plan that would build on this energy. The main priorities were to enhance shared family time, provide space for individual pursuits, establish flow when entertaining, and create enough storage so clutter could be eliminated.

At one of our first meetings we discussed moving the stairs to another location in the home. With the walls gone, the stairwell is situated right in the middle of the home. After careful thought we came to the conclusion that it would be best to leave things as they are and love it up. We embraced the stairwell and incorporated it into the design to delineate the different zones.

On the kitchen side of the stairwell we did a run of low cabinets. This provides a large amount of counter space and acts as a pseudo island. Housing the microwave and garbage pullout, there was also room for a floor to ceiling pantry.

It might sound a bit funny, but considerable time was spent deciding where to place the garbage pullout. This is a family that likes to be together. Dad does a lot of the cooking but they usually all end up in the kitchen together. Creating a layout that factors in how they actually move through the space eliminates frustrations and allows for enjoyable connections when doing daily tasks.

In the former kitchen, upper cabinets surrounded the window, cutting off a lot of light into the space. And if you know me, you know that increasing natural light is a priority of all my designs. We chose to forgo the uppers on the window wall allowing sunlight to stream into the space. Bringing in more natural light makes this a happier space.

From the outset, the homeowners knew they wanted white kitchen cabinets. In keeping with the style of their bungalow we chose flat front cabinets and sleek chrome hardware. A plain white counter top adds to the modern look while a honeycombed backsplash tile was selected to bring in texture. New cork flooring provides a nice balance to the sleeker finishes. Walls were painted SW Divine White 6105, which is a pretty off-white beige colour with just enough warmth to not look cold.

A breakfast bar that also functions as a homework zone sits across from the kitchen, bringing symmetry to the stairwell opening. Since the breakfast bar is positioned just off the dining and living area, cabinets and countertop were done in walnut. It adds a level of sophistication, visually separating this zone from the kitchen. There’s plenty of storage for computer cords with under counter drawers and a large walnut cabinet is a great place to keep the family’s collection of games.

Originally the home had a wall separating the front door from the rest of the house. The previous homeowners removed this wall which meant that the front door opened directly to the dining table. Not only did this allow for cold air to blast in, it didn’t create a cozy defined eating space. I wanted to add an element of separation but not return to a solid wall. A half wall with storage cabinets and a paned glass divider keeps the entry way’s energy contained while letting light shine through.

With the new cabinets and glass panel there’s now a proper entry area with loads of cabinets and closet space. This busy family now has designated storage for coats, shoes and backpacks. The frustration of clutter is eliminated allowing for a calmer home environment.

It’s my belief that beauty and function go hand in hand. The good news is you don’t need a renovation to start creating a home that fosters connection and eliminates frustrations. Every few years it’s important to pause and consider if your home is supporting the way you live now. Here’s a few takeaways from this renovation project that you can engage right now.