The Heart of the Home
The kitchen is the center of most homes. However, if you live in a row house the kitchen is often a small dysfunctional space, cut off from the rest of the house. How to open it up and create a practical and useful work area often depends on the type of row house you live in.
A Porch Front Row House
Kitchen in the Back
This view from the front door looking back to the kitchen, shows how opening up a kitchen can breathe life into a small house.
The wide opening lets light into the center of the house (often the darkest area in a row house). It also keeps the kitchen from feeling tight and cramped.
Measuring 12' x 7'.5" this kitchen packs a lot in a small space. There is a desk area, cookbook storage, and pantry, in addition to the standard size dishwasher, range, and refrigerator.
Kitchens work best if the tall cabinets and appliances are grouped together.
Most row houses have high ceilings, 9 feet or higher. For this reason, taller (standard are 30") wall cabinets work best. Not only do they offer the best storage, they look more appropriate in the space. The desk area in this kitchen is a clever solution: the 12" of depth could have easily been overlooked. Don't miss the tin ceiling, a beautiful nod to the past.
These cabinets were purchased from Second Chance Salvage in Baltimore MD and painted white. The handles are from IKEA.
A Porch Front Row House
Kitchen in the Center
In porch front style row houses the original kitchen was often a galley located behind the main floor stair well. The center kitchen builds upon the original galley kitchen. By opening up the wall between the original kitchen and dining room, the kitchen's footprint can be expanded. This particular floor plan closed up the original kitchen doorway (next to the stairs) with a baking center (note the shelf for the microwave). However, the choice not to build a wall there allows light to flow from the back to the front - an important feature in a row house.
Again, tall wall cabinets take advantage of the high ceilings. This space was opened up in the back looking into what was originally the back porch but is now an enclosed eating area. The cabinets are from Elite Kitchens in Rockville MD. They come in any color you like. These are Benjamin Moore's Bunny Gray. The stainless steel counter tops were custom made (cheaper than granite) by Custom Metals of Virginia. Both the island and dishwasher are from IKEA.
White subway tile for the backsplash is timeless and very appropriate for older homes.
Originally a back porch, this area was enclosed and turned into a casual eating space.
The retro banquet was ordered from American Chairs where you can pick your own colors and finishes. The vinyl is kid-proof and makes an excellent place to do homework and art projects as well as eat breakfast. Keeping the retro look going is the marmoleum sheet flooring.
A Flat Front Federal Row House
Galley Kitchen
Galley kitchens are one of the most efficient uses of space - only a few steps from one work area to another. This galley kitchen is modern while still incorporating vintage elements - note the Victorian style tile floor, painted tin ceiling, and vintage stove . The bank of cabinets on the left bow slightly so that the refrigerator does not jut into the space but instead fits seamlessly.
Only having wall cabinets on one side of the galley kitchen keeps it from feeling cramped and dark.
Don't miss the microwave: instead of mounting it over the stove or an expensive under counter drawer consider a shelf - an attractive and cheaper option.
The vintage stove came with the house and was rebuilt by the homeowner. She insists anyone could do it. The counter tops look a lot like soap stone but are really recycled paper.
A Flat Front Federal Row House
Kitchen in the Back
At approximately 78 sq. ft., this kitchen squeezes all the necessities into a tiny space.
The spice cabinet above the microwave is only about 3" deep. In any other kitchen this area might be covered by a panel since this is where the vent for the stove runs. However, in a small kitchen every inch counts and even 3" is useful space.
The refrigerator is tucked beside the basement door. An IKEA Billy bookcase serves as a place for dishes as well as cookbooks. Since space is at a minimum in this kitchen an IKEA Grundtal stainless steel shelf was hung high (when space is tight think vertically), next to the Billy bookcase to house mixing bowls and hang pans, which take up lots of precious cabinet space.
With only 78 sq ft, there is no room for a pantry. So narrow shelves from IKEA were added going down the basement stairs to house pantry goods.
Even though the plumbing is housed in the wall beside the sink, these homeowners were able to carve out a niche large enough for three shelves to hold mugs and glasses.
Originally there was a wall where the bar is. Taking it down brought more light into the house and created space for a two seater breakfast bar - no small thing in a house with 2 kids.
Victorian Row House
Kitchen in the Back
Victorian row house kitchens are almost always in the back of the house. Since it is hard to open these kitchens up to the rest of the home, making them large enough for a family to comfortably spend time in is a good option. These homeowners expanded their kitchen by enclosing both the side and back porches.
The center island is the hub of the activity. It serves as the spot for homework, eating a snack and dinner prep.
By expanding this kitchen, the homeowners created enough room for 2 sinks, 2 dishwashers, a six burner professional stove, a second oven and a refrigerator.
The island/bar area is painted black and has a different counter top from the rest of the kitchen, giving the kitchen a more unfitted look, appropriate for older homes. The spoon handles on the island are unique. Similar ones can be found on Etsy.
Back staircases are a fun feature in older homes but often create problems when trying to reconfigure floor plans. A clever solution, in this case, was to showcase the stairs by veneering the backside and placing the island underneath.
The eat-in area for this kitchen is actually 3 steps below the kitchen. The exposed brick wall ties into the exposed brick in the kitchen area.
2 comments:
Hi,
I am New To This Blog Very nice information
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