A Family Room Addition and an Unscrambled Kitchen Layout Bring Comfort to a Cramped Floor Plan

“Greater Seattle, a tableau of green and gray, often hunkers under low, damp clouds draped gently over a lush landscape, “says a Seattle Realtor, meaning the city receives a lot of rain. But even on chilly, wet days, the do-it-all kitchen or familyroom in Christopher Seattle - area hose stays warm and inviting. A glowing fireplace anchors the seating area. Amber hue cabinetry wraps most of the space, and walls drenched in golden yellow evoke the sunny Italian countryside.

The picture wasn’t always so nice. Built in 1938, the Corr’s two story. Colonial home didn’t come with a family room, and the original kitchen felt tiny, even though it sat in a bay window. A peninsula cut the kitchen in half and channeled traffic directly at the peninsula’s edge, and the oven was stashed in the adjoining breakfast nook.

Those were big problems for a household with two active children and the Corrs wewe eager to solve them. Tapping the advice of architect friends, they devised an expansion plan. They gutted the kitchen and sacrificed the charming bay window, making way for an 18x23 foot addition that houses both a casual dining area and a family room. Columns and a pair of half walls separate the rooms. French doors off the breakfast area open to a new bluestone patio, as well as a sport court, where the family plays tennis and basketball.

Designer Kimberly planned the kitchen layout and the matching maple cabinetry that stretches through the kitchen and dining area and into the family room. At 16x12 feet, the remodeled kitchen claimed only a silver of the new construction, but a more streamlined layout makes it feel twice as large as before. “It’s not huge’” Kimberly says, “But what’s really great about this space is how much we were able to incorporate into it.”

A center island separates the kitchen into two zones, an efficient work area uninterrupted by routine traffic and a gathering spot. The work space provides cook friendly amenities, such as a double oven, a six burner cook top, and a two drawer dishwasher. The gathering space, meanwhile, features comfortable seating space and a multipurpose wet bar, which wraps a corner and bridges old and new construction. “It’s for kids and adult alike,” Kimberly says about the bar. An under counter fridge near the patio doors allows athletes to grab juice between games on the sport court. The wet bar’s sink also is handy for water.

Along one wall, built-in cabinetry stretches in a nearly continuous line from the kitchen to the end of family room. The section need to the dining area serves as a sideboard. In the family room, an armoire hides the TV. Positioning the TV perpendicular to the fireplace solved the perennial problem of battling focal points, Kimberly says. Even with the TV exposed, the fireplace remains the area’s true centerpiece, visible from the breakfast area and the kitchen.

For continuity, all of the built-ins boast the same styling and a warm, lightly distressed finish dubbed Tuscan brown. The choice is no accident.  Limestone flooring in the kitchen and breakfast area enhances the effect, but for softness in the family room, Kimberly opted for lattice weave carpet in taupe, an elegant neutral that disguises dirt.

It’s only one of many family friendly choices that turned a too tight house into a cheery place, come rain or shine.