26
Jul

Smaller Kitchen? Make The Most Of Your Space.

KITCHEN STORIES: SOME INGENUITY MAKES EVERY INCH COUNTS IN A HISTORIC CHICAGO KITCHEN

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This Chicago couple loved their home within the historic neighborhood of Hyde Park, but they had outgrown their small and outdated kitchen. It was time to make a change; the kitchen had to go! They called in the expertise of Lauren Marshall, Principle Designer for Lauren Marshall Interiors in Oak Park, Illinois to restore the luster of their kitchen.

Historic Hyde Park kitchen remodel in Chicago, IL with Dura Supreme Cabinetry. After Photo | Dura Supreme Cabinetry supplied by Seigle’s Cabinet Center, Chicago Metro Area, Illinois.

Expanding the kitchen storage was a high priority for the couple, but moving walls or expanding the footprint of the kitchen was not an option. After reviewing the building restrictions, Lauren suggested expanding the cabinetry upward to take full advantage of her client’s 10 ft ceilings. 

Adding the additional wall cabinets to the ceiling almost doubled the storage.Adding the additional wall cabinets to the ceiling almost doubled the storage.

“My client is petite. I knew expanding the cabinetry upward would provide a daily challenge for her, so to make the upper storage more accessible and comfortable for her I recommended a library-style ladder with a rail system and wheels to provide her easy access to every cabinet,” explained Lauren, “It also adds some whimsical charm to a design that blends beautifully with the history of the house.” The new portable ladder is easy to move throughout the entire space and when it’s not being used it’s hung decoratively on the wall across from the refrigerator.

Here you can see a small glimpse of the mobile ladder to the right directly across from the refrigerator. Here you can see a small glimpse of the mobile ladder to the right directly across from the refrigerator. 

After years of doing dishes by hand, a dishwasher was a high priority item on the homeowner’s wishlist.  With very limited space, Lauren knew she’d have to get creative to make a dishwasher work for her clients. She moved the stove to the opposite wall and repositioned the kitchen sink to make room for a smaller 18″ wide dishwasher.

The new design made room for a small dishwasher to meet the homeowners needs. Beautiful white painted kitchen with a light blue backsplash. undefined

A shallow, hutch-like space catches your eye as you step into this kitchen. “They are big tea drinkers and I wanted to provide them with a dedicated tea station,” explained Lauren. The shallow depth cabinetry provides just enough space to comfortably rest their electric tea kettle which is powered at the nearby outlet. 

The shallow depth cabinetry provides just enough space to comfortably rest their electric tea kettle and power at the nearby outlet. The apothecary drawers not only add a traditional look to the space but also house and organize their tea bags and supplies while teacups are easy to access and displayed in the glass cabinet above.

The apothecary drawers not only add a traditional look to the space but
also house and organize their tea bags and supplies, while teacups are
easy to access and displayed in the glass cabinet above.

The apothecary drawers not only add a traditional look to the space but also house and organize their tea bags and supplies while teacups are easy to access and displayed in the glass cabinet above.

There were only a few inches to spare next to the refrigerator where the designer added a shallow tall cabinet with open shelving for barware, canned foods, and decor. 

Kitchen remodel in a historic home. The white painted cabinets include a shallow tall cabinet to the side of the fridge with open shelf storage.
Kitchen remodel in a historic home. The white painted cabinets include a shallow tall cabinet to the side of the fridge with open shelf storage.

Linen White paint was selected for the cabinetry to blend with the orignal white painted woodwork throughout the home. 

Linen White paint was selected for the cabinetry to blend seamlessly with the orignal white painted wood work throughout the home.

I am so impressed by the ingenuity and thought that went into the details of this kitchen. Every inch was truly put to good use throughout the entire design. 

A small U-Shaped kitchen design in a historic home with white painted cabinetry and a library style ladder.

Credits: 
Design by: Lauren Marshall, Principle Designer for Lauren Marshall Interiors, Oak Park, Illinois. 
Dura Supreme Cabinetry by: Seigle’s Cabinet Center 
Photography by: Megan Kristina Photography
Cabinets: Dura Supreme Cabinetry is shown in the Hudson door style shown in the “Linen White” paint finish. 
Hardware: Rejuvenation Hardware
Backsplash: Heath Ceramics