The 100-Square-Foot Kitchen: No More Cramped Conditions
Removing walls and adding high-end materials turn this kitchen into a jewel box within a new open floor plan
Our 100-Square-Foot Kitchen series profiles kitchens that measure about 100 square feet, one of the most common kitchen sizes in the U.S., according to Houzz data.
Calling the original kitchen cramped would be putting it nicely. A narrow entrance opened to the windowless room, which had walls on three sides, giving it a boxy, closed-off feel. “It was dark and depressing,” says Violetta Ustayev, who worked with the homeowner to gut the kitchen, and the rest of the home, and create a more open plan.
Calling the original kitchen cramped would be putting it nicely. A narrow entrance opened to the windowless room, which had walls on three sides, giving it a boxy, closed-off feel. “It was dark and depressing,” says Violetta Ustayev, who worked with the homeowner to gut the kitchen, and the rest of the home, and create a more open plan.
AFTER: Removing a wall opened the kitchen to the adjacent living room, allowing the homeowner to see her young child while standing at the sink to prepare meals or do dishes. A large peninsula offers storage on both sides, and lots of counter space for prepping and eating meals.
A waterfall effect creates the illusion that the peninsula and countertop are larger. “It offers a grander look to a small kitchen,” Ustayev says.
Light colors make the space appear bigger than it is, but Ustayev was careful not to go too white. Dark lower cabinets establish balance. “In an open floor plan, we wanted to have some contrast to keep the kitchen from looking like a white box sitting in the corner,” she says. “The darker cabinets help tie it in with the rest of the home.”
The homeowner chose to go with custom cabinets to get the smartest storage out of the compact layout. “It would have been very tough to have bought something and made it fit,” Ustayev says.
Countertop: Caesarstone; floor tile: polished Calacatta marble, 24 by 24 inches
A waterfall effect creates the illusion that the peninsula and countertop are larger. “It offers a grander look to a small kitchen,” Ustayev says.
Light colors make the space appear bigger than it is, but Ustayev was careful not to go too white. Dark lower cabinets establish balance. “In an open floor plan, we wanted to have some contrast to keep the kitchen from looking like a white box sitting in the corner,” she says. “The darker cabinets help tie it in with the rest of the home.”
The homeowner chose to go with custom cabinets to get the smartest storage out of the compact layout. “It would have been very tough to have bought something and made it fit,” Ustayev says.
Countertop: Caesarstone; floor tile: polished Calacatta marble, 24 by 24 inches
Keeping clutter off the counter is crucial to making a small room look more spacious. An appliance garage in the corner next to the fridge stores mixers, a baby food maker and other gadgets. Though the homeowner doesn’t use a microwave, the garage has space for one. “We made use of every nook and cranny,” Ustayev says.
A small corner storage cabinet to the right of the appliance garage offers more concealment. A pantry to the left of the fridge features rollout shelves.
Faucet: Kohler; backsplash: linear mosaic of Calacatta Statuario marble and polished porcelain
A small corner storage cabinet to the right of the appliance garage offers more concealment. A pantry to the left of the fridge features rollout shelves.
Faucet: Kohler; backsplash: linear mosaic of Calacatta Statuario marble and polished porcelain
This angle shows how the new kitchen opens to the adjacent living space. Additional cabinets and a wine fridge offer more storage.
Details
Walls moved: Yes
Plumbing moved: Yes. The sink and dishwasher moved from a wall to the peninsula.
Other professionals hired: General contractor
Duration of project: About 10 months
Lived in during remodel: No. The family stayed in another residence during construction.
Savings: Keeping the oven in its original place
Cost Breakdown
Cabinets: $30,000
Counters: $4,000
Backsplash: $1,000
Floor: $375
Sink: $488
Faucet: $306
Total: $36,169, not including design and construction fees, other materials or appliances
Next: One woman’s $4,500 crusade against her 100-square-foot kitchen
Your turn: Do you have a 100-square-foot kitchen? We’d love to see your “before” and “after” photos in the Comments.
See the latest compact kitchen photos
Details
Walls moved: Yes
Plumbing moved: Yes. The sink and dishwasher moved from a wall to the peninsula.
Other professionals hired: General contractor
Duration of project: About 10 months
Lived in during remodel: No. The family stayed in another residence during construction.
Savings: Keeping the oven in its original place
Cost Breakdown
Cabinets: $30,000
Counters: $4,000
Backsplash: $1,000
Floor: $375
Sink: $488
Faucet: $306
Total: $36,169, not including design and construction fees, other materials or appliances
Next: One woman’s $4,500 crusade against her 100-square-foot kitchen
Your turn: Do you have a 100-square-foot kitchen? We’d love to see your “before” and “after” photos in the Comments.
See the latest compact kitchen photos
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Layout: U-shape
Location: New York City
Cost for cabinets, countertops and floors: About $36,000
Special features: Extra-deep island, hidden storage, high-end look
Designer: Vi-Design