Kitchen of the Week: Farmhouse Style in a Compact Space
A small kitchen gets a big makeover to fit the look of a 100-year-old Minneapolis home
Julie Sheer
26 April 2019
Houzz Contributor; journalist with more than two decades of experience as a graphics editor and writer at the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune; outdoor guidebook author; lover of all things outdoors, nature and wildlife. Follow me at https://westcentric.wordpress.com/
Houzz Contributor; journalist with more than two decades of experience as a graphics... More
Photos by Spacecrafting
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Colleen and Javier Guzman and their two sons
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 122 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Carol Kornak of Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Kitchens 100 years ago weren’t the cavernous spaces popular in some of today’s homes. Islands were nonexistent, and sometimes there wasn’t even seating. That was the case in this small kitchen in a 1918 house in Minneapolis, which was last remodeled about 40 years ago and recently got a do-over from Crystal Kitchen + Bath.
Without removing walls or expanding the footprint, the team reconfigured the space to make it more efficient while creating an updated farmhouse look that stays true to the home’s style. Now the homeowners enjoy modernity in a layout that makes more sense. “Even though it is a small kitchen, it was planned with a place for everything, which makes the room feel larger than it is,” says Carol Kornak, who designed the project.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Colleen and Javier Guzman and their two sons
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 122 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Carol Kornak of Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Kitchens 100 years ago weren’t the cavernous spaces popular in some of today’s homes. Islands were nonexistent, and sometimes there wasn’t even seating. That was the case in this small kitchen in a 1918 house in Minneapolis, which was last remodeled about 40 years ago and recently got a do-over from Crystal Kitchen + Bath.
Without removing walls or expanding the footprint, the team reconfigured the space to make it more efficient while creating an updated farmhouse look that stays true to the home’s style. Now the homeowners enjoy modernity in a layout that makes more sense. “Even though it is a small kitchen, it was planned with a place for everything, which makes the room feel larger than it is,” says Carol Kornak, who designed the project.
Before: The old kitchen had cabinets from the previous remodel and little counter space. “They wanted built-in appliances, better storage and a small breakfast bar for a stool,” Kornak says.
Find kitchen and bath designers near you on Houzz
Find kitchen and bath designers near you on Houzz
After: The night-and-day difference was achieved with clean, bright finishes, new windows, Shaker-style cabinets and 4-by-12-inch glossy gray backsplash tile. The apron-front sink from Franke is a classic farmhouse style.
Browse tile in the Houzz Shop
Browse tile in the Houzz Shop
Before: An awkward corner contained a microwave crammed onto a tiny countertop.
After: The cleaned-up corner has a built-in microwave and a counter that extends into a small bar that can accommodate several stools. It ticks off the homeowners’ request for built-in appliances and seating.
Paint: Rodeo, Benjamin Moore
Paint: Rodeo, Benjamin Moore
Before: The range and refrigerator were stuck next to each other. The idea of opening this wall to the dining room was discussed but ultimately nixed. “We decided to keep the rooms separate because of the cost and integrity of the age of the home,” Kornak says.
After: The ceiling, which had been lowered during a previous remodel, was raised to its original height. This provided the illusion of more space but required modifications for the range hood. “The vented hood needed to be changed to a recirculating hood because getting the exhaust to the outside wall became too costly,” Kornak says.
Shop for ductless range hoods
Shop for ductless range hoods
The designers maximized space by placing a 30-inch-wide refrigerator from Liebherr in a narrow spot next to the sink. “That freed up space on the range wall for cabinets and counter space on both sides of the range,” Kornak says.
For the floor, the designers chose on-trend luxury vinyl planks that look like wood. The homeowners perused Houzz early on to get kitchen update ideas. “They selected many images from Houzz as inspiration photos during the initial design process,” Kornak says.
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For the floor, the designers chose on-trend luxury vinyl planks that look like wood. The homeowners perused Houzz early on to get kitchen update ideas. “They selected many images from Houzz as inspiration photos during the initial design process,” Kornak says.
New to Houzz? Here’s How to Create and Use Ideabooks
The new counters are marble-look quartz in Torquay from Cambria.
The new cabinets were a crucial part of making the space efficient and organized. “Because of the limited size of the room, drawer and cabinet organization was critical,” Kornak says. “Rollouts, drawer dividers, spice organization, built-in microwave were specifically placed for maximum efficiency.”
The new cabinets were a crucial part of making the space efficient and organized. “Because of the limited size of the room, drawer and cabinet organization was critical,” Kornak says. “Rollouts, drawer dividers, spice organization, built-in microwave were specifically placed for maximum efficiency.”
Here’s a look at the kitchen’s floor plan. Structural changes were minimal, except for raising the ceiling and making the layout more functional.
More on Houzz
Read about other Kitchens of the Week
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More on Houzz
Read about other Kitchens of the Week
Browse kitchen photos
Find kitchen and bath remodelers near you
Shop for kitchen and dining products
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Looks like someone turned on the lights in the After photos.
Carpet One Floor & Home the flooring is Laguna Oak from Coretec.
Nice to see a kitchen under 150 sq. ft and one that is not open