Kitchen Changes (As Part Of Our Addition)
Right after I finished writing yesterday’s post about my chance meeting with the project manager who oversaw our garage-to-studio conversion in the Home Depot parking lot, I got a phone call from one of the three contractors that I had called earlier in the week about our addition. I’ll be meeting with him this morning. So naturally, while I was working in the studio yesterday (and making some really encouraging progress that I’ll share on Monday), my mind was spinning with the different ideas I’ve had for the addition, the information that I want to be sure to tell him, etc.
One thing that I almost forgot about is the kitchen. I’ve weighed several different options for the kitchen over the years that I’ve been contemplating and planning for this addition, everything from leaving it just as it is to creating a cased opening on the wall between the kitchen and where the future family/media room will be.
The wall in question is this wall of cabinets. The new family/media room will be just on the other side of this wall. (Sorry, this is an older picture.)
I think the last time I shared about my thoughts about this wall and how it would be affected by the addition, I had envisioned something like this really bad mock up I did last December. 😀
But since sharing that, so many people have cautioned me about having the kitchen so wide open to so many different rooms of the house. It cuts down on valuable storage areas, but it would also eliminate any privacy in the family/media room because there would be a straight line of sight from the street, through the front living room, through the kitchen, and into the family room. During the day, that’s not a problem. But at night, if I’m in there watching TV, I’d really prefer some privacy. (I never close the blinds on our windows, and I don’t plan on starting that in the future.)
So I’ve been trying to pay attention. First, I’ve been trying to pay attention to how we really use our home, and how the new family/media room might change things. And second, I’ve tried to pay attention and be on the lookout for an idea that would meet all of those (new) needs.
We host a group from our church every Wednesday night, and that group has been up to about 17 people. Once we have this new room, I have no doubt we’ll meet in there instead of the front living room since the new room will be bigger and (hopefully) more comfortable. And we eat a meal together every time we gather, so the kitchen is very much a part of that gathering. Because of that, I really would like for the kitchen and the new family room to be open to each other in some way.
So I’ve been on the lookout for an idea that will (1) allow the kitchen and family room to be open to each other, (2) allow me to keep as much storage as possible in the kitchen, and (3) allow for privacy at night.
Well, a few months ago, I came across what I believe to be the perfect solution. It was a passthrough between a kitchen and dining room with cabinets surrounding the passthrough on both the kitchen side and the dining room side, with a countertop extending over the lower cabinets on both sides. It looked something like this…
Of course, that appears to be a passthrough from a kitchen to a dining room, and mine would be from the kitchen to a family/media room. But what struck me (and what I had never even considered before) was putting storage on both sides! Loads of family rooms have built-in storage, so I could not only utilize the entire width of lower cabinet space on the kitchen side, as well as have two floor-to-ceiling height cabinets on each end of that wall in the kitchen side, but I could also add storage on the backside (i.e., the family room side).
I generally don’t like the look of a passthrough because most of them just look like a hole in the wall, almost like an afterthought. Or they have a dinky little bar with bar stools on the non-kitchen side. But this design, with the cabinets on the non-kitchen side, looks very intentional and designed and purposeful.
So what about that privacy I wanted? Well, I’m thinking that I could add some pocket doors (half-doors, really) behind the cabinets on the kitchen side and re-create a similar look that I have in the music room, which is right next door to the kitchen.
Except instead of having full-length doors and a walkthrough like in the music room, the kitchen would have half-length pocket doors (pocket window?) and a passthrough with a full width of lower cabinets beneath.
So as of right now, that’s the plan. And it’s been the plan for a few months now. I didn’t want to share it earlier because (1) the addition wasn’t really on our radar at the time, and (2) I wanted some time to ruminate on this plan without the confusion of a lot of outside input. But the more I think about it, the more I love it!
Here’s a really terrible mock up of what this kind of passthrough would look like on the back wall of our kitchen…
Of course, no kitchen cabinets of mine would ever be white. And I don’t have the slightest clue about how to mock up those pocket doors that would give privacy at night. So you’ll have to use your imagination there. 😀
UPDATE: A reader who is much more talented than I am at doing mock ups sent me this. It’s pretty much exactly what I had in mind! (Thank you, Chris!!) The left shows what it might look like with glass-front cabinets, and the right with solid-front cabinets. I love it both ways, so that will be a difficult decision.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
What about adding pocket doors between the living room and kitchen instead? That would then give you complete privacy while still allowing that kitchen to media room access open.
That’s a load-bearing wall, so installing pocket doors would be a major construction job. There’s absolutely no way I’m going to tear up my living room to install pocket doors. 🙂 That room is finished, and I don’t want to move backwards.
If not pocket doors, perhaps a modern styled “barn” door?
What an excellent idea and another Kristi creative solution. I’d seen something similar where they had some large art on a track on the top of a bookcase that was slid out of the way to watch a TV that was behind it but with double sided cabinets, pocket “windows” really make sense.
Looks like the perfect solution to me.
Oh, I like that idea. I do not like a full opening…just too much, and the kitchen is already open to a lot of your other rooms…and, it seems like no privacy at all for the family room. Not to mention losing so much storage. BUT, the idea of just an opening, that could be closed off, and actually doubling some of your storage is my kind of solution. Brilliant! Love it!
Hi Kristi,
Long time follower here. I fully understand the need for privacy in a bedroom or bathroom, but, I’m wondering, since you and Matt are the primary dwellers in your home, what privacy needs do you feel you’ll face in the future, that you don’t face today. It may be helpful to step outside at night to imagine what a passerby might see through a 4-6 foot opening, into a room, at the very back of your home. Depending on your layout, would you have a snippet of dining chairs in view, or a sofa? I respectfully ask, what is the difference between not closing the blinds now, thus currently putting the living room and kitchen “in full view”, and having a snippet of a new room, at the very back of your home, in view? What scenario, for you and Matt, in YOUR home, would warrant adding “doors” or shutters? It may certainly be needed in someone else’s home, but is it right for your home? By the way, I also don’t close all of my blinds at night and would consider adding “doors” or shutters a no-go.
So exciting that you are moving towards the addition. You had mentioned perhaps a pass-through in a previous post (I thought) so this is no surprise. For the privacy part, many people I know have folding shutters that can be opened and closed across the counter/pass-through window. Open when you want to see from room to room, closed when the kitchen is a mess after making dinner or you just want to have more privacy. This solution would be pretty easy to implement and not as complicated as pocket doors.
My two cents – though I know from following along with all you have done to the house that WHATEVER you choose will be beautiful and blow our minds!
I love your idea! As for the pocket doors, it’s my guess that you will rarely close them. The sight line might not be as noticeable with the half wall. I had shutters on a half wall from my kitchen dining area to a sunroom. Until I had to take over part of that room as an office, I never closed them. When I did it was to keep people from interrupting me while I was working. My desk faced that “window” and an exterior door. Any time I wasn’t concentrating, I had them open. It’s really a great idea and is a better idea than two sets of doors side by side.
What a great idea! I know you will think of this, but may I suggest paying close attention to HOW you will close the doors? Since you are somewhat vertically challenged, I am slightly worried about how far you may have to reach to close the doors. However let me emphasize that I still think that you have come up with the best idea ever!
I LOVE it! My brain went to pocket doors also, but then you’d have lost some storage. What a perfect compromise. Great place to store your hosting items AND lay out food for a party! And be part of it all while in the kitchen!
Great idea! Once in a while contractors have the best ways of implementing ideas. Will be interesting to see what they say.
I love love love it. I can see it clearly and it would be a perfect solution. Please don’t change your mind because I am already envisioning seeing it come to life.
Kristi, that idea is just perfect! It is a fantastic combination of all you want and need andI really look forward to seeing how you are going to put it in place.
On The Mary Tyler Moore show, Mary’s apartment had a wonderful stained glass window in the passthrough from the kitchen that could be raised or lowered. Google it for images!
Oooo, great idea! And since you’re planning on replacing your countertop, that would continue on that counter.
You sit in your living room at night and don’t close the blinds. People rude enough to look in your living room window can see into your kitchen. I wouldn’t be concerned about people seeing into your family room as well. I love your current cabinetry on the wall that potentially would be opened up to the family room but understand how convenient it would be to have an opening you can walk through. The mock up with floor to ceiling cabinets with a walk through looks lovely. You have a very large pantry so perhaps losing some cabinets wouldn’t be an issue.
They don’t sit in their living room. They sit in “breakfast” room that she turned into a sitting room temporarily so Matt can sit and watch tv with her.
That looks like a great plan!
You’re right! That is the perfect solution. Love it!
Love this idea of half wall opening Kristi. Perfect solution to open up kitchen to family room without having a big hole in kitchen wall. IMHO
Love the update too!! I think thats the best solution IMHO.
Several years ago during a kitchen remodel I did that same idea between a kitchen and a dining room, and I regretted it afterwards. It was such a pain to be in the kitchen and then have walk around through another room to get to the dining room (your family room), especially if there were guests around and in the way. I think putting a cased opening between the kitchen and the family room would be better for access to the family room and then put a barn door between the kitchen and living room for privacy at night. The barn door can be left open during the day and when you have guests over. You would still have plenty of storage on either side of the cased opening that would go to the ceiling. Just something to consider because I REALLY regretted not having a doorway between the two rooms. Just something to consider. I am sure whatever you chose will end up being beautiful!
I don’t think you’ll need the doors, you’ll be seated below the sight line of the opening.
Oh, I love that idea!!!
I love this idea and how it mirrors the music room. I can also think of plenty of times I’d want to be able to close off the kitchen – noise reduction if there is noise going on in the kitchen or family room that might disrupt the other room(s), cooking smells, keeping out heat or cold, and privacy, of course. It may not be needed often, but it would be nice to be able to close off the room from the front of the house if it ever came up.
I’d go with the cased opening as you originally planned and then hang some curtain on the den side. It would be just as easy to close curtains as it would be to close pocket doors above cabinets and the opening would make it easier to navigate your husband around the house.
Yes! This feels like a just-right solution for all the practical and pretty requirements. I do my best work with plenty of time to ruminate, too.
I love the mock up Chris did for you. It’s beautiful. In my humble opinion I would say glass door fronts on the kitchen cupboards. It would still have that open feeling when the pocket doors are closed. On the family room side make the storage doors blend/coordinate/compliment the half panels.
I am spatially challenged, so maybe I’m just missing it, but how would you get into this new addition: out of the kitchen, through the music room doors? It seems to me like that would get old pretty quickly, though the pass-through itself seems like it would be very useful. On the second picture, with the 2 floor-to-ceiling cabinets, couldn’t you tuck in “pocket doors” like you have done in the Music Room? I could even see a slide-out (or lift-up) shelf from one of the cabinets, that would span over to the other cabinet, to be used as a serving surface, but when not needed, wouldn’t impede traffic directly to that part of the addition. Just a thought. As others have mentioned, experience has shown it will be lovely, whatever you decide to do!
I think this is an excellent idea. There could be built-ins on both sides of that wall – kitchen and family room – and each side of the opening, so not a lot of storage would be lost, if any. The pocket doors would provide the desired privacy. I, personally, would not want to walk through another room to get to my kitchen fom the family room..
Hi, I have lived in probably a dozen homes over my married life of 40+ years. I would NOT put an opening over a counter the way you have planned. Even if it is only a wide single pocket door, I would make the opening a walk-through. You will be putting things on that counter, they will roll off to the other side, then you will march around to retrieve them. It looks to me like a constant source of frustration, unless you are willing to hurdle over the counter to the other side. It looks good, but I’m not sure you will be happy with the resulting roadblock. You might try leaving the walkthrough for a bit and then put in a blocker and see how it works for you. In any case, you do beautiful work, and I enjoy seeing your projects.
I don’t doubt your experience but it makes me wonder if this an issue with kitchen islands? I don’t have one, but grew up in a house with a 24″ wide peninsula and five children and this was never a problem. My mom still lives there and hosts family, including grandchildren, and still not a problem. The 12″ deep overhead cabinets with doors on both sides have had a (very, very) few accidents when someone has tried to cram too many items on a shelf and pushed them out the other side.
The peninsula counter between the dining area and the kitchen makes it much easier to clear the table. Usually we pass plates down to whomever is sitting at that end of the table, they place them on the counter from which they can easily be moved to the sink.
My sister lived in a fancy 100 year old house that had a wonderful butlers pantry with a sink dividing the family dining area (originally the “breakfast room”) from the kitchen but, sadly, didn’t have a butler. A previous owner had done something similar to what Kristi is thinking about, which made getting food from the kitchen to the table fairly easy, but it was a long walk to the refrigerator if someone forgot to put ketchup on the table. Her solution was to put in an under-counter refrigerator for condiments and beverages.
Great idea; my mother did something similar using Plantation shutters. In addition to privacy, another bonus is blocking the view of the kitchen – ESPECIALLY with company! When you have your group over the kitchen probably isn’t immediately cleaned. With the pocket windows no one has to look at it!
I love it! Especially with the glass front doors. They make your kitchen look so much more spacious than the solid doors. I have two glass front kitchen cabinets. I don’t find them difficult to care for at all. I keep glasses in them (my mom’s wedding crystal is on the top two shelves). I put a light in the top and glass shelves in them so that the light shines all the way down to the bottom. They make me happy.
Lots of ideas floating around.
Sounds awesome!
LOVE the new mock-ups with the frosted pocket doors over the passthrough! Perfect solution!
Hi Kristi,
I agree with Donna. If you are in your living room now with no need to close the blinds. why would you need extra privacy farther back in the new family room.? If your home is off the street a reasonable distance, as it appears in your pictures, no one will be able to see in the new room any more than they do right now. That said, I think going back and forth thru the music room to the kitchen will get old. I think you will wish you. had an opening directly into kitchen. Do like the look of the pass thru though.
It looks brilliant it will fabulous if you choose the pocket doors or what about Bi-Fold doors just a thought,
Hi Kristi. Your pocket doors over the cabinet could be mirrored to reflect back, something more decorative to consider. I love the idea of have storage on both sides (kitchen/media rooms) as well.
Good job on the mock up Chris! I LOVE this idea because it checks all the boxes- it gives you the storage, especially on both sides. I like the idea that it will block the view in the evening but still give access to the rooms if you want it. It ties in with the music room door as well as the kitchen cabinets. You can never have enough counter space either! I’d probably go with glass cabinet fronts on the kitchen side and either glass cabinets or open shelving on the family room side. LOVE!
Great solution! And my only thought to add, would be to keep it buffet high, on both sides, so it is more of a serving area and not prep, but that maybe one and the same for you, unless you’re getting new counter tops. And the mock up is perfect with the look alike for the screens. Exactly what I had pictured in my head!
I love this idea! And the opportunity to use the same design on the pocket window, as in the music room doors. I’m excited for this project.
First, stop apologizing for your mock-ups, they are great and give me (us) an idea of what you’re going after. The one Reader Chris did is wonderful as well. I’d vote for the glass fronts, as it breaks up all the solid doors going on. If I had a chance to have glass I’d opt for seeded glass, I just love it and it hides a bit too. I love repeating the door detail in the pocket windows too! You may have started a new trend🙃😉. When you busted through the kitchen wall to your LR, I was horrified. Until I saw the end result. From that,move learned to trust your thought process. Have fun.
I love the flexibility of being able to have it open or closed from the kitchen. With LARGE gatherings the option for a sound barrier might be good. It will allow for more conversations without everyone shouting. And you still get a ton of serving space for those weekly meals. I think it’s the perfect solution for you! Good luck on your contractor search!
The mock-up with the frosted sliding glass doors is fabulous! I would very definitely flank them with the solid cabinet doors.
All I can say is Wow!
Love the solution, especially with the glass doors.
It’s perfect, I love it!
I love that pass-through idea! You’ll have a storage (and buffet line?) on both sides, and you can still shut off the kitchen if needed. I love this as a nice balance between wiiiiide open and I’d-like-a-little-privacy-please.