When my client Paula saw her 2 story condo for the first time, she fell in love. Having viewed a number of condos of varying styles and configurations this was her favorite -bar none. So she took me to see it before purchasing a unit to get my opinion re: room sizes, layout, closet space, functionality and aesthetic. A brand new brick fronted Georgian condo townhouse, with old world charm, I knew this was what Paula was looking for. While she wanted to live in a condo that fit into the landscape of the neighbourhood, she had visions of a trendier more current interior.
The kitchen which had ample storage space and attractive clean lined cabinetry suited Paula's needs and tastes. Its galley style layout, however, resulted in an enclosed space that would cut her off from visiting family and guests. Not one to like enclosed spaces she had been hoping for open concept living .
There was an easy but not inexpensive solution to this problem. A portion of the wall on either end of the kitchen was cut away, thereby opening up the kitchen to the living room on one end and the dining room on the other . The kitchen no longer felt merely like a passage way that connected the living and dining rooms but rather had the look and feel of a much more spacious room.
Paula had dreamed of cooking for company in her new kitchen, while guests chatted with her perched on stools at a trendy looking breakfast bar. Before deciding to have a portion of the kitchen wall removed this would not have been a possibility. Once the walls came tumbling down a perfect spot was created to build a breakfast bar but the wall removal was not an expense that Paula had anticipated when she fell in love with the condo. A granite breakfast bar was out of the question.
My first thought was to install a floating shelf that would stretch the length of the wall, under which stools could be tucked. An inexpensive and attractive fix. Jysk sells these shelves in varying lengths for very reasonable prices. But on a shopping expedition I found a great solid wood parsons table at Wicker Emporium that I knew would function as, and give the illusion of a breakfast bar. Because a table was being reinvented as a breakfast bar, stationary counter or bar height stools would not work. They were too tall. Luckily, today a good many stools have a mechanism for adjusting their height. Because height was at a premium, thickly padded seats would not work. At Home Outfitters I found stools that were a perfect fit and a perfect price. Less than $150.00 for the pair.
So voila! From breakfast bar-none a reinvented table became the best breakfast -bar none!
No comments:
Post a Comment