Open floor plan in remodeled Mill Creek kitchen

Published 10:27 am Thursday, February 26, 2009

When John and Kelli Bradley set out to remodel their Mill Creek kitchen, they dreamed of an open floor plan.

Two awkward posts from the home’s original late-1990s construction, however, kept getting in the way of the design they wanted.

And, oh yeah, one of them was holding up part of the house.

Similar homes in the development had been remodeled and the posts, regrettably, remained.

They were stuck, it seemed.

The Bradleys’ interior designer, Gary Hartz of Everett, figured there had to be a better way. He talked to both an engineer and the builder, Josh Peters with Top Level Contracting of Snohomish.

“I hate to be told I can’t do something,” Hartz said. “I’m worse than a little kid.”

In the end, Hartz’s vision and the Bradleys’ wishes won, thanks to a steel beam running along the ceiling between the kitchen and the family room.

The Bradleys left the beam and its gleaming chrome-colored bolts exposed for a slightly industrial touch.

Their sparkling new kitchen now opens into their newly remodeled family room, complete with an Eldorado stone veneer fireplace surround, a big-screen TV and a large sectional sofa.

The Bradleys are like many of Hartz’s clients who are nesting and reinvesting in their spaces rather than buy new or moving.

Getting rid of the unwanted posts was just the beginning of opening up the Bradleys’ kitchen. They also removed a wall between the kitchen and the dining room.

Though they had originally planned to keep their formal dining furniture next to their new kitchen, they realized they rarely used it.

Lisa Quall with Elegant Clutter of Mill Creek, which offers home restyling using existing furniture, suggested swapping the dining area with a sitting area in the front of the house.

It was a move that made the new kitchen even more of a hub for the family.

The Bradleys’ children, Nick, 14, and Ellen, 10, use the new secondary sitting area’s loveseats and coffee table to play games and do homework. It’s away from the TV, but it’s still within the same shared space.

Opening the three areas, tied together with new hardwood floors, has worked well for the Bradleys.

“We had a Super Bowl party with close to 70 people in the three rooms,” Kelli Bradley said. “It’s definitely a party room.”

Their new space, however, doesn’t feel cavernous.

To help the new kitchen blend seamlessly with adjacent rooms, they replaced the old cathedral ceilings in the kitchen with a lower coffered ceiling to match the adjacent rooms.

Though Kelli Bradley was reluctant at first to lower the ceiling, it ultimately made the kitchen cozier.

All the once-dead space overhead was converted into a much-needed 300-square-foot storage area, accessible from a new door upstairs.

“It’s amazing,” Kelli Bradley said, adding that they no longer have to pay for an inconvenient off-site storage space.

Peters, who was the builder on the Bradleys’ remodel, said he’s now doing similar projects for other clients stuck with posts, including one post that’s in a basement.

The Bradleys didn’t start out with a major remodeling project in mind. They had planned to have their floors refinished.

Then they took a remodeling class — “How to Remodel Without Destroying Your Relationship” — through Hartz and the city of Mill Creek.

“It snowballs,” Kelli Bradley said. “You just keep going and going.”

Now they’re enjoying new top-of-the-line cherry cabinets, shiny appliances, extensive lighting and seating at the granite-topped island for up to eight.

They still use their formal dining furniture, in its new location, for big holiday gatherings.

“We really feel like we are on a vacation at home,” Kelli Bradley said.

“I just wish we could get some room service,” John Bradley said.

Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com

Bells &whistles

John and Kelli Bradley’s kitchen features many upgrades over their previous kitchen, including:

Toe-kick waste bin: Throwing things away is a hands-free process here thanks to a foot-pedal just below a cabinet drawer that holds two bins, one for garbage and another for recycling.

Cabinet features: An automatic-closing lazy Susan, a floor-to-ceiling pull-out pantry and a large appliance drawer with a sturdy, slide-out tray.

Warming drawer: Though many modern kitchens come with two ovens, the Bradleys’ designer, Gary Hartz, recommended this appliance instead.

It’s ideal for proofing bread, warming plates or simply keeping food toasty without cooking it, including delivery pizza right in the box or Thanksgiving side dishes in waiting.

Incognito outlets: The Bradleys didn’t want electrical outlets interrupting the glass tiles of their backsplash, so they had them incorporated into the lighting units just under the cabinets.

They also had outlets installed directly into the granite counters.

Resources

Kitchens for Cooks, Everett: Gary Hartz, 425-293-4442, KitchensforCooks@comcast.net

Top Level Contracting, Snohomish: Josh Peters, 425-772-3189

Elegant Clutter Interiors and Gifts, Mill Creek: 16300 Mill Creek Blvd., Suite 108; www.elegantclutterinteriors.com; 425-745-8002