Washington Interior Designer’s Kitchen Redesign Solutions
Morning sunlight streams through the windows as you lean against your kitchen island, coffee in hand. The aroma of breakfast fills the air while family members gather, chatting about their upcoming day. Your kitchen feels open, inviting, and aligned with how you live. It’s not just a place to cook; it’s where your family connects.
For many Washington homeowners with older homes, however, the reality looks quite different. Dark, cramped spaces with awkward layouts create daily frustration. Countertops aren’t where you need them, there isn’t enough counter space, and storage feels inadequate. The layout isolates whoever is cooking from family conversation.
Fortunately, a kitchen redesign reimagines how your space works with your life. Thoughtful planning converts even the most challenging kitchens into places that are easier to live with and reflect your true personality.
Here are four remarkable projects where Well-Designed Home’s design services solved some of these common kitchen redesign challenges. Each one highlights principles you can apply in your own home.
A Greenlake Craftsman Kitchen Opens Up
A family in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood loved their charming Craftsman home except for one central pain point: Their dark kitchen, completely closed off from the dining area, had become a daily source of frustration.
The challenge: Isolation in a charming home
This disconnect was a practical inconvenience, and it also affected family dynamics. The cramped quarters made it impossible for family members to help during meal prep and the person making dinner couldn’t join the dining room conversations.
Upon our initial walk-through of the space, we immediately spotted a couple of opportunities: to increase the opening between the dining room and kitchen and to move a side door to the back of the kitchen space. But a simple demolition wouldn’t be enough. For the renovation to feel integrated, we had to honor the home’s Craftsman character.
The solution: Creating cohesive spaces to connect
The structural changes allowed a larger, uninterrupted flow for the main kitchen and provided a space for a mini-mudroom in an area that had been underutilized.
To make this work, we designed an archway echoing the original front entry’s distinctive lines, creating a transition that felt as if it had always been there. Strategic space planning introduced a peninsula, creating additional counter space and a natural gathering spot. Family members could now get together, share stories about their day, and share the responsibility of meal preparation.
Today, this kitchen supports the values of togetherness and shared experiences that matter most to this growing family.
Click here to see the final result.
Edmonds Remodel: Tiny Kitchen, Enormous Potential
We were asked to remodel a compact galley kitchen in Edmonds where every inch was forced into double (or triple) duty as a cooking area, eating nook, laundry, bar, or garage entry. And none of it completely worked.
The challenge: Too little space, too many jobs
The homeowner’s wish list for the tiny space: more counter space, better storage, an enclosed laundry area, and an open connection to the living room that would make entertaining possible. With a variety of constraints, we needed clever solutions that would deliver maximum impact.
The solution: Breathing room and a new hub
Space planning shines in these challenging small spaces.
We focused on maximizing the intelligence of each square inch. By carefully considering how the homeowners used the space for cooking, entertaining, and everyday living, we created a supportive kitchen redesign that feels more comfortable.
First we removed the wall between the dining and living areas, instantly creating a visual expansiveness. Meanwhile, new cabinetry maximized every inch available for storage.
We designed a multifunctional island as the new heart of the kitchen, ensuring that it could be accessed from all sides while housing the range and providing casual seating. And we enclosed the awkwardly exposed laundry area, adding wallpaper to convert a utilitarian space into a design feature.
The kitchen evolved from a room the homeowner avoided into one she didn’t want to leave.
To see the final product, click here.
Infusing Personality with Art Deco Flair
A Bothell couple reached out to Well-Designed Home after years of living with honey maple cabinets and orange-toned oak floors. These once-stylish choices now created a daily disconnect, particularly for the wife, who loves the glamour and sophistication of art deco design.
The challenge: Living in the past
Like many people who have been in their home for years, these clients had been living with a home that didn’t reflect their personalities. They had reached that pivotal moment many of my clients experience—recognizing that their home should be designed around their lifestyle and preferences rather than practicalities from the past.
We also needed to address the kitchen’s north-facing orientation. How could we incorporate dramatic design elements without making an already dark space feel darker?
The solution: Permission to be bold
During their initial consultation, we noticed how the couple’s collection of art deco pieces brought them joy. Yet their home environment spoke an entirely different language. We recognized a familiar pattern: homeowners who need permission to embrace their design preferences.
The design we created balanced boldness with practical strategy. The cabinets are a rich Brittany blue, with gold and black hardware for sophistication and visual contrast. To counterbalance the deeper cabinet color, white countertops reflect and maximize the natural light.
We selected a statement wallpaper for the adjacent dining room, which created a striking focal point while tying together design elements from neighboring rooms. We also replaced the oversized, heavy draperies with sleek gray fabric to make the space feel larger and brighter.
See the photos of the renovation here.
A “New” Home Without the Need to Move
A Sammamish couple stood at a crossroads familiar to many longtime homeowners: Renovate their dated home or move to something newer? We listened carefully during our first meeting as the couple talked about their love for the neighborhood and explored their options.
The challenge: A house full of outdated design
The house had dated elements throughout. The kitchen needed a refresh, the pink and blue living room had outlived its welcome, and the primary bathroom’s elevated tub platform and step-down shower no longer met accessibility standards.
The solution: Smart tweaks for a dramatic impact
The approach to this home exemplified innovative design thinking. We helped guide the homeowners to decisions that would provide the greatest visual and emotional impact.
In the kitchen, rather than changing the whole layout or installing expensive new cabinetry, we installed new fixtures to improve task lighting and provide a more modern look.
We helped this couple recognize that their home’s greatest assets couldn’t be measured in square footage. Today, their kitchen redesign and other updated spaces reflect their current lifestyle while anticipating their future needs. Sometimes the best “new” home is the one you already have!
Click here to see the thoughtfully updated space.
Space Planning: The Foundation of Kitchen Redesign
At the heart of each successful kitchen redesign lies thoughtful space planning, determining the space’s purpose, functional requirements, and basic layout. Effective space planning addresses three elements: function, flow, and organization.
Function: Planning for how you live
What activities will happen in your kitchen? Beyond cooking, will you entertain, help with homework, work from home, gather for family meetings? Understanding these needs helps determine counter space requirements, seating options, and storage solutions.
Flow: Supporting natural use and movement
How will people move through your kitchen? Mapping traffic patterns helps determine appropriate furniture placement, door positions, and work zones. A well-planned kitchen layout creates a natural rhythm for daily tasks.
Organization: Balancing space and storage needs
How can your kitchen best support your routines? This means providing adequate storage and work areas without making the space seem overcrowded or sterile.
Does Your Kitchen Support Your Life?
As professional interior designers, we bring a trained eye to space planning. As you consider your kitchen redesign challenges, remember that the most impactful changes come from strategic interventions focused on how you use your space.
The heart of your home deserves to beat in rhythm with your life. To schedule a time to explore our design services, click here to connect for a complimentary discovery call.