Kitchen Design for Bayberry House

Well, friends, the time has finally arrived. Today’s remodel update focuses on the design of my new kitchen! I am so excited to share it with you.

It’s a bit surreal that I’m finally able to post specifics about the kitchen design. This project has been in the works since I first bought my home last summer. Sitting on these plans and ideas for the past few months hasn’t been easy.

In case you’re new to Inspired by Charm, I’m remodeling my kitchen. If you’re interested in how the space looked before, check out the post here. If you’d like to see some of my inspiration for the design, take a peek at this post here.

Now that we’re a few weeks into the project, I thought it made sense to show you the layout of the new kitchen along with some 3D views of the space! I’ve also created another video to give you a renovation update. You’ll find that at the bottom of this post.

Before we get into those details, I wanted to tell you a bit about my designer and contractor.

Kitchen Design – Desginer and Contractor:

As I mentioned early on, I decided to work with a designer for this project. This might seem strange since I blog about design. However, for me, hiring a designer for this project was a no brainer. Here’s why:

I have a passion for design and decor. And while I can successfully design and style a space. I don’t have the knowledge and experience required for a project of this magnitude. Things like HVAC planning, space planning, and electrical and plumbing considerations are way beyond my skill set.

I will be the first to admit that I tend to second guess myself and sometimes struggle with decision-making. Having a designer for the project gives me someone to talk through ideas with, ask for second opinions, look to for ideas, and get recommendations from. This is a large and expensive project, so there isn’t room for mistakes and redos. The big decisions need to be right the first time.

My designer for this project is Katy Popple, and she is amazing! If you’re local, I definitely recommend checking out her site. You can also find her on Instagram @katypoppledesign. She comes highly recommended by IBC! One of her designs was recently featured in the home issue of Pittsburgh Magazine. (It even made the cover of the issue!)

The look and design for the kitchen have been a collaborative effort. However, Katy has been the rock when it comes to the technical details, creating the beautiful plans in this post, sourcing certain products, being patient with my thousands of questions, and so much more! It’s a joy to collaborate with her and hiring her for this project was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

My contractor is Avanti Construction here in Pittsburgh. Again, I’ve been so pleased with their services and would highly recommend them if you are local. I wanted a great crew that could get the job done right, and this is exactly what Avanti has delivered.

One other thing I would like to mention: I often ask for feedback here, and you’re certainly welcome to share ideas and opinions, but please keep in mind that not a lot can or will change at this point in the project. Many decisions have already been made, and I’m so thrilled with the way things are taking shape.

Okay, with all of that out of the way, onto the designs!

Kitchen Design for Bayberry House:

This was the original layout:

Pictured from left to right, is a closet, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room.

Now, let’s take a look at the new layout:

Moving from left to right, there is a powder room, butler’s pantry, kitchen, and dining room.

Those images probably aren’t super helpful or informative to most of you, so now let’s look at the 3D views so you can really get an idea for how the new kitchen will look. (If you need to reference what the kitchen was like before, you can find those images in this post here.)

New Kitchen Design:

This view is what you’d see coming in from the front of the house:

A few things to note here:
– I’m eliminating one of the doors to the deck and replacing the other with a Dutch door.
– The range will be on this wall.
– There will be two windows above the sink instead of just one.
– The dishwasher will be next to the stove and concealed with a panel that matches the new cabinetry.
– The entire back wall will be tiled floor to ceiling.

This is looking into the dining room:

A few things to note here:
-The wall between the kitchen and the dining room will be removed.
– A peninsula with base cabinets on both sides will separate the two spaces.
– Three windows will be installed in the back dining room wall.
– A narrow work table will be added to the kitchen.

This is the view when you’re standing at the kitchen sink looking back out to the entry hall:
(The door on the far right leads to the basement; the doorway next to it leads to the entry hall.)

A few things to note here:
– The cabinet on the left will house the microwave. The cabinet it shown open. There are two doors that fold into either side.
– The refrigerator will be in the middle and be hidden with cabinetry panels.
– The door from the kitchen to the hallway will be removed, and there will just be an open doorway.

This is looking from the dining room into the kitchen:

There isn’t much to note here other than the new door opening on the back wall in the kitchen.

This is the new butler’s pantry:
(This is looking into the room from the new doorway in the kitchen. A wall dividing these spaces is “invisible”.)

A few things to note about the butler’s pantry:
– It will feature a bar sink, built-in coffee maker, and small wine/beverage cooler.
– It will serve as a small beverage room and provide lots of additional kitchen storage.

This is a different angle of the butler’s pantry and the powder room:
(The entrance to the kitchen is on the right.The wall dividing these spaces and my family room is “invisible” in this rendering.)

And that’s the new kitchen design!

Other Kitchen Design Notes:

As I mentioned previously (I realize it may be hard to tell from the photos.), my kitchen is a modest-size space. We played with several different layouts, and ultimately this is the best solution and one that I’m definitely excited about. The butler’s pantry alone is a dream for me. I’m already crazy about that cute little space.

I’m also thrilled that we were able to fit in a work table. It’s not huge, but I think it will come in handy. It also makes use of that dead space in the middle of the kitchen. You may have noticed that we opted not to do seating at the peninsula. It was a decision based mostly on available space and the need for storage. There will be plenty of seating in the dining room, and I also plan to add two small stools under the work table.

We are still working on the finishing details, such as paint colors, lighting, and other fixtures, so I will save that information for another post. However, I do hope these plans and 3D views give you a feel for how the kitchen is going to look!

Kitchen Design Video:

To help you visualize (and also update you on the demolition), I created another video of the space. You can watch that below.

The video is likewise on my YouTube channel, so you can watch it there. (YouTube has a closed caption feature for anyone who may need it.)

If you’re a regular YouTube viewer, you can subscribe to my channel. If you’ve already subscribed, be sure to click on the bell icon so you’re notified anytime I upload a new video.

And that’s a wrap on my kitchen design.

It’s been loads of fun sharing this adventure with you. I’m so glad you’re interested in the project and the process. I probably won’t have an update for you next week, but stay tuned for future Bayberry House kitchen updates!