A couple of weeks ago I visited the project in San Leandro which is currently under construction. I took some pictures and realized that this project provides an example of a principal of design I call “Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference”. In this case, opening up the wall between the Dining Room and the Kitchen made a cramped space feel huge.
The house has reasonably sized rooms, but the place felt cramped. The Dining Room had this nice built in, but it cut off the connection between the Dining Room and the Kitchen. After consulting with a cabinet maker, we determined that the built in could not be saved, and we made the decision to remove it.
Just taking out the built in and removing the plaster from the walls made the whole house feel enormous. Now it is possible to see from the living room straight back through the Dining Room and Kitchen to the rear hall (which will provide access to both the back yard and the lower level Family Room. Having a long view through a small house can make it feel bigger.
The new opening between the Dining Room and the Kitchen has been framed, though I haven’t seen it yet. I’m looking forward to seeing the next step in this house’s transformation.
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