Kitchen Remodel Provides Space for Entertaining, Storage

When Nicolle Larson bought her house on the southwest side of Sidney eight years ago, it was perfect for her and her four children. However, now that her children are in high school, Nicolle found that the space didn't fit the family's need anymore, so she turned to Brenda Larson, owner of Creative Solutions in Sidney, to help her design a more functional layout.

Nicolle enjoyed the fact that the original kitchen was very large and open. The space was "good for younger kids because the kids would rope in the kitchen, do gymnastics, so they had a kind of gym. I like the space, but it ran its course. I'm a sucker for kitchen gadgets, so I wanted more space," Nicolle explained.

Nicolle worked closely with Brenda on the floorplan. "It was Brenda who did the design for me," Nicolle said. "I have no talents in the area of design. She probably drew me out fifteen to twenty plans and kind of walked out all the options for me. I'm not a person who can visualize things well." Nicolle also had the help of her mother and twin sister, Donna, who had built two houses before. The flow of the area was important, as Nicolle would need room to navigate her oldest daughter Jade's wheelchair. "We made these plans with Jade in mind, because I knew she would be in the house regularly, so the flow of traffic was a real consideration. Brenda was good about considering where the kids would be trafficking the most," Nicolle said. The plans included wide walkways for lots of kids, and enough room for Jade's chair.

Construction was completed by MacGrady Construction, and included removing a dividing wall between the large kitchen space and a small living room. Nicolle wanted everyone to be in the same room, and a better flow for entertaining. With three graduations in the next three years, as well as many other social events that arise for high school students, Nicolle wanted to be able to entertain in the space. "I just thought with my kids going into HS with all the social things they were doing it would be nice to be able to invite my kids' friends, church family, and family members and friends and be able to entertain and have it go smoothly. I just wanted to make the feeling relaxed, cozy and inviting," she said. According to Brenda, "This was my favorite type of remodeling project. We swapped the dining and living room areas, creating an open concept for the dining, kitchen and living room. We stayed within the confines of the existing space, but totally changed the layout."

A 13-foot kitchen island served a dual purpose for the family. It became the focal point of the room, and includes wrap-around seating for great conversations, and a built-in range. A desk area, wired for a charging station, was included and certainly met the needs of the high school students. For Nicolle, floor-to-ceiling cabinets and a walk-in pantry provides enough space for all of the kitchen gadgets and much more.

Nicolle and Brenda chose Dura-Supreme cabinetry, with Arcadia Classic cabinet doors. "As far as textures and colors, I wanted a warm and cozy feeling," Nicolle said. In line with Nicolle's desired "cozy" atmosphere, she chose Rustic Hickory wood, with natural color variation, as well as knots, burls and mineral streaks. For the stain, Nicolle chose a warm new color called "Toast", from Dura-Supreme's color line-up.

Nicolle is more than satisfied with the results of the remodel. "I am totally happy with it. I'm really excited that I did it when I did it. It was something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I feel excited about hosting those kinds of things and the space will accommodate a large number of people," she said.