Space Planning with Limited Space

WITH BEFORE PHOTOS

Sometimes we are brought into a space which has been renovated recently, but where poor space planning decisions make for awkward living. That was the case in both the kitchen and the bathroom here.

Upon entering the bathroom, the door hit into the shower glass, but if you didn’t open it that wide, you couldn’t get past the blocky bathroom vanity. Getting past it was a must, because the toilet was oriented in a way that you had to squeeze past the vanity to get to the toilet, in a space also crowded by a towel bar. We made three moves: Rotate the toilet, shift the shower into the bedroom by 6”, and install a custom shelf/counter/sink combo with integrated towel bars that allow for storage, while making the bathroom seem substantially larger than the 2.5 sq. ft. it actually increased. Click on the photos below to scroll through.

In the kitchen, standard size appliances and an island meant the kitchen overwhelmed the open space that serves as kitchen, dining and living. There was no room for a dining table. A wide utility chase for the building orphaned the refrigerator, and created a deep dark nook to the left. We made a couple of moves that improved the situation: Bronwyn’s design brought the paneled fridge and cabinetry to the left of the utility chase in line with its face, so it reads as a part of the kitchen. Our client requested chalk board paint there to give it some functionality. The island went away, leaving room for a dining room table, and by switching to compact appliances and adding a pantry to the right of the fridge, no storage was lost. Click on the photos below to scroll through.