Let the Wall Come Down! A Kitchen Renovation Story

The Yonge Lawrence Kitchen
It was inevitable. They renovated their bathroom, see https://www.monacointeriors.ca/portfolio/yonge-lawrence-bathroom/ and the kitchen was to follow a couple of years later. They had called a few times, we had looked at it and discussed their options and their budget, and then, when they were ready, they pulled the trigger. And what a journey we took!
The existing kitchen was likely over 40 years old. It was not only dated, but cramped, dark and totally inconvenient. It was a small box, closed from the rest of the house, with little storage and zero social value. They complained that two people could not be in there at the same time, and dinner parties weren’t great as not only was the kitchen difficult, but the adjoining dining room was also small and cramped.
That it! We proclaimed…down with that wall!!!
Or so we thought. When the contractors got into the wall, they found all kids of pipes and electrical wiring. But, with a little imagination, they were moved and the wall came down.
The kitchen boasts white painted shaker style cabinetry with a classic yet more contemporary edge. The handles, the Caesarstone counters and backsplash, and stainless appliances modernize the space. To balance this out, and respect the more traditional home, we used a cobblestone type travertine tile, which not only looks a bit old world, but is also very forgiving to spills and dirt. We also found a fantastic and cheeky light fixture. It looks like a collection of jars pulled together with some Edison bulbs and wires. Completely unexpected and totally fun.
Their kitchen layout is enhanced by their new peninsula, which opens into the dining room, and houses more storage for the small space. We also built a lower cabinet under their window, with a butcher block top, which the client just loved. I remember her phone call.
“I didn’t realize we got a butcher block on the cabinet! I love it Revi! Thank you so much!”
It was a freebee as far as I was concerned. I mean, it was on the order. The fact that she only noticed that during installation, and was so excited, was a happy designer moment, and a definite coo!
The kitchen is so small, there was no pantry space available. So we built a wall cabinet to give them space to put some of their dried goods. Their old open shelving was messy and not built for such storage, and so the closed cabinet really offers them a space to fill and not have to keep super organized, as the door hide it all anyway!
When working on a kitchen, it’s important to really interview the people using it. Find out their habits, their needs and their style. The kitchen is really the hub of the home, and this home was cruelly keeping the hub on another planet. So we opened it up, gave our clients a great work space, and modernized it with a good mix of old and new.
A good kitchen design is paramount when doing such an important renovation. If you can take any advice, it’s this; “Find someone to work with who gets you and is willing to put enough thought and vision into your space to create what you need first, and what you want second.”
Have a terrific day!
XR