Open and Airy

Our client’s 1950s ranch is typical of many from this postwar genre: humble on the exterior, but possessing great potential and flexibility on the interior. The homeowners asked Feinmann to design a more efficient kosher kitchen and a dining room that would be cozy enough for nightly family dinners while also accommodating up to 14 people for dinner parties. The scope of work also included a new mudroom and small computer desk off the kitchen, as well as a new deck on the rear of the house.

The floor plan of the home was changed dramatically, but no square footage was added. The dynamic solution involved removing an existing wall separating the dining room and kitchen and flipping the two spaces, thus creating an open floor plan. The client’s property had a beautiful backyard and in order to bring this asset into focus in daily life, we created a dramatic arcade of windows running the length of this living room. Each room within the space was loosely defined and open, and the “edge” of each room was defined by the raised tray ceiling above, which provided a sense of enclosure.

The kitchen is truly the heart of the home. Children can do homework at the kitchen bar or dining room table and still interact with the homeowners while they’re cooking. Maple cabinets with a honey finish and oak flooring add warmth to the kitchen and dining room. Highlights of blue add a personal touch and appear as accent tiles in the backsplash, iridescent blue flecks in the “Blues in the Night” granite, colorful blue pendants, and light blue cove ceilings.

From the very beginning of working with Feinmann, we knew we were in good hands. Their attention to detail was inspired: from the drawing up of the plans to the configuration of the tile, right down to the last finish nail. With Kert overseeing the plans and Marina and Chris overseeing the construction, we felt very taken care of and listened to.