It all revolved around a wall.
This extensive kitchen remodel by Griffey Remodeling presented any number of challenges, but the biggest was the removal of an exterior wall that was a relic from a previous addition done off the kitchen of the 1984-built Upper Arlington home.
The project won the 2015 Readers’ Choice Award, presented by CityScene, in the central Ohio chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
From the outset, Griffey Remodeling knew the plan was to remove that wall and a column, both of which supported the second floor and the roof above. The column had been the inside corner of the house before the addition that was completed in the 1990s.
Photos courtesy of Griffey Remodeling
The column’s placement made furniture placement in the family room challenging, says owner Charles Griffey.
“It was just an eyesore,” he says.
The removal of both the wall and the column meant the company needed to find another way to support the weight that both items had been supporting. The solution: two steel beams arranged perpendicularly.
Visitors won’t be able to see those beams, though. They’re covered by a coffered ceiling.
“It’s definitely a great conversation piece,” Griffey says.
As it is, three inches of the steel beams stuck down from the ceiling. If the company had used wooden beams instead, there would have been 12 inches showing. Griffey’s choices were to hide the partially recessed steel with a drop ceiling or use a coffered ceiling to disguise it.
In the end, the coffered ceiling defined the whole kitchen’s design. Recessed can lighting in the center of each panel on the ceiling had to be carefully placed. The ceiling’s lines were done in white, while the background is a dark taupe color. One might think the dark color would be a bad choice for an 8-foot-high ceiling, but the darker color defines it more, Griffey says.
The remodel included new appliances and maple cabinetry, the latter done in cream with a subtle glaze the color of the coffered ceiling. The kitchen’s existing hardwood flooring was replaced with a hand-scraped hickory floor that was extended to the rest of the first floor, excluding the mudroom and laundry room.
The kitchen was able to extend into the 10-by-20-foot addition area that didn’t really have a use. The replacement island was better positioned with ample space around it, and is accented by a darker, contrasting wood. The island also includes a secondary copper sink and ample storage space.
Though the kitchen features recessed can lighting and task lighting under the cabinetry, the space was also substantially brightened up by the removal of the exterior wall. The kitchen also includes pull-out spice columns and kidney bean pull-out shelves.
Sarah Sole is an editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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