Craving Connection

These were clients who valued communing in their garden, as well as cooking and sharing meals. Unfortunately, the physical boundaries of their home didn’t align with these values. Literal barriers existed to realizing their desired way of living. Particularly the geometry of their kitchen that negated the ability of the chef to connect with family and friends. It was time for a change.

“The house had good bones, so we didn't want to create a massive intervention. We treaded softly and worked with our architect to develop a design that felt like it belonged to the original home,” said the client. “Our goal was to create connections - visual and otherwise – between the kitchen, the dining space, and the people in it, as well as orienting the focus to the outdoors.”

The clients worked with Architect Jill Rerucha and Henrybuilt to realize their vision.

The original kitchen was closed off to the neighboring dining space, creating isolation and cramped quarters. Rerucha's new design eliminated the barrier and, instead, used a peninsula as a bridge between the cooking and socializing zones.

That same moved shifted the orientation of the space to the exterior, fully opening the view to the back garden. A visual runway to the outdoors.

The magic of being connected to the outside while sitting inside (great for a rainy day).

It was important that the new kitchen dance well with existing architectural elements, including a screen that delineates the entry from the dining and cooking area.

“It was a challenge to create an insertion of a new kitchen that felt of the existing space but functioned and flowed better,” said Rerucha. “Henrybuilt, with its customization and attention to details, was a perfect fit. It looks like it has always been there.”

Eliminating a wall of storage in the remodel was not a stress-free moment for the family cook, who confesses to always having two of everything in the kitchen (who wants to run out of something during dinner prep?). The efficiency of Henrybuilt’s system, however, put him at ease.

“It is amazing how much is captured in the space,” he said. “We lost at least one-third of the previous storage space in the reconfiguration, but we can still fit everything. It is a meticulously designed system, and it’s all figured out.”

The values that drove the overall project came into play not just in the architecture of the kitchen layout, but in the choice of the functional storage system they chose to put in the home. The Henrybuilt system goes beyond boxes, incorporating innovative product design focused on making the most of the day. Kitchens that are finely tuned workshops and ideal socializing spaces, that have a feel of permanence and help concentrate your time and focus on what you enjoy most.

This was part of what drove the clients to select Henrybuilt. “Every time I open the drawer to get the silverware or grab something from the spice rack beautifully displayed like a piece of art, I feel the care and intention behind it,” says the sous chef of the couple.