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Kitchen Design at the Drummond Flip House

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Last Updated on January 12, 2021 by lindseymahoney

Thanks for tuning in to episode 12 of From the Nest Podcast! On today’s episode, Chris and I are discussing the kitchen design at the Drummond Flip House. Designing the kitchen at the Drummond Flip House has been a monumental task and we played with three different design options for the space. The kitchen is the heart of the home and can make or break the sale of a property, so I really wanted to get this layout right.


Here is a quick reminder of what the tiny kitchen looked like before. Check out all of the Drummond flip house before photos here.

For this kitchen renovation we worked with our local Home Depot kitchen planner and he was phenomenal. We considered three options and I am so pleased with the final design we decided to go with. I will take you through the pro’s and con’s of each option and will give you the details of the winning design!


Option 1: The Kitchen Island

This was the first design option we created for the kitchen remodel. We were all about this design until we started digging into the details and discovered a few challenges.

Design option 1 with the island in the center of the kitchen
Design option 1 with the island in the center of the kitchen

PRO’S:

  • Kitchen island – Chris and I love kitchen islands and were excited to add one to the flip house
  • Modern design – We planned on building a kitchen table/eating area in the island and felt this was a functional design for the modern family
  • Coffee/wine bar – the right side of the kitchen has a great coffee/wine bar with open shelving. Again, this fit really well with designing for the modern family
  • Plumbing – This design option kept the sink in the same place which helped with the budget by not having to move it to another location

CONS:

  • “Camper Kitchen” – we were entering “camper kitchen” territory because the walkways were not the standard width that is ideal for a kitchen. With the eating area being in the island, I really didn’t like the idea of people squeezing around each other to grab seconds at dinner time or walking to the fridge
  • Missing “triangle” – If you have ever designed a kitchen, the triangle is the ideal placement for the sink, stove and fridge. If the placement of these three work stations form a triangle, your kitchen is very functional. The galley kitchen had all appliances on one wall and a tight walkway
  • Support beam – If we went with this design we would need to bury the support beam in the ceiling which takes more time and money.

Option 2: The Kitchen Table

I spoke with friends/family about our design options and a few preferred having a kitchen table in their home instead of the island table option. This was the first design we came up with to try and accommodate the kitchen table request. The refrigerator is on the opposite side of the galley kitchen towards the bottom of the page.

Kitchen design option 2 with a kitchen table in the center of the space.
Kitchen design option 2 with a kitchen table in the center of the space.

PRO’S:

  • Triangle – This layout gave us the functional triangle with the kitchen work stations
  • Table – There would be a kitchen table to accommodate buyers who preferred a table over island seating
  • Support beam – This design option would allow for us to install the support beam below the ceiling (and not flush with the ceiling) which saved on time and money
  • Plumbing – Sink plumbing could remain intact and save on budget

CON’S:

  • Design – Honestly, I just wasn’t sold on the table in the middle of the room
  • Decreased counter space – In order to accommodate this design we had to install cabinets that were not as deep around the table to allow for the chairs to be pushed in and out

Option 3: The Breakfast Nook

It took us a while to figure out this design but we finally found a WINNER! One of the reasons this design concept took so long to come up with was because I was fighting the idea of moving the plumbing. Once I let go of the idea that the sink had to stay in the same spot, the possibilities with the kitchen layout increased dramatically.

Kitchen Design
Kitchen Design
Kitchen Design

PRO’S:

  • Kitchen Table – Not only did we get a table in the kitchen, but we designed it in a spot that just made sense! I love a good breakfast nook and this space is perfect
  • Triangle – We have the coveted kitchen triangle for peak functionality!
  • Support beam – We could add the support beam below the ceiling to save on our budget

CONS:

  • Plumbing – We had to move the plumbing for the sink which was more expensive than keeping it in the same place

Inspiration

This kitchen is tripling in size and is gaining 10x in functionality for the next owners of this home. I want this kitchen to feel light, bright and modern for the new homeowners and I think my design accomplishes this goal.

Here is an inspo pic from PureJoyHome that shows similar elements I want to incorporate into my Drummond Flip House kitchen design. Isn’t it beautiful?

Purejoyhome kitchen

For this kitchen, I worked closely with the Home Depot team and they were fantastic. Here are some of the design details we chose:

  • Cabinets – White Shaker Woodmark cabinets from Home Depot
  • Countertop – Quartz countertops in a light color
  • Cabinet Knobs – Brushed brass knobs
  • Floors – High quality laminate wood floors throughout the entire first floor from Home Depot
  • Shelving – Floating wood shelves to the left of the sink
  • Backsplash – White subway tile
  • Appliances – Stainless steel from Home Depot
  • Breakfast Nook – Shiplap around the breakfast nook
  • Lighting – Recessed lighting with a pendant over the table and sink (Ikea pendants)
  • Paint color – Eider White by Sherwin Williams

Complete Kitchen Renovation

Photos by Mary Wyar - Toledo Home Tours
Photos by Mary Wyar - Toledo Home Tours
Photos by Mary Wyar - Toledo Home Tours
DIY floating shelves

Show Notes

THIS WEEK…
  • I was in the local paper! Check out the full article here
  • We held a really fun neighborhood party for the Drummond flip house
  • The Drummond flip house is officially on the market!
  • Check out the virtual tour by Real 3D vision below:
Tips of the Week…

Lindsey: When installing your cabinet pulls, consider buying an drilling guide from Home Depot or Lowes to ensure consistency with the positioning of each knob. You can also create your own guide with a piece of paper or cardboard.

Chris: When designing your kitchen, don’t forget to consider garbage and recycling cabinets! Including a hidden garbage/recycling cabinet can be a game changer and really improves the look and feel of the space. Trust us!


Thanks for tuning in! If you like the podcast please subscribe rate and review us on iTunes!