Mansard Kitchen and Dining Room - Before and After

Many of you said the living room and foyer were dramatically changed with the updates we made, but the kitchen and dining room might be even more dramatic.  I'll let you be the judge.

Uncovering ceiling height!

Before we could do anything, we had to make some major structural changes.  We took two walls out - the wall between the living room and dining room and the wall between the living room and dining room.  Both were load bearing walls, so we had to add new beams to make the updates.  We also had to add new joists to fix sagging floors in the kitchen, as well as in the ceilings, to accommodate the bathrooms that we added above them. And of course we tore out all those old ceilings.  It was a big job, but was so necessary!

You can really see the change with the walls removed in this photo.  Now the dining and kitchen areas are one cohesive space.

Wall removal between kitchen and dining room

The dining room got a major change with multiple layers of wallpaper removed and 3 (three!!!!) ceilings removed!

We removed the original casement window and replaced it with this gorgeous antique window.  It allows lots of light to come in from the sunroom and gives the room some character.

So many layers of wallpaper! 

The custom built in provides great storage.  

The next two photos really highlight the impact of increasing the ceiling height and opening up the doorway to the living room.  Now it's so light and bright!

Dining Room - Before

Dining Room - After

The changes in the kitchen are also worthy of a 'wow'.  How many changes can you spot?  We gained an additional 18 inches of ceiling height when we removed the old suspended ceiling.

We replaced the small window over the sink with a larger, taller window, to take advantage of the new ceiling height.

Kitchen - Before

Kitchen - After

I have to mention the tall cabinet next to the window, because I love it so much.  It helps create some 'old world' charm in the kitchen. 

We recessed the refrigerator (which used to sit by itself in front of the basement stairs) into the wall and created a pantry next to it.

We added an 8 foot island with seating for 3 stools and also 4 sets of cabinets to provide lots of storage.  The counter on the island is walnut, which adds lots of warmth and luster to the room.  I find that all quartz or stone kitchen seem a bit cold and sterile. 

The stove was moved away from the window and is now a focal point as you walk into the room. 

And I'm still in love with these handmade tiles, that mimic the design of a tin ceiling. 

So what do you think?  Is this part of the house transformation even more dramatic than the living room and foyer?  

Sources:

Tile - Old Port Specialty Tile

Cabinetry - Thomasville in Whippet

Lighting - Wayfair

Appliances - LG

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