Post #2: Problem Solving (Note: if you missed post #1 in this series find it here)

Problem Solving…it’s the first step in any design project. And, I quite like the challenge. It’s a process. I start with a roll of trace paper + a pencil + an existing plan to scale + a list of the client’s basic wants and needs.

• An updated open floor plan connecting the main living spaces of the kitchen family room, and dining room
• Adding interior architectural details & millwork
• New layout for the kitchen
• Option of one dining space vs a breakfast table + a dining room
• Kitchen Island for stools and entertaining
• Functional family room layout - combining focal points, the TV and the fireplace
• Keep budget in mind

Then…. Sketch, Sketch, Sketch. Amanda (every so patiently!) puts the sketches in CAD and we are ready to present our initial ideas to the client.

The first floor ‘as-built’ plan…our guide as we create a new design.

Here is the new kitchen layout. Actually option #1 … approved by the client! We created a main dining room that will serve as the casual and the formal dining space for the house. We removed the formal french doors that lead to the dining room, made the opening a bit larger, and added a hutch + wet bar to create a new entrance to the dining space. Comy chairs in the bay-window take the place of a redundant second dining space (the former ‘breakfast area’). The final design for this long and narrow kitchen places the appliances along the perimeter cabinetry with room for two kitchen islands…one for prepping/storage and one for socializing (or eating breakfast!), what I like to call a bar-top island.

The NEXT step - we are meeting with GC’s and cabinet suppliers to gather estimates. Getting these estimates early in the design process helps us stay in budget as we fine tune the design and start selecting finishes, fixtures, etc.

Stayed tuned for ‘creating the look ‘.

ADDITIONAL DRAWINGS OF THE FINAL DESIGN PLAN

The first floor plan showing the new kitchen, dining room, and family room layout. An easy tweak to the existing floor plan was to move the opening from the kitchen to the family room a tad to the right so now it is centered on the fireplace. Creating a lovely focal point view from the kitchen. You can see this view from the kitchen into the family room in the elevation above.

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Based in historic downtown Frederick, MD, Tuscan Blue Design works in the greater DC area. Contact us today for an initial meeting to discuss your project and what we can build together.

Cheers -

Meredith