This 1992 New England Cape in a quaint Bolton cul-de-sac setting, was a home with unique high ceilings and architectural character that were overshadowed by cramped and closed-off, pods of space. Inefficient in it’s existing layout for this family of four and St. Bernese Mountain dog, we transformed this chopped up floor plan into a sun-filled, spacious woodland lovers home. With an appreciation for nature, love of cooking, and wonderfully private backyard, these homeowners now call their newly renovated home “lifechanging.” From linoleum floor tile, laminate counters and small windows, we decided making a dramatic shift with flipping the kitchen and dining locations was a worthwhile change. By moving the kitchen to the front of the home, we were able to add large glass sliders with sidelights to access the new deck and capture views of the backyard. Moving the kitchen to the front of the home offered more wall space for cabinets and by removing the former wall between the kitchen and dining area, we could add an oversized island, checking off many of the client’s wish list items. The challenges of flip-flopping these rooms required immense coordination in space planning to locate range hood ventilation so that it avoided existing electrical utilities outside, and worked with the proposed Architects and Structural Engineers’ new beam locations, all of which we wrapped in milled wood to coordinate with the palette. The added challenge for us was to lay out cabinetry and the island to work with the existing exterior door to the garage, forced a mid construction shift of breaking up the perimeter cabinetry and creating a wet bar in the dining Area. This mid-construction request by the homeowners proved a wildly fun break up in the cabinetry which brought mixed materials of glass to cabinets and hammered copper to the undermount sink. “Life-changing,”  as the homeowners call it, is one of my favorite compliments yet.