Main floor remodel in NE Seattle
Opening up the floor plan was the main goal of this Northeast Seattle renovation. The existing home was laid out with several enclosed compact spaces for the kitchen, living and dining areas. These before photos listed below show the existing kitchen and dining areas. H2D worked with the homeowner to design a new layout for the spaces which allowed for an open floor plan to connect the living spaces and create a connection to the rear yard. Several walls were removed between the entry and kitchen areas. The kitchen was fully redesigned with a new layout, finishes, fixtures and appliances. A dark tone cabinet and light colors quartz countertop were used in the kitchen. The cooktop is situated at the island with a raised bar for seating. A unique range hood is installed flush with the ceiling to reduce obscuring the views from the living spaces or bar into the kitchen and out to the rear yard. A small seating area with built in cabinetry is designed next to the kitchen. Hardwood floors were installed throughout the spaces.
Selecting a Kitchen Countertop
It may sound simple to select a kitchen countertop material. When you start looking at all the options available, the decision can become overwhelming. You might want to start the process with a few questions: Are you looking for a low maintenance countertop? In 5 years, do you want your countertop to look as new as the day it was installed or are you okay with patina developing over time? Do you want to use an environmentally friendly material? Do you want to be able to take hot pans out of the oven and set them right on the countertop or do you use trivets? These are just a few of the questions you might start thinking about before starting your search. Here are a few materials that we have used in the projects that H2D Architecture + Design has designed over the years: Novustone - NovuStone is a custom made countertop composed of post-consumer recycled content such as bottle glass, windows and mirrors and other materials such as natural aggregate. The material is durable, stain resistant, and sustainable. H2D has used this beautiful and unique material in both kitchens and bathrooms. Paperstone - Paperstone is a solid surface material composed of 100% post consumer recycled paper combined with a phenolic resin to create a durable, water resistant material. This material is heat resistant to 350 degrees, non-porous, stain resistant, and sustainable. With this material, it is easy to rout in an integral drainboard right next to the sink. There is a palette of colors to pick from. Quartz - There are numerous manufacturers of quartz countertop material. H2D has designed past projects with various brands of quartz, such as: Pental Quartz, Caesarstone, Silestone, Cambria, and Zodiak. Beyond this list of manufacturers, there are many others to pick from. Quartz is composed of natural quartz and a polymer resin to create a hard, resistant countertop material. This material is non-porous, heat resistant, scratch resistant, and stain resistant. There is virtually no maintenance required of this countertop. It works great is both kitchens and bathrooms. H2D has specified quartz countertops for numerous kitchens, wet bars, tub decks, and bathroom vanity countertops. Natural Stone - Natural stone countertops include materials such as granite, marble, quartzite, soap stone, travertine, and others. Granite is a very common and readily available stone. Granite is a durable countertop which requires periodic maintenance. Marble is a baker's favorite countertop, although it is soft, stains easily and can be prone to chips. Some people love the patina that develops on a marble countertop and that is one reason that they choose this material. Quartzite is a hard, durable surface which performs well with stain resistance. A honed quartzite is prone to less staining than polished. Soap stone is dense and doesn't stain as easily as other natural stone countertops, although develops a patina over time like other natural stones. Soapstone can easily be scratched and nicked. Architectural grade soapstone can be fabricated with an integral drain board adjacent to a sink. H2D has designed past projects with marble, granite, and soapstone countertops.