Historic Dream Home Kitchen Renovation in Society Hill

Location: Society Hill, Philadelphia

Building type: Rowhome

Renovation style: Transitional

There is a brightness and clean elegance to this first-floor kitchen positioned in the center of our client’s brick row home in the historic Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, but that wasn’t always the case. This dramatic change is the result of a large-scale first-floor (kitchen) makeover and two bathroom remodels completed by our team at Bellweather Design-Build.

Though bursting with potential, this 1970s row home required a full remodel upon purchase. The ultimate goal of the project was to transform the style of the kitchen and to create a more organic design that centered on a stronger connection to the outdoors.

Updating a Kitchen layout to maximize natural light

The remodel started with the goal of combining the kitchen and sitting room areas and blending them into an open concept floor plan that unifies the first floor of our client’s home. Originally this row home had 3 completely separate rooms on the first floor, all accessed through a traditional, tight, and narrow hallway. Our client (who is close to 6’5) couldn’t even fit down this hallway without ducking his head.

The walls around the kitchen were removed to create open space and to maximize natural light available from both ends of the house. In the front, we installed new windows in the living area and above the door, and in the back, we increased the glass area by restructuring the small patio door to create an oversized opening and installed glass French doors with full-length side windows. The new doors allow the charming outdoor brick patio to feel like an extension of the living room allowing us to create an expanded and cohesive living, dining, and outdoor space on the first floor.

Light-toned white oak flooring and reflective custom cabinetry finishes in the kitchen make the most of the natural light. Based on input from the homeowners during the design phase of the kitchen remodel, we settled on a transitional style. This allowed our designers to present options that not only utilize contemporary architectural and design features but also include a few traditional elements mixed in to ensure the space complements the existing character of the home.

Creative Kitchen Storage Solutions

One of the benefits of using the design-build process for home remodeling is the ability to completely customize a space while being confident that each detail planned during design will be accurately completed in the construction phase. This result becomes more difficult to achieve when designers and builders are hired from different companies. This transitional kitchen project was a great success because the design team was able to involve the production team at each step of design development.

One challenge inherent in opening up a floor plan is the loss of potential storage space. We solved this by installing floor-to-ceiling cabinets and a long island that together provides enough kitchen storage and countertop prep space. We also worked closely with our client to understand their unique needs, providing smart storage solutions like drawer dividers, custom shelving, and even a concealed dishwasher and microwave.

A creative solution suggested by our design team working in collaboration with Tim Lewis (one of our custom cabinetry fabricators), was a concealed HVAC system. In the photos above you will see a spice cabinet, but behind the spices is a hidden location for the ventilation system. By designing this option, we were able to achieve the first-floor layout without adding a utility closet, which would have compromised the open floor plan.

These challenges were met head-on and achieved during our thorough design planning phase. After a few months of construction, the homeowners were left with the efficient, clean, and beautiful kitchen space they had envisioned with us.

Partnering with Bellweather Design-Build as Your Kitchen Remodeler

If you’re planning a kitchen remodel in Philadelphia or the Main Line area for your upcoming project, we welcome your call. Remodeling is an exciting opportunity to transform your house into a home you love. Bellweather Design-Build is committed to providing you with a meaningful experience and plenty of thoughtful advice.