Before & After: Kitchen makeover

THE CHALLENGE: INCREASE KITCHEN WORK SPACE AND FUNCTIONALITY WITHOUT ADDING SQUARE FOOTAGE

Opening it up: Eliminating the wall between the kitchen and dining room was a major step toward making the space more functional. "It cut the whole room off," Priem said. "Before, when you were cooking, you were separated from the rest of the house."

Table vs. island: Before the remodeling, the family ate at a dinette in the bay window. Now a new granite island does triple duty, as kitchen work space, an eating area and the place where Priem's children, ages 10 and 11, do their homework.

The style: Priem wanted a "cottage feel" for her kitchen, which she achieved with cottage-style pendant lighting, white enameled cupboards and beadwork detailing on some of the woodwork.

Doing it herself: Priem served as her own designer, with input from her cabinetmaker and electrician. "I've lived here long enough [15 years] to know what the house needed in order to function better," she said.

Inconspicuous: Priem had electrical outlets placed under the cabinets rather than in the middle of her backsplash, "which takes away from the overall look," she said. "I saw it once in a model home."

Better living: Priem's new, improved kitchen has changed the way the family lives, she said. "Opening up the space made it a lot nicer. We can be together, but not all crammed together. When it was closed off, it was more formal, and no one sat there. Even though we didn't add space, we gained so much that people think it's bigger."

The designer: Rhonda Priem, who is also the homeowner.

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