THE CHALLENGE: COOK-TOGETHER COUPLE LINDA AND TOM WADDELL WERE HAMPERED BY THE DIMLY LIT AND POORLY LAID-OUT KITCHEN IN THEIR 1985 BURNSVILLE HOME. Space: Linda Waddell, a designer, retained the kitchen's footprint, but created counter and work space by eliminating unused wet bar and desk areas and tucked a bookcase into the existing island for cookbooks.

Traffic flow: "If someone went to the fridge and someone was working at the counter, they clashed," she said. She moved the refrigerator 10 feet to eliminate the traffic jam.

Open and airy: Pale green replaced red walls. For cabinets, Waddell chose cream with chocolate glaze instead of stain "to keep it lighter" in her north-facing, tree-sheltered home. She kept existing black granite on the island and garden box, but used lighter granite on the counters.

Lighting: Brightened the room with 10 additional recessed cans (from three to 13) and put dimmers on all lights for ambience.

Hidden assets: Waddell had a cabinet wired to hold and hide a paper shredder for junk mail. Outlet strips are hidden beneath cabinets to avoid disrupting the tile pattern. A tambour door hides small appliances; the coffeemaker is tucked behind a cabinet door.

Mix it up: "We did bump out the sink so it wouldn't be such a long, boring line" of cabinets on the kitchen's left side, she said. Architectural columns on the woodwork also draw the eye.

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After the remodel

Attention to detail: A garbage disposal button is installed flush with the counter in front of the right sink,"which is nice, since you're always dragging a wet hand over to the wall switch," Waddell said. Tumbled marble switchplates match the tile.

On a budget? Waddell advises spending on the "jewels" or accents that can tie the kitchen together. Her suggestion: Spend a bit more on accent tiles and substitute less-expensive porcelain for natural stone elsewhere.

Planning advice: "In everyday use, it's critical to think of the necessities" and plan accordingly. She placed a drawer in a glass cabinet just steps from the table, for example, to hold napkins and placemats.

The designer: Linda Waddell of Waddell Interiors, Burnsville, 952-435-0558.

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