Mike and Jean Ysbrand could live with the split-entry foyer and floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace in the 1977 home they bought seven years ago.
But for the Ysbrands, who often entertained, the claustrophobic kitchen and adjacent dining area was a source of frustration. "The dark, grainy wood on all the cabinets was awful," Mike said of the dated kitchen. "And it was really hard to cook and entertain in there."
When the Ysbrands needed room to seat 12 people for dinner, they swapped furniture, hauling the dining table to the large sunken living room and dragging the living room furniture into the dining area — until one night.
"We were cleaning up and we realized that it made more sense to have the dining room out there," said Mike.
That big switch sparked a major home renovation that would include a new kitchen, an expanded master suite and an updated dining room and split-entry.
Open to ideas
They hired Jack Williams of J.W. Williams Construction, a Minneapolis contractor, for the job. He managed to double the size of the kitchen by taking out the original dining area.
"Most 1970s homes have compartmentalized, closed-off rooms," said Williams, "not the open floor plan people want today."
For the new kitchen, the Ysbrands chose mocha-stained maple cabinets and Cambria countertops. They replaced the classic '70s harvest gold appliances with sleek stainless steel. Now, bar stools line one side of a breakfast bar, which also doubles as a food serving area for parties. There's even room for a chair and love seat.