After looking at nearly 100 homes, our Arthur Street clients still couldn't find anything better than what they had, where they had it. They loved their location and huge backyard, but felt they had outgrown their cramped kitchen and tiny bedrooms. Step one: Address kitchen. 

A busy couple with only one child, they craved a space that would allow them more "togetherness" while attending to their respective activities. We proposed opening the kitchen up completely to the rest of the social area of the home... a bold move considering the clutter present on the countertops. However, after further inspection, we found the problem was more in the storage space than their habits. We knew that if the stuff had somewhere convenient and logical to go, it would likely be kept there. So we swapped the sink and fridges, converting the previous sink wall into a pantry area with all roll-out shelves so that items at the back would no longer be lost or squatting on precious real estate. We extended the range wall an additional 4', replaced the dining room window with a slider to the deck, and moved the dining table into the "no-use" room just 10 feet away. The additional buffet storage cabinets under the stools keep the seldom used but still necessary items out of the prime storage areas. 

Finally, the positioning of the range is auspicious in Feng Shui, as it has a clear view of the entrance, and the fact that the sink is not in opposition to the range means that "water isn't putting out the home fires."