North Hudson Bluff Kitchen

Located high on a bluff overlooking the St. Croix River in Hudson, WI, this modest ranch style home had an awkward layout with a particularly dated 80s kitchen.  The clients asked us to provide them with a more spacious, light-filled, traditional kitchen with better views to the river.  Providing such a space entailed a number of challenges.

The kitchen felt disconnected from the adjacent rooms and from river views.  Its awkward angled layout and multiple traffic patterns didn’t allow for informal dining or enjoyment of the fireplace.  It also felt confined by its 8 foot ceilings.  To solve these spatial challenges we replaced the main structural wall with a colonnade to open kitchen to adjacent rooms and access river views.  We increased the sense of spaciousness by adding fully-vaulted ceilings in the adjacent living/dining rooms.  We also removed one traffic pattern to allow for a 5-seat island with hearthside dining.
 
The owners wanted a lighter, brighter kitchen with better natural and artificial lighting.  To solve these environmental challenges we added 45 linear feet of windows and doors in the adjacent living/dining rooms to access river views and light.  We also used light-colored and reflective materials/surfaces to bounce light and provided a layered lighting scheme for greater lighting flexibility throughout the day.
 
The owners wanted a more traditionally-styled kitchen.  To solve this stylistic challenge we provided consistently-detailed classic millwork elements in white and rift sawn oak, a classic subway/deco plaque backsplash, and coordinating granite countertops.  
  
Built by Friberg Industries

                                                                                                                                       

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