3 Cabin Kitchen Remodels

There are many ways to remodel a kitchen. If you’re satisfied with your current layout, you can simply work with your current footprint. On the other end of the spectrum, you can turn your layout on its ear while removing walls, soffits and more. In this article, we tour three very different cabin kitchen remodels in
Washington, Michigan and Wisconsin that yield great ideas that you might be able to use in your own kitchen makeover.

KITCHEN #1: COUNTRY CHARM
Does your cabin kitchen feel dated and dreary? You might find inspiration in Bernice’s kitchen redo.

Bernice wanted to move from Idaho to southwest Washington to be closer to her children and grandchildren, and she found her dream retirement home on a beautiful 10-acre site near Hockinson, Wash., an area with rolling hills and dense forest. On her land, Bernice pastures her horses and sometimes her nearby daughter’s horses.

The dreamy log home has three bedrooms plus a mother-in-law apartment above the garage, so it’s made for hosting.

The kitchen was not dreamy, however. Bernice wanted to update the dated finishes. So she contacted Joel Fraley of Neil Kelly Company, a design/build firm with an office in Lake Oswego, Ore.

Bernice now has a kitchen that can keep up with her cooking and hosting. She frequently has her grandchildren over, and hosts many family events.

The light, bright and colorful new kitchen is a far cry from its predecessor. “Lighting was one of our biggest challenges,” Fraley says. His team added surface-mounted fixtures between the island and wall cabinets for general lighting. To do that, they had to go upstairs, pull the carpet back and rout a channel into the wood subfloor that would hold the new wiring. Task and under-cabinet lighting was also added. All of the decorative lighting was custom made by Meyda Lighting.

The kitchen layout was left mostly intact. “The original kitchen layout worked very well,” Fraley says, “so we left all of the major elements as is.” The only significant changes were adding an island prep sink and removing a closet that blocked a picture window that offers stunning views of the property.

The project went smoothly, which Fraley says is the norm for his team. “That’s what we excel at. Foremost is communication – setting and managing expectations, asking the right questions, getting to know your client, understanding them and what they’re going for.”

KITCHEN #2: COTTAGE-STYLE PLUS
When you entertain a gaggle of family and friends at your place, do your kitchen walls seem to move in on you, making you feel claustrophobic? If so, check out this kitchen that was remodeled to make it more effective for hosting a crowd. Bill and Denise Bull are among about 900 people who have places on 4,270-acre Walloon Lake, which is just south of Petoskey, Mich.

This glacier-fed, sandy bottom lake is quite a draw, so it’s no wonder the couple’s friends and family, as well as their teenage daughter’s friends, travel north to enjoy Bill and Denise’s hospitality at their vacation home.

The problem when they bought the place: The kitchen wasn’t quite up to the task. So they sought help from Liz Firebaugh of Signature Kitchens in Petoskey, Mich., and Vee Mossburg and Jill Nuding, both of Cottage Company Interiors in Harbor Springs, Mich.

Bill and Denise travel about four hours from their suburban Detroit home to their lake cabin, which has four bedrooms plus a guest suite over the garage. They named their cabin “Bull’s Den” after they purchased it about two years ago. Mossburg explains, “There are bulls sprinkled throughout the cabin, including bulls carved into the great room fireplace, master bathtub, outdoor fireplace and a ‘Bull’s Den’ sign with a bright red bull on it that greets visitors at the beginning of the driveway.”

The previous kitchen felt tired to Bill and Denise, and it didn’t meet their hosting needs. “The owners are accomplished hosts for the multitude of guests they share their beautiful home with, including family and friends,” explains Firebaugh. “They wanted a space for entertaining and easy cleanup, plus a fresh look with a pop of color.”

KITCHEN #3: NORTHWOODS FLAVOR
Does a pint-sized cabin kitchen have you steaming? Before you go knocking down walls, consider Eric and Lori Lorenz’s kitchen update.

The couple makes tracks for their retreat on Whitefish Lake, Wis., every chance they get. They gladly make the four-plus-hour drive from their home in greater Milwaukee because Whitefish teems with year-round outdoor fun.

Whether snowmobiling or paddleboarding, Eric and Lori are sure to have a crowd in tow. In addition to their three grown children, the couple regularly hosts large gatherings of family, friends and church groups. But when mealtime came, the old existing kitchen peninsula led to bottlenecks.

The Lorenzes sent an SOS to Anna and Jeff Burns of the design/build firm Brookwater Construction (Delafield, Wis.).

“Now we have a terrific gathering space that exudes warmth and charm,” says Eric. Best of all, there’s no need to change out of swimsuits or miss sunsets to go out to eat; they can just stay at the cabin for meals.

The existing kitchen and dining area was dark (it’s the only space on the log home’s first floor without a vaulted ceiling) and it had little natural light. “The only lighting in the kitchen was some ugly track lighting,” Fraley recalls.

Another project goal was to get rid of the existing plain pine cabinets. With very little drywall on the log home’s interior walls, Fraley felt that the home needed a punch of color. “There is so much wood in the house,” he says, “that we wanted to add some bold colors.”

Fraley explains the color choices: “The red was chosen to add a bold color and stand out from the log walls. The black island was a nice contrast. My client was very willing to make bold color choices, so it was a lot of fun.” The new wall cabinet countertop is Tunas Green granite, a color chosen to complement the red cabinets.

These green cabinets were install-ed where a wall and closet once stood. The wall and closet were removed to open up the room and the view. The cabinets now serve as a partition between entryway and dining area.

The kitchen lacked storage, and the design made it feel small. And the layout didn’t take advantage of the lake views. “This is a lakeside property,” Firebaugh says, “so the view of the lake needed to be the attention grabber.” Bill and Denise were also looking to change up the flooring as the entire first floor was a mix of carpet and vinyl.

The kitchen layout was changed to make the kitchen more open, airy and functional. The challenge was to achieve that within this constraint: “There were log posts located at the perimeter of the kitchen, so the kitchen needed to stay defined in that space,” Firebaugh says.

The new kitchen colors were chosen by Bill and Denise, who wanted a MacKenzie-Childs red/black/white motif. MacKenzie-Childs is a studio in New York’s Finger Lakes region that employs over 100 artisans who make handmade, hand-decorated majolica pottery, tile, furniture and home furnishings. That motif extended to the lighting. “Denise saw these pendants in the New York MacKenzie-Childs store and wanted to incorporate them into the design,” Firebaugh explains. The remodel included installing additional recessed lighting for task illumination.

The new kitchen is light, bright and cheery thanks to the cream-colored Medallion cabinetry, soft-colored granite counters and white apron sink that contrast with striking red accents. The changes included:

The new cabinets were extended to the ceiling to increase storage and create the appearance of a higher ceiling.

The bi-level island was changed to one height.

The oven cabinet was swapped out with an attractive glass-door dish cabinet, which added countertop space and opened up the kitchen to the dining room. The oven was moved to below the island cooktop.

The microwave was moved beside the refrigerator for easy heating up of leftovers.

The new countertops are a soft-colored granite to go with the cabinet color. “Granite was chosen because the maintenance is easy,” Firebaugh says. Some existing beams were darkened to create contrast with the log walls and ceilings. And the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom and powder room now have hardwood flooring supplied by J Chattaway Inc. (Harbor Springs, Mich. )

**RESOURCES**

Liz Firebaugh, CKD; Signature Kitchens www.signaturekitchensonline.com

Vee Mossburg and Jill Nuding; Cottage Company Interiors; www.cottage-company.com

MacKenzie-Childs; www.mackenzie-childs.com

The small, 9x10-foot, kitchen had just one entrance, and too many cooks rubbing elbows. Eric’s buddies – among them, chefs and restauranteurs – like to cook up a storm, especially in the winter when the stars on the weekend menu include elk stew or northern pike caught during the day’s ice-fishing expeditions.

Other woes: insufficient food prep and serving areas, recycle bins hogging floor space, a pantry inconveniently placed down the hall, and a hutch that hindered access to the dining table when all three table leaves were used. “The kitchen was cramped and the flow not conducive to large – or even small – groups,” recalls Anna.

Replacing the peninsula with a two-tiered multitasking island was key to the remodel. Now, traffic flows around the island, and the fridge is easily accessible. Granite countertops on the lower tier flank the Jenn-Air range. Deep pull-out drawers store snacks, extra bread and fruit that guests bring. Pull-out pantries on both sides of the fridge now maximize storage in what would otherwise be wasted space; all five shelves of cans and baking goods are visible when the handle is pulled.

The original wood-look laminate flooring was replaced with radial saw-cut red and white oak of varying lengths and widths. “The flooring gives a warm, old-world look,” says Lori. “We’ll vacuum, but it never looks dirty, even when people come with dogs.”

Lighting was also greatly improved; eight schemes allow for different options. “Lighting design can make or break a project,” Jeff comments.

By extending the upper cabinets toward the ceiling, there’s now more cabinet volume. The new island’s upper tier hides kitchen prep work from the great room, and the raised overhang is perfect for predinner appetizers and drinks, as well as post-dinner wine and chocolate. The island offers more storage, and a built-in wine rack is smartly tucked into the end of it. Three barstools also allow for kibitzing. “There’s usually a couple of guys cooking, and a couple saying what we’re doing wrong,” laughs Eric.

Recycle and waste containers are now corralled under the dining room window. A low counter conceals these new pull-out bins. This area also provides storage for seasonal serving dishes and glassware adjacent to the dining table, making the hutch unnecessary. Another bonus: The sleek granite counter makes the window a focal point. “Everyone thought we had added a much larger window,” says Eric, “but it’s the same one.”

The Lorenzes wanted to use as many natural materials as possible. To avoid fingerprints showing on the dark granite, the couple opted for a leathered finish that seals the pores and adds texture. “Hammered edges make it look rustic,” says Lori.

**RESOURCE**
Anna and Jeff Burns; The Brookwater Group, Delafield, Wis.; www.brookwaterbuilders.com

GG166_SW_7_11868_2024-12-19_09-38 — **How to Use Garden Herbs Inside Your Home**

Canadian-Timberframes---Cody-Ranch---Ext-front_11868_2023-02-17_14-21 — **Q&A: Can Metal Roofs Look More Natural?**

3-branching-out_11868_2024-12-11_12-29 — **A New Take on Classic Cabin Style**

CrzCab86_11868_2024-12-06_12-51 — **Big Design Ideas for Small Cabin Spaces**

daria-nepriakhina-9x9j9WvVKug-unsplash_11868_2024-11-05_10-10 — **The Essentials of Solar Energy and Overcoming Hur…**

pexels-maxmishin-9960706_11868_2024-10-24_16-12 — **How to Handle a Pest Infestation in Your Cabin**

3 Cabin Kitchen Remodels

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

Editor's Picks