Not Your Grandma’s Kitchen

The Alaska kitchen is a problematic space. Kitchens tend to be the room where families, friends and guests gather to share food and conversation—but many Anchorage kitchens are too dark, too cramped and often oddly shaped.

These are the most common complaints K&W Interiors designer Fernanda Conrad hears from her clients. But achieving the kitchen of your dreams doesn't have to mean knocking down walls and gutting entire rooms. With a few simple changes, Alaskans can create bright, functional spaces in their homes that are enjoyable and easy to use.

Lighter and Brighter

"The vast majority of people don't have the luxury of taking out a wall to open things up," explained Conrad. "So if we can achieve what a client wants within the space and the budget they have, then we're doing our job."

In the case of the Corrigan family, that meant using color and lighting to transform a cramped, dark space into a bright and inviting kitchen. With only one small window and a set of French doors to let in natural light, Conrad emphasized quality lighting by getting rid of the existing fluorescents and installing recessed can lighting, which also provide directed "task" lighting on key work areas, like the refrigerator and the range. She also added reflective surfaces, like a quartz countertop and glass tile backsplash.

"The Corrigan kitchen actually had white cabinets to begin with, yet it looks significantly lighter even with new, darker cabinets," Conrad said. "The point is, you don't have to have a huge kitchen with awesome natural light in order for it to look awesome and be functional."

A Waste of Space?

Homeowners who want to brighten their kitchens may also consider getting rid of cabinets altogether, as Conrad did for portions of the Lunoe family's kitchen. Open shelving shows off the family's fun dishes and, paired with white cabinets and sleek countertops, gives the kitchen a modern feel.

This kitchen also faced another problem common to Alaskan kitchens: space.

"A lot of baby boomers are downgrading from their big houses and getting small condos, so maximizing space and not wasting inches are a big deal," Conrad said.

She advises homeowners to look at vertical space. The majority of kitchens have upper cabinets that don't go all the way to the ceiling; these can be replaced with taller cabinets for additional shelving. Look at opportunities to reclaim wasted spaces, as well:  The three inches between a cabinet and an oven could be filled with a pull-out spice rack or upright storage for cookie sheets. Roll-out trays and drawer dividers can also help make existing spaces more organized and usable.

Alaska Oddities

Alaskans can be a quirky bunch, and so can their living spaces; their kitchens are no exception. Both the Lunoe and Corrigan kitchens were home to layout inefficiencies that needed solving.

While an island is typically a major benefit in most kitchens, the one in the Corrigan's kitchen was more obstacle than benefit. It was situated too close to the perimeter cabinets, and the range was located on the island itself, using up valuable space.

"We moved the range to the perimeter, then gave the family an entertaining island where guests can actually sit," Conrad said. "Now the island is actually usable as a prep space, and it's situated conveniently so that turning from the oven or the fridge, you can immediately put something down, instead of having to walk across the room."

In the Lunoe kitchen, a pipe running through the middle of the pantry made the area virtually unusable. In this case, Conrad's team relocated the pipe and replaced the sheetrock pantry with a more functional set of shelves with roll-out trays.

Next Steps

Whether you're hiring a designer to help or remodeling a kitchen yourself, there are additional projects you can tackle to both improve the room and save a little money, said Conrad.

"Paint is a big deal—it makes a huge difference and it's the least expensive change you can make," she said. Picking a bold color and pairing it with white or gray cabinets creates a sleek and modern look. Even a subtle new paint job can refresh an older kitchen.

Next, the space between the tops of your counters and the bottoms of the cabinets are hugely underused—so spice them up with a splash. Backsplash tiles now come in huge variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and are easy for the average homeowner to install. "Anytime someone is selling their home but don't want to upgrade too much," said Conrad, "the first thing I suggest is a splash to make the kitchen really come together."

For those who are willing to spend a little more, countertops are the next thing to look at. Replacing existing countertops with anything from velour to natural stone can completely transform a space, particularly if you opt to keep your cabinets but still want to shake things up.

And Alaskans, according to Conrad, aren't afraid of shaking things up. Among K&W Interiors' customers, she's noticed a trend toward sleeker, more modern kitchens, with bold accent colors and family-friendly spaces.

"As Generation X is taking over, we're definitely seeing more straight lines and geometric patterns and funky floors," she said. "They don't want to baby their kitchens; they want their kids to be in there and really using the space. The modern Alaska kitchen really isn't your grandma's kitchen anymore.

This article was first published in 61°North – The Design Issue. Contact the editor, Jamie Gonzales, at jgonzales@alaskadispatch.com.