The wall between the kitchen and dining room came out, and the whole space was rebuilt as one open kitchen with a large island.

Before, the kitchen and dining room were two separate rooms. We opened the wall between them, framed the new opening with temporary supports, and patched and refinished the hardwood so the floor runs through the whole space. The new kitchen has white shaker cabinets to the ceiling, a peninsula with seating, a separate island, a pro-style range, a farmhouse sink, and a built-in beverage station.

Why kitchens like this get remodeled

A lot of kitchens in southern New Hampshire still have the cabinets, counters, and layout they were built with. They were fine for their time, but storage runs short, the counters get crowded, and walls often close the kitchen off from the rest of the house. A remodel like this one changes more than the finishes. It changes how the whole first floor works, every day.