These wonderful newlywed clients recently relocated from San Francisco and purchased a fantastic townhouse in Redmond, Wa. The existing kitchen was meager and non-functioning — darkened and cut off from the bright dining area by a small doorway — while a gloomy, ugly hallway made the whole main floor feel heavy and disconnected.

We dramatically widened the doorway to the dining room, allowing generous natural light to flow freely into the kitchen. We completely transformed that dreary hallway into a bright, pleasant passage (going from Transylvania dungeon to something far closer to a sunny Jamaican beachfront). Strict HOA rules prevented us from adding or widening any windows, so we created a beautiful natural-light superhighway through strategic openings and flow improvements instead.

She wanted a dedicated reading/office area just for her at the end of the kitchen space. We carved out a comfy seating nook and visually separated it with a gracious open seating peninsula that serves both the kitchen and the nook equally well. The extended narrow layout was ingeniously divided into thirds — two-thirds for a highly functional kitchen and one-third for the peaceful reading nook.

We also added a dedicated appliance garage, separate from the main prep and cooking zones, to handle their love of cooking with loads of rice. Throughout the main floor we helped select materials, textures, colors, and lighting, and we designed a beautiful photo wall featuring selected snaps from their wedding in China.

Of Note — Our lighting philosophy is a bit unique, and you may notice the soft, even quality these spaces emanate. You won’t find any recessed can fixtures here — and there’s a very good reason for that.