Central Phoenix · Kitchen renovation
A kitchen with
room for the party.
An open concept kitchen remodel brings the cook into the conversation, with a standing peninsula, custom cabinetry, and a wet bar designed for entertaining.
Residential Kitchen · $100,001–$150,000
1990s contemporary home
Open plan for entertaining
ceiling-flush hood, and copper wet-bar sink
The homeowners wanted the person cooking dinner to be part of the evening, with space for friends to gather nearby.
Their 1990s kitchen had once suited the way they lived. As they looked ahead to becoming empty nesters, its enclosed rooms and narrow connections felt increasingly separate. They wanted a kitchen that could host a quiet dinner for two as comfortably as a larger gathering.
Having worked with Homework Remodels on a primary-suite addition ten years earlier, they returned for the next phase of their home. This Central Phoenix kitchen renovation focused on opening the public rooms, creating a cooking center, and giving everyday belongings more useful storage.
The kitchen · Before and after
The cooking center becomes part of the gathering
The old kitchen kept the cook behind walls and limited passages. Removing the enclosure between the kitchen and entry, opening the dining-room wall, and taking out the half-bath and hallway walls changed both the sightlines and the routes through the home.
A standing peninsula now connects cooking with the dining area. The gas cooktop sits beneath a hood flush with the ceiling, keeping the view across the room more open. Double ovens occupy the remaining wall at the peninsula’s end, and a microwave drawer fits into its base.
The plan retains a deliberate measure of separation. That remaining wall gives a cherished artwork a place in the dining room while screening part of the kitchen from the living room, as the homeowners requested.
Custom cabinetry
Storage planned around what belongs inside
Locally sourced custom frameless cabinets made it possible to coordinate the appliance panels, exposed cabinet ends, and storage details. Deep drawers replace much of the conventional base storage, with peg organizers where useful. Roll-out pantry trays bring the contents forward.
At the sink wall, 15-inch-deep upper cabinets provide room for serveware, dishes, and glasses. Vertical storage above the double oven and a broad, shallow drawer below make better use of the cooking-center wall. Decorative crown and light-rail molding finish the cabinetry.
A separate place to serve
The former half bath becomes a wet bar
Removing the half bath and adjoining hallway created a place for drinks and serving outside the main preparation area. The new wet bar reuses the former plumbing location and includes a beverage refrigerator, open shelves, and a copper bar sink.
A decorative backsplash extends from the counter to the ceiling. LED task lighting recessed into the lowest shelf lights the working surface and highlights the tile.
Beside it, a counter-depth, panel-ready French-door refrigerator takes on the same cabinet finish and hardware as the rest of the room. From the living area, it reads as part of the cabinetry.
Everyday organization
A landing spot at the garage entry
The previous dry-bar area now combines a docking station, open bookshelves, and tall pantry storage. It gives items that arrive with the family a place to land close to the garage entry.
Deep pantry roll-outs keep stored food accessible. The former coat closet also takes on a new role as small-appliance storage, helping keep the kitchen’s working counters available.
These changes use the adjoining spaces to support the kitchen, so organization continues beyond the cooking area.
Materials with a personal connection
A backsplash inspired by the homeowner’s quilting
The textured kitchen backsplash recalls quilt blocks, a detail connected to the homeowner’s interest in quilting. Its pale surface contrasts with the dark cabinets, while concealed plug strips keep receptacles off the backsplash.
Under-cabinet LEDs light the counters, and a new recessed lighting layout serves the larger room. Concrete-look porcelain flooring works with the existing slate in adjoining areas. New transitions connect the changed floor plan to the flooring that remained.
Neutral wall colors let the homeowners’ artwork and blue dining chairs stand out. A distinctive chandelier marks the dining area within the more open interior.
Behind the finished room
Structural and plumbing work shaped the renovation
Opening the kitchen required a permitted load-bearing beam and coordination with the ceiling-mounted ventilation. Removing soffits also meant relocating HVAC supplies and planning the new recessed lights around the revised layout.
The homeowners asked to replace kitchen water lines that had previously leaked in the attic. Installing the new underground runs exposed a deteriorated main line, which also needed replacement. The work extended across the kitchen to connect near the earlier suite addition.
The project required changes and additional coordination during construction, including fitting the refrigerator panels correctly. The finished room reflects attention to those concealed systems and cabinet details alongside the visible design.
Planning the connections
The floor plan explains the change
The existing and revised plans show how removing the half bath, hallway enclosure, and parts of the dining-room separation creates a more connected public area. The cooking peninsula and remaining wall give that openness a useful structure.
The design works within the home’s footprint while relocating storage and appliances to suit the new circulation. It also keeps the main sink at the window the homeowners enjoyed.
The finished kitchen
A place to cook without leaving the conversation
The new room supports the goal that brought the homeowners back to Homework Remodels: a more inclusive place to entertain. The cook can work at the peninsula while staying connected to guests, and the wet bar gives serving its own location.
Custom storage and a coordinated cabinet finish let the practical details sit comfortably within the larger living area. This project received the 2023 NARI Contractor of the Year award for Residential Kitchen $100,001–$150,000.
Planning an open concept kitchen remodel in Phoenix?
Start with the connections you want to improve. Cooking, seating, serving, and circulation each need space in the plan. Wall removal also brings questions about structural support, ventilation, lighting, and the finishes that will meet the existing rooms.
Explore our kitchen remodeling services and design-build remodeling process. The Path to Remodeling Clarity™ helps you begin organizing the priorities for your own home.
Award-Winning Home Remodeling Services
Tell us how you cook, gather, and use the rooms around your kitchen. We’ll begin with a conversation about what feels limiting now and what you would like your home to make possible.