Martin Place: An Open Kitchen Remodel in Ann Arbor, Michigan

This Burns Park home in Ann Arbor had a closed-off kitchen in the middle of the first floor. We opened it up to the dining and family areas, built a new kitchen with an island and a buffet, and put new hardwood floors through the first floor. The kitchen was part of a bigger remodel that also added a primary suite on the second floor, moved the laundry upstairs, and added a mudroom with a half bath.

The homeowners have hired us again since, most recently to finish their basement.

Project at a Glance

• Location: Burns Park, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Scope: Kitchen remodel and first floor opening, second floor primary suite addition, second floor laundry, second floor bath remodel, mudroom and half bath, new siding on the back of the house
• Construction: 2016 to 2017
• Design: Drawn in house by Dexter Builders, with the kitchen laid out by our kitchen designer

What the Homeowners Wanted

They wanted the middle of the house opened up so the kitchen, dining area, and family room worked as one space. They also needed more room upstairs, so the project grew into a primary suite addition and a second floor laundry. We worked through a few rounds of concept drawings with them before settling on the final plan.

What We Built

Opening Up the First Floor

To open the kitchen, we took out walls in the middle of the house and carried the load with new beams and posts. The main heating and cooling ducts ran through that area, so we rerouted them before the walls came down.

The Kitchen

• Cabinets: White shaker cabinets, with glass front uppers and wine cubbies
• Island: A large island with seating on one side and a microwave drawer built in
• Buffet: Our kitchen designer added a buffet with extra counter space
• Counters and backsplash: Granite countertops and a subway tile backsplash
• Lighting: Recessed lights, pendants over the island, and LED lights under the cabinets
• Floors: New hardwood through the kitchen, dining area, and family room

The Rest of the House

Upstairs, we built a primary suite addition over the back of the house with a bedroom, walk-in closet, and a bath with a tiled shower and double vanity. We moved the laundry to the second floor and remodeled the existing second floor bath. Downstairs, we added a mudroom and half bath at the back door, new windows in the family room, and new fiber cement siding on the back of the house.

Opening Up an Older Kitchen

Can you open up the kitchen in an older house?

Usually, yes. Many older homes in Ann Arbor were built with the kitchen closed off from the rest of the house. The question is what is inside the walls you want to remove.

• Structure: If a wall is holding up the floor or roof above it, the load has to go somewhere. That usually means a new beam, and posts that carry the beam down to the foundation.
• Ductwork, plumbing, and wiring: Walls in the middle of a house often have heat runs, drains, or wiring in them. On this house, we had to move the main heating ducts before we could take the walls out.
• Floors: When a wall comes out, there is a gap in the flooring where it used to be. Patching old floors to match can be hard, so it often makes sense to put new flooring through the whole open area, like we did here.

We look at all of this during design, before the price is set, so there are fewer surprises once the walls are open.

About Dexter Builders

Dexter Builders has been remodeling homes in the Ann Arbor area since 2000. We are a full-service residential remodeling company based in Chelsea, Michigan, and an active member of BRAG, the Builders and Remodelers of Greater Ann Arbor. We design projects in house, and work across Washtenaw County and the surrounding communities.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Call 734-426-3852 or fill out the form at dexterbuilders.com/contact-us. We usually respond within one business day.

If you have a closed-off kitchen you would like to open up, send the form anyway. We are glad to come out and take a look.