WINTER PARK, FL - While most designers seek to avoid design "dead ends," Karen R. Kassik, CPBD, AIBD and James C. Lucia, CPBD, FAIBD, turn them into design inspiration.

In fact, this was precisely the case when the pair were asked to reconfigure a narrow, inefficient space into one that would accommodate the client's entertaining needs.

Lucia is the founding partner/designer for Winter Park, FL-based Lucia, Kassik & Monday, Inc., and Kassik is the managing partner/designer for the firm.They were commissioned by Orlando, FL-based Farina and Sons, Inc., and worked with Gribble Interior Group, also based in Orlando.

When Kassik and Lucia began the project, they learned that the area they were to transform was dubbed "the dead-end of the home." And it was. In fact, according to Victor Farina, president/owner of Farina and Sons, Inc., the only way for all parties involved to remedy the situation was to start from scratch.

"[Indeed], the mother felt very isolated and 'closed off' in the old kitchen - it had no view, nor could she see or hear anything or keep track of the children," recalls Farina. "The mom wanted a new kitchen that had a kitchen bar area for the three children and was open to the family room. She also wanted lots of storage," recalls Farina.

The design for the new space devised by Kassik and Lucia, et al, gave the mom the new space and accoutrements she desired. In addition, the new layout called for an eat-in kitchen area and increased counter space.

"[In fact], one of the keys to this design was combining matching elements visually to increase the size of the room," states Farina.

One-Way Street

Kassik and Lucia began their plan by gutting the existing kitchen. However, to complete this, a wall between the kitchen and family room had to be replaced with a structural beam.

Farina feels this solution allowed the duo to transform a dingy kitchen into the "heart of the home," by combining the kitchen with the family room, and thereby creating a cohesive feel for the entire home. This also earned the project recognition from The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD), Farina points out.

This solution gave the kitchen a more spacious feel, and allowed enough room to add a walk-in pantry without impacting the size of the 19'x11' space.