A beautiful Somers condo kitchen remodel designed with a little help from her friends.

When my neighbor of 20 years, Janet, informs me of her kitchen remodeling plans, she promises to call me to assist. Such a large project with so many decisions can be overwhelming and, if not properly planned, can lead to costly mistakes. I want Janet to enjoy her kitchen with no regrets.

After Janet picks her designer Gene Farina of Kitchens2000.com, she invites me, along with her sister, to attend the design sessions. We review the new configuration, door style, moldings, and appliance recommendations. Janet makes beautiful selections for all her finishes, especially the countertop and backsplash.

My favorite feature is the new pantry. A general rule in kitchen design is to find a place for floor-to-ceiling storage, and I am challenged to find a space, in the existing footprint, for this feature.

Instead of the usual framing of the refrigerator, I propose making the broom closet to the left smaller, allowing for a pantry to the right. But instead of a deep pantry with pullouts – which would severely limit the amount of storage – we aim to maximize storage by having the door open on the “wrong” side to allow for the use of shelving.

The advantage of shelves is the full-use of the interior cabinet space, along with ease of visibility and access to all contents.

The panel next to the refrigerator does not open, but custom cabinetry would allow for that option. If one really wants to keep the illusion of a narrow cabinet, a panel the depth of the refrigerator could have been used along with a hidden touch latch.

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