Greening an Outdated Kitchen

Smart use of space and materials made a small kitchen family and environmentally friendly

Before the remodel, just getting from the front door of this Victoria, B.C., home to the adjacent kitchen could be a perilous journey. The open front door made it difficult to see where you were headed, and the coat-closet door threatened to push you down the basement stairs. What also could have been a perilous endeavor -- doing business with friends and designing a kitchen with a buffet full of challenges -- instead resulted in a fantastic kitchen for an environmentally conscious family. Turning the coat closet to face into the kitchen, widening the entry, and removing a wall that separated the kitchen from the dining room modernized the floor plan. Architecturally correct details and personal touches added charm. And ecologically sound materials, appliances, and construction satisfied the owners' and the designer's shared environmental views.