Ranch Home Kitchen Remodel

Remodeling a Kitchen in a Single Story House

A rambler kitchen has a particular set of habits. It sits at one end of a long, low house, usually beside the dining area and separated from the living room by a wall. The ceiling is eight feet or a little under. There is an attic above and a crawl space or slab below. The window over the sink faces the backyard. Cabinets run to the ceiling or stop at a soffit that hides ductwork, a vent pipe or simply nothing at all.

Those habits shape what a remodel can do, what it costs, and where the money is best spent.

The Wall Between the Kitchen and Living Room

This is the first question in almost every rambler kitchen we see. The answer depends on which way the ceiling joists run and what they rest on.

In many of these houses the roof is framed with trusses or with joists that span from the outside walls to a central bearing wall running the length of the house. If the kitchen wall is parallel to the joists, it is often carrying little and can come out with modest reframing. If the joists land on it, it is bearing. It can still come out, but it needs a beam sized by an engineer, posts that carry the load down to proper footings, and a permit with drawings that the City of Bellevue reviews before work starts.

We go into the attic during the first visit and tell you which situation you have. What we will not do is estimate a beam by eye.

There is also a middle option that gets overlooked. Widening the opening, or taking the wall down to a peninsula height, often gives most of the openness for a fraction of the structural work.

Layout in a Long, Narrow Room

Rambler kitchens tend to be galley or L shapes. When a wall comes out, the room gets bigger but not always better, because the old layout was fitted to the old walls.

A few things we pay attention to:

• Aisle width. Between counters or between a counter and a peninsula, 42 inches is comfortable for one cook and 48 inches for two. Narrower than that and dishwasher doors block the path.
• The work triangle. The sink, cooktop and refrigerator should be close enough to move between easily without a traffic route cutting through the middle.
• Landing room. Counter on at least one side of the cooktop and beside the refrigerator, so hot pans and groceries have somewhere to go.
• The sink location. Keeping the sink under the existing window saves plumbing and a vent reroute. Moving it to an island is possible, but on a slab it can mean cutting the floor, and it is one of the larger single costs in a remodel.

Crawl Space, Slab and What It Means for Plumbing

Houses on a crawl space make plumbing changes easier, since drains and supply lines can be rerouted from below. Houses on a slab make them harder. We check which you have before we draw a sink or dishwasher anywhere new. If the answer is that moving the sink costs more than it gives back, we say that.

Cabinets and Counters That Suit the House

With eight foot ceilings, cabinets taken to the ceiling or topped with a simple crown add storage without looking crowded. Removing an empty soffit gains a foot of cabinet height; one hiding a duct needs a plan for that duct first.

We build with plywood cabinet boxes where the budget allows, since they hold screws and tolerate the occasional leak better than particleboard. Soft close hinges and full extension drawer slides are worth the modest cost. Where the existing boxes are solid and the layout works, refacing them with new doors and drawer fronts is a legitimate way to spend less, and we will price it alongside new cabinets.

For counters, quartz is the most common choice because it needs no sealing. Granite and quartzite suit people who like natural stone and do not mind resealing. Butcher block on a peninsula warms up a small kitchen but needs oiling and tolerates water poorly beside a sink.

The Order of the Job

Demolition, then rough framing, electrical and plumbing, then inspections. Insulation and drywall once the inspector signs off. Cabinets set and leveled, then counters templated from the installed cabinets, which is why there is a gap of a week or two before stone arrives. Backsplash, sink, fixtures, appliances and final electrical last, followed by a final inspection.

Living Through It

A single story house has nowhere to hide from a kitchen remodel. We set up a temporary sink or a counter in the garage or dining room where possible, seal the work area with plastic and zip doors, and keep a predictable daily schedule so you know when the noise starts.

Call (425) 662-8357 to book a first visit. We will look at the wall, the panel and the plumbing before we draw anything.