Hallway inspiration from Atlanta Homes
Now that I’ve shared our plan to move the kitchen into the dining room, relocate the dining area to the original kitchen, and create a butler’s pantry in the adjoining hall, I thought it would help to show how these spaces relate. Several readers asked for a floor plan to visualize the changes, so today I’m sharing a simple sketch of the layout.
A reader asked a great question: what will the view be from the front door into the new kitchen? We’ve discussed this ourselves, and we’re happy to show how it would be arranged assuming we keep the existing entrance (which remains an option to change).
Here’s the current view from the front door into the dining room — the space that would become the kitchen. It’s not always ideal to see a kitchen from the entry (dirty dishes and all), but in our case the entry would reveal only a small portion of the kitchen. The sink and most of the workspace would remain out of direct view until you step further inside.
Many small or open-concept homes have a kitchen visible from the entry, and while it’s different from a traditional foyer view, it can work beautifully with thoughtful design and organization.
Here is a simple sketch of our main floor (not exact scale), so you can better understand the circular flow and how the rooms connect. The primary rooms run across the back of the house to take advantage of the view. As mentioned, we’re considering moving the kitchen into the current dining room.
The house is compact: main living areas and bedrooms are all on one level, though we have the bonus of a finished basement that provides additional space. It’s a modest, efficient plan — not fancy or sprawling — and while the bedrooms are cozy, the layout works well for our family. That’s why we prefer smaller, practical changes rather than a full-scale remodel right now.
We evaluated other options—moving walls, relocating a bedroom or staircase, even adding on—but removing the wall between the current kitchen and dining room seems to make the most sense. It’s simpler and more budget-friendly than a large addition or gut renovation.
Once we consult with a contractor or designer we’ll finalize the best approach, but for now this plan feels right and achievable.
About the view from the entry: since we can plan the layout, we’ll design the visible corner to look tidy and intentional. Instead of placing appliances or counters where the entry looks straight in, we’d install a floor-to-ceiling closed cabinet there. That built-in will keep clutter and dishes out of sight and create a streamlined, welcoming view from the door.
Our plan positions the sink under the window shown above, facing the view and away from direct sightlines from the entry, which helps maintain a clean first impression.
We’ve been steadily making progress painting the long hallway that links the kitchen, bedrooms and entry. After painting the walls white, we’ve nearly finished the first coat on the built-ins as well. This modest built-in will function as our “butler’s pantry,” conveniently located near the kitchen for serving dishes, small appliances or extra pantry storage.
Before
Painting the hall white already improves the space dramatically — you can see the before shot above. A fresh coat of paint changes both the look and the feel of a room and makes the house feel more personal and welcoming as we make updates.
We haven’t chosen new hardware yet; for now we’re leaning toward classic pulls large enough to cover prior holes, with a subtle modern or mid-century touch to keep the look current and cohesive.
Our short-term hall goals are simple: enjoy the refreshed paint, install updated hardware on the built-ins, and add new flush-mount light fixtures. Later we may add white paneling, install a Dutch door, update interior door hardware, and reconfigure the bedroom entrance to refine the overall flow.
On the floor plan’s right side you can also see the new side yard area and how it connects to our plans. I’m excited to move on to kitchen details next—cabinet colors, appliance choices, flooring and countertops—and I already have a few ideas brewing to share soon.
Zoldan Interiors – High Gloss Magazine
I absolutely love the kitchen shown above and look forward to gathering ideas as we finalize our plans.
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