Getting the kitchen of your dreams doesn’t require magic. It simply takes careful planning, attention to detail and the guidance of pros who have good design sense and who know what products are available—and how to use them wisely and effectively.

The owners of this kitchen were plagued with outdated appliances and an inconvenient floor plan. Several years after they moved into their 1930s brick-and-stone, two-story house, they put into action the plans that would make their outmoded kitchen the true heart of the home for them and their kids.

The kitchen was originally designed as a galley with cupboards and counters on each side and little space in between. Without changing the original footprint of the kitchen, the designers were able to make a stylish update that added more storage and counter space without the expense of adding additional floor space to the existing house.

FROM GALLEY TO GREAT Professional kitchen designers helped the homeowners replace their inefficient galley design with a new U-shaped layout with an attractive peninsula that added such luxe additions as an undercounter refrigerator drawer and a dishwasher—which the former kitchen didn’t have. The new continuous expanse of solid-surface countertop is an ideal workspace for accommodating multiple cooks in the kitchen and doubles as a buffet-style serving area when the family has guests to dinner.

CABINET CREATIVITY Top-of-the-line maple cabinets with a modern natural finish were installed all the way to the ceiling to add more storage to the small kitchen. A built-in pantry allows overflow cupboard storage with bins for potatoes and onions and shelf space for glassware. And the updated built-in appliances—including the refrigerator with matching panels—make this kitchen renovation one that not only updates the kitchen and creates a new family space, but also increases the home’s value, making it more marketable if they ever decide to sell it.