When this young couple bought their 1959 split level home in Mountainbrook, they knew right away they would need to remodel the kitchen, and soon, as they were expecting their first child. With many original features, including a tiny, inoperable wall oven, and a compartmentalized floorplan, the main level of this home wasn’t functional for a modern family.
First up on the demolition list was removing the walls separating the kitchen, sunken living room, and dining room to create an open floor plan suited to conversation. Since the living room was lower than the adjacent spaces, there needed to be some division between them. Instead of eliminating the walls completely, they were cut down to half walls, and the length altered to fit their large sectional sofa, giving it a built-in look. Part of the wall removal involved the elimination of a closet that housed HVAC components, so a small portion of wall was left behind for the thermostat and venting. The decorative paneling and floating shelves on the dining side anchor it within the open space.