Just Right

“Buyers often say that they want a walk-in pantry, but this can ruin the functionality of an otherwise functional kitchen,” says Peterson. Better to go with cabinetry, where every inch of storage can be gleaned without giving over room to a traditional walk-in space.

Think hard about whether an island will really work in a small plan, Peterson suggests. “The world wants an island, but it's not always the best choice in a tiny kitchen. Sometimes, an angled peninsula is a better choice.”

And pay attention to the materials used in a kitchen that opens up into living space. “In smaller plans, you don't have the kitchen tucked into a corner,” says builder Steve Kendrick, president of Structures Building in Mount Pleasant, S.C. “Things need to look like pieces of furniture. Instead of the standard toekick, we often put decorative feet on the bottom of cabinets to make them look like freestanding pieces.”

Smaller lots have required architects to come up with ever more inventive plans, forcing them to think hard about things such as stair placement, formal living rooms, and the number of levels that a buyer will tolerate. Geoffrey Steinbeck, president of Bower & Bailey, a St. Louis–area builder, points to the use of switchback stairs and token living rooms as a way of conserving space. At Talbridge, Bower & Bailey's latest project in Clayton, Mo., the formal living room has been reduced to a parlor-sized space that Steinbeck says most buyers will use as an office or study. “We've almost done away with the throwaway living room and gone with gathering rooms,” he says. “That flat screen sits in the gathering room, not the living room.”

In Columbus, Ohio, M/I Homes architect Joe Stein has come up with a plan for a small, 33-foot-wide house with a front-loaded garage that uses four levels on three floors to strike a balance between a master-down and a first-floor game room plan. “Call it a master half-down, perhaps?” suggests Stein. Both the game room (down) and the master bedroom (up) are readily accessible from the family room via a half-flight of stairs. In this same plan, Stein located the fireplace in an interior corner of the family room. That means homeowners can “furnish to the outside corner, thus eliminating the need to float the furniture, which eats up floor space,” he explains. Another space-saving touch: The loft space upstairs allows room for a computer/homework area.

Sometimes working the plan means getting out to the site. “We did a house where there was a wonderful view of the North Cascades, but you could only see the mountains from a spot in the dining room,” says Chapin. “There wasn't room for a big window there, so during framing I mocked up where a seat would be and placed a window that was 16 inches high by about 2 feet that framed the view of the mountain [from that seat]. It's that kind of attention to detail that brings a little bit of lightness and laughter to a building.”

Two architects share their wisdom on kitchens that look—and act—bigger than they are.

David W. Kent and Charles Addington, principals at the Irvine, Calif.–based KTGY Group, know that kitchens are often what sell a home. Here's what they keep in mind when designing open plans.

CABINETS: Resist the urge to run cabinets to the ceiling; lowering them even a little helps expand the ceiling line. Whenever possible, use glass uppers, which will enlarge a kitchen's visual dimension. For continuity, use the same cabinets in any adjoining room.

APPLIANCES: Wherever possible, stack units (i.e., built-in oven with stovetop and microwave above). This helps keep the counter space looking clean and neat, and gives the whole room an upper-end look.

FLOORING: Extend the kitchen floor into whatever's adjacent, whether that's a nook, a patio, or a hallway. It will make the room feel bigger than it is. Coffer the ceiling over the same area to reinforce that feeling of spaciousness.

PANTRY: Get it out of the kitchen triangle. Consider putting a pantry underneath nearby stairs, in part of the nook, or as part of a desk area.

ISLAND: Make it work! Include furniture details and plenty of storage.

LIGHTING: Hanging, pendant lights interrupt the eye and chop up a kitchen. Instead, use recessed general purpose lighting in the ceiling and under-cabinet spots.

BACKSPLASHES: Keep them light. This will help create the illusion that they're floating.

Kathleen Stanley is a freelance writer based in Washington.