A 1977 split level with a kitchen that needs to open
This 1977 wood-frame split level already has the pieces worth keeping: a skylit kitchen, an island, wood and tile floors, and living and family rooms with windows on multiple sides. But the kitchen’s granite counters and existing island do not solve the main problem if the room remains cut off from the places the family gathers. This is Amy’s project for the house on Mary Lane: open the kitchen toward the dining and living areas while preserving the light, wood, and separate places to settle that make this house work.
Because the garage sits below the living areas, the open plan has to respect the split-level structure rather than treat the rooms as one blank rectangle. We would first identify the wall between the kitchen and adjoining living space and treat it as potentially load-bearing until its framing is confirmed. If it carries loads, a beam or header will take them; a flush header may preserve a continuous ceiling, but it needs space in the framing, while a dropped beam would remain visible and lower the line overhead. That choice should follow the actual structure, not a preference made from a floor plan alone.
The kitchen already has an electric range, cooktop, double oven, and a hood over the range. If the range moves to an island, we would route a duct to the exterior and select the hood around the final cooking layout, with makeup air evaluated against the selected hood and appliance specifications. The documented 220-volt circuit is in the laundry, not proof that the kitchen has the capacity or circuits a new induction range or second oven would need. Before setting the island, the electrician should check the service and plan the required dedicated circuits; the sink should stay near its current plumbing until the drain route and the house’s foundation type are confirmed.
A continuous floor, not a patchwork opening
The existing wood and tile flooring make the threshold between rooms a design decision as much as a construction one. We would map the floor heights before removing the wall, then choose one continuous finish through the kitchen and the opened living area, or make any transition deliberate and aligned with a real change of level. If the old wall leaves a gap or the subfloor heights differ, the floor needs to be leveled and repaired before the new finish goes down. A warm, natural-toned wood surface would connect the rooms without competing with the trees outside; the existing wood is worth evaluating for reuse before specifying a replacement.
Opening three rooms changes how sound and comfort behave. This house has central propane heat, central cooling, ceiling fans, and a living-room fireplace insert. We would have the heating and cooling layout checked against the new open volume, then use layered lighting rather than relying on the kitchen skylight: recessed or discreet ceiling light for general use, pendants over the island, and task light at the counters. The dining and living areas need their own controls so the whole space does not have to be equally bright at once. The fireplace can remain a visual anchor, while soft furnishings and rugs help keep cooking, homework, and television from competing in the same acoustic space.
The house’s septic system and the work it asks of the family
The home is connected to a septic system, so moving kitchen plumbing is not just a cabinet choice. We would keep the sink near the existing supply and drain unless a plumbing review shows a practical route; before fixing the island location, the team needs to establish where the drain runs and how the foundation and floor framing allow a new connection. The private water source also belongs in that plumbing review, particularly before changing fixture locations or specifying new equipment.
The family could expect a period without a usable kitchen while the wall, floor, wiring, plumbing, and cabinets are being worked on. Dust control and a temporary meal setup would need to be planned around that disruption; no exact duration or construction cost can be responsibly set before the scope and concealed conditions are known. The City of Auburn bases building permit fees on total project valuation, and its plan-check fee is 65% of the building permit fee; applicable additional fees may also apply (City of Auburn Residential Building Permit Information). The City conducts building inspections Monday through Thursday, not Friday, a scheduling detail that can affect when work behind walls is ready to proceed (City of Auburn Building Inspections).
When the rooms are connected, a Tuesday evening could mean one adult finishing dinner at the island while a child works nearby, with the television and fireplace still in view rather than behind a closed kitchen wall. The point is not to erase every boundary. It is to let light and conversation pass through the house while giving cooking, eating, and relaxing enough definition to coexist. If your house has this split-level layout and you want to make its kitchen work for the way your family lives, get in touch with Amy.
