Case Study

A Townhouse Kitchen Transformation in Wayzata Opened Up to Light, Gardens, and Each Other

How DreamMaker turned a dark, disconnected kitchen into a warm, textured dream space - with a garden view, room for two cooks, and a whole new way of experiencing the main floor.

Wayzata, Minnesota

TIMELINE

Transitional & Warm

Kitchen Remodeling

Project Overview

A Kitchen That Finally Breathes.

This Wayzata couple had lived with a dark, closed-off kitchen long enough. The backyard gardens were beautiful – and completely invisible from the kitchen. The main floor felt segmented rather than connected. The existing white cabinetry was too plain, but they didn’t want anything heavy or traditionally fussy either. They wanted warmth, character, and a kitchen that felt like part of the home around it.

DreamMaker presented four potential plans with full 3D perspectives before a single decision was made – and delivered a kitchen that opened the wall, connected the main floor, and gave both homeowners a space they genuinely couldn’t wait to cook and entertain in.

Location: Minnesota

Neighbourhood: Wayzata

About The Neighborhood

Wayzata is one of the Twin Cities’ most refined lakeside communities – a place where homes are designed with care and residents invest in spaces that reflect both quality and personality. A kitchen rich with texture, natural light, and a garden view fits this neighborhood as naturally as the cork floors and vein-cut marble that anchor it.

The Challenge

What Wasn’t Working

Before the remodel, the space faced several challenges:

A dark kitchen with no visual connection to the rest of the main floor
No view of the backyard gardens from anywhere in the kitchen
Simple white cabinetry with no warmth or character
A layout that made cooking together difficult and countertop space scarce
A breakfast table and hutch in a vaulted nook that weren't pulling their weight
No dedicated cookbook storage or beverage center
Insufficient counter seating for casual dining or entertaining
Hidden plumbing and duct work challenges discovered during demolition that needed solving before anything else could move forward

The kitchen had potential the existing design had never come close to realizing.

BEFORE

“It is a wonderful whole new way of experiencing our home. Our designer’s creative solutions gave us everything we both wanted in our new dream kitchen – and things we didn’t know to ask for. We couldn’t be more pleased.”

– Michael & Susan T., Wayzata, MN

5.0 | Google Review

The Solution

Built Around How They Actually Live

DreamMaker opened the wall between the kitchen and the main floor first – then redesigned everything else around the light, the garden view, and the cooking and entertaining life this couple had always wanted to live in the space.

Key Improvements included:

Wall opened between the kitchen and main floor - bringing in natural light, a garden view, and a fully connected entertainment space
Cabinet layout redesigned to create functional cooking stations for two people working comfortably side by side
Countertop space preserved and storage significantly improved throughout
New built-in hutch replacing the old Restoration Hardware piece - providing cookbook storage and a beverage center in the same footprint
Expanded counter seating replacing the need for the breakfast table entirely
Window nook transformed into a relaxed reading and cookbook spot
New appliances enhancing the cooking experience throughout
Rich mix of materials and textures throughout - character-stained wood, sleek steel and glass, large-patterned quartz, vein-cut marble, resilient cork, plush leather upholstery and soft rugs
Hidden plumbing pipe and vent ducting discovered and resolved during demolition without disrupting the project timeline