Before & After: They Gave Their Tiny Kitchen a Donald Judd–Inspired Upgrade

“It was too boxed in. It was what some people call a one-butt kitchen.”

Caroline Hwang and Joel Speasmaker knew the moment they stepped inside their new Pasadena home that the existing kitchen was not going to cut it. "It was too boxed in," recalls Caroline. "It was what some people call a one-butt kitchen." Meaning: no counter space and just enough room for one person to maneuver at a time. The room was also plopped in the middle of the plan between the living and dining areas, with peekaboo windows on three walls that did little to connect the spaces.

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Melissa Dalton
Dwell Contributor
Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing for Dwell since 2017. Read more of her work about design and architecture at melissadalton.net.

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