Few things aside from my kids, chocolate, and coffee excite me like a good kitchen renovation. This kitchen renovation we are talking about today is a goooood one! If you like the satisfaction of Before and Afters, this one is gonna get ya! This client’s kitchen had all the workings of what we loved most in the early 2000s: cherry wood, dark granite, and earth tones on the walls. The homeowners of this project desired lighter, brighter, and updated.
Step One – always a style analysis.
These clients landed in the modern farmhouse and transitional style wheelhouse. My personal design experience reveals few clients that are a singular style. I find the secret recipe is narrowing down two styles and finding a fusion between the two. Three styles get messy and having your client love every element in a singular style is a rarity. After the design analysis, I created their personal kitchen vision board with an all-white kitchen palate with black, modern accents. White kitchens are classic and the black elements brought them into the 2020s which they desperately craved after living so long in the early 2000s.
First Up: wall color selection.
Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist won this battle. I refer to this color as the cousin to the ever-popular Agreeable Gray. Balboa Mist leans slightly more to the beige family than Agreeable Gray. In this project, it partnered well with the existing ceramic tile with did not make the Reno budget for replacement. Fortunately, it was a super neutral tile that still works for the space when paired with the most accomodating wall color and classic kitchen.
Next Up: Cabinet color selection.
The fronts of the existing cabinet were not overly traditional or ornate, therefore, a refinish in the popular Benjamin Moore White Dove was all it took to completely transform them. White quartz countertops and an elongated hand-carved white subway tile solidified our commitment to an all-white kitchen.
With an all-white kitchen, it is important to gain warmth from other elements. In this kitchen, we chose matte black plumbing fixtures and cabinet hardware. And not just any hardware but a bold and wider pull. We styled the space with natural wood tones and added some color with green decor. The finished remains one of my favorite projects to date.
Photography Credit: Heather Ison Photography
A wise friend of mine always refers
to a single renovation as ripping off a bandaid exposing the wound below that is the rest of your home and space. She herself always cautiously approaches any home update or renovation because of what other projects it will lead to in her home. This client is no exception. It was hard to limit the updates to only the kitchen. Neighboring this kitchen is the formal dining room. The client asked for a simple refresh of this space to go along with her new kitchen.
For this update, we carried the new all color (Balboa Mist) throughout the first floor including the dining room. Then I simplified the wall art with a single, oversized mirror. This new light fixture was selected and installed. I added a more modern rug and brought in a pop of green with my personal favorite houseplant – a fiddle leaf fig tree.
The final result: a happy client!
I had the most incredible experience working with Kristina in updating my space. She was amazing at listening to my concerns and what I liked and helping me find my exact style. I was really nervous painting over cherry cabinets but the whole space turned out so much better than I could have imagined. My family, friends, and I fell in love instantly and asked her to help update other areas of my house! I couldn’t be happier with working with a designer and recommend her to help anyone looking for it!
Keri