written by Raquel Skrobarczyk

Last year we worked on quite a few kitchen and bath remodels.  Before and after’s are always a lot of fun, but this particular project had quite the transformation!

BEFORE:

I think the best description for this home was ‘peach’.  Everything was the same color throughout-mostly beige but with a real peachy undertone.

The home’s heavy stone work, textured walls and Texas star details definitely would not work with this young couple’s stylish aesthetic. The couple was not quite sure which direction they wanted to move toward with their new furnishings, so we came up with a design that would give them a bright, fresh palette that would work well with any style.

Raquel took the lead on this project, breaking into 3 main areas of focus: Paint, Tile/Millwork & Lighting.

1. Paint

We had to address the peachy faux paint situation immediately to better understand what we were working with.  The homeowners wanted to keep the existing flooring (a nice natural stone) so we needed to select a color scheme that would compliment the floor’s undertones.

The kitchen cabinets were in good shape, so our plan was to keep those (with some modifications) and paint them white to eliminate the dated stain finish.

Revised final cabinet layout:

2. Tile/Millwork

One of the main design features we decided to tackle early on was the architectural elements of the space. The existing stone on the walls and island were not in keeping with our client’s design aesthetic, so we developed a plan to remove the stone and replace it with a well thought out combination of millwork/trim and tile.

Stars were a design detail used throughout the house (trim, light fixtures, mirrors, etc.)  This must have been charming for the original home owner, but we decided this theme and the fluted moldings were not consistent with our design concept, so we removed the stars and decorative trim and opted for a more timeless design selection.

3. Lighting

Our projects usually suffer from a lack of lighting, but this house was the opposite!  We had the equivalent of an airport runway on the ceiling, and a few other elements creating an over abundance of lighting in general.  This one living space had close to 30 can-lights in the ceiling!

The height of the ceiling was a challenge, but our focus was to make the lighting a functional benefit and also a new design feature for the homeowners.

AFTER:

1. Paint

The walls were all painted Classic Grey, which is light and neutral.  The cabinets were painted white and given a few minor modifications to accommodate new appliances, including this smashing stove and hood by La Cornue! 

The new paint made the space feel twice as big and brand new!

2. Tile/Millwork

We had very little ‘back-splash’ to work with, but we used marble set in a chevron pattern.  The new farmhouse sink and bridge faucet look wonderful with the new cabinet hardware. 

We kept the island in the same configuration (because we were keeping the flooring) but instead of the heavy stone, we have timeless millwork that will contribute to the light and airy feeling.

3. Lighting

Lighting is always a fun part of the design process. After narrowing down the can-lights to just two, our clients were open to using larger more dramatic light fixtures in the other areas.

In the kitchen we specified three over-sized pendants in a black & gold finish.

People always ask if it is OK to mix metals and our answer is always “Yes!”. Mixing metals makes a space feel more lived in and not so “matchy, matchy”. In here we have polished nickel cabinet hardware and black & gold pendants as well as copper on the stove, and as you can see, it all looks amazing together!

In the living area we selected a very dramatic chandelier in industrial steel. With such high ceilings you have a little more wiggle room to use larger light fixtures to make a statement.  A good rule of thumb is that bigger is always better when it comes to lighting since it is considered the jewelry of the room.

I trust seeing these photos and following our rationale provides you with a clear understanding as to how our design vision came to life!  This new space is ready for any palette of furnishings that the homeowners decide on.  Whether it be bright and bold with deep jewel tones or soft and soothing with whites and neutrals, they can’t go wrong! A crisp, bright white space is always in style.