Residential Project: Kitchen Makeover

January 12, 2010 by shawdesigns

Background

Ask anyone who lives in an older home, and most would agree that they’d love to update their kitchen. Most don’t, though, because they’re concerned it will be too expensive and too inconvenient. Showing them how, with a few minor changes, we can give their kitchen a new personality is one of my favorite types of projects.

The Project

My client wanted to do something different with her kitchen, but she also wanted to keep what was already there. She liked the traditional oak cabinets, but she wanted to do something that would make the space seen new. She had also some old artwork that reflected her heritage, and it was important that we update the mat and frame and include those pieces in the design.

My client is a busy mother of three who didn’t want to sacrifice style for functionality, so here’s what we did.

First, we wanted to incorporate the traditional elements into a design that was a more modern remix to reflect the personality of her family. We started with the countertops, replacing the old with black granite highlighted by hints of grays, taupes and blues. We added a striking ceramic and glass backsplash to add another layer of elegance.

Then, we focused on the finishing touches. We added pendant lighting over the island and a light fixture over the dining table which cast a warm glow over the kitchen. Beautiful custom window treatments, new cabinet hardware and all new accessories were also added.

What probably had the most impact for this family was the existing artwork that we re-matted and framed. A fun and personal task I gave my client was to shoot some casual photos of her kids, and then we printed them with sepia tones to add dramatic impact and to match the color scheme we had chosen. The sepia contributes to the traditional feel, but putting them in a dark wood collage frame adds a modern touch.

Now you see…

Other than the countertops and backsplash, we didn’t need to do a major overhaul of this kitchen to give it a brand new look and feel. Small changes to the window treatments, lighting and accessories transformed their traditional kitchen into one with a modern flair, with a color palette of soft browns and earth tones to complement the cupboards.