Kansas Earthy Modern Kitchen Reveal
When my clients contacted me to update their kitchen, I knew right away this was going to be a fun project. Their kitchen had just been renovated prior to them purchasing it, so it had a lot going for it. (read more about the before here) Despite having some new features, It just didn’t feel like it suited their taste. Although they live in Kansas, I was able to help them remotely via E-design
The finishes and colors felt disjointed before, so they wanted help making sense of what should stay and what should go. In the end, none of the fixed elements went away, they were just transformed!
Before
After
My clients wanted to update this room on a budget, since they are only planning on living in it for 3 years. They were open to all of my ideas and willing to experiment a little bit. In short, they are my dream clients!
Since countertops can be so expensive, I suggested they keep the existing laminate and we work around that feature for the rest of the design.
Now those dated counters feel transformed in this new context! It adds just the right touch of warmth to this space.
The dining room felt so dark before…
Since the dining area was so small, and natural light was limited, I suggested they paint it all white. All of it. Even the doors and trim. Now there is less competing for your attention, and we were able to control the focal point onto the dining table area. And how beautiful do those black windows look now? They were there the whole time, but you never would have noticed them before. I love how they pop with the white trim.
My clients were so sweet. When they asked if they could incorporate a recipe of one of their Grandmothers, my heart melted. Now they have a photo of each grandparent, on top and bottom, with a handwritten recipe in the middle. MELT!
Rather than purchase a new table, a simple linen tablecloth helps contrast their former dark wood table against the charcoal floors. I wanted something they wouldn’t have to fuss with ironing. I love the texture and softness it brings to the room. The riddling rack serves as a kind of “art piece” and provides a place for them to store wine.
Most of the dilemmas with the former design were all fixed with…you guessed it, paint! By painting the soffit, and upper cabinets the same color, your eye extends right up to the ceiling, making the 8 foot ceiling feel much higher. Even painting the hinges on the doors, made them disappear into the background. New hardware, and these feel like all new cabinets…
I wanted to give them something simple for the backsplash to contrast the busy counters, so I proposed a timeless, white subway tile. I suggested they install it in a crosshatch pattern for a little something different.
My client pitched the idea of experimenting with installing the tile right over the existing tile, which ended up saving him a ton of time! The result gave the tiles a handmade, organic feel. Which. I. Love. There is something so charming about the irregularities. It feels like each tile was made by hand and original to the house. At first my clients thought they made a mistake and would need to rip them out to start over, but I said….No, way! It’s gorgeous! And they actually love it now too. I may be installing tile from now on with different sized spacers (don’t tempt me with a good time)!
It just goes to show, when you are open to seeing things in a new way, how magical they can become.
The next issue was the flooring. The tile wasn’t horrible before, and certainly in good condition, but it felt too busy for this small space. And, really competed with the countertops. My solution was to paint it matte charcoal. The result feels so much like slate, really gave the room a mid-century feel.
Investing a good chunk of their budget in new lighting really paid off. It looks like a million bucks in here with just that simple change. WHAT LIGHTING CAN DO!!!
