Kitchen Refresh

Recently finished a project at my own house that I've wanted to tackle for years--an overhaul of the kitchen!

When the house was new, this is what the kitchen looked like:

It was a great size, but that's about all that could be said for it. Basic cabinetry. Cheap laminate countertops and linoleum flooring. Apparently, even cabinet knobs were a luxury the builder couldn't justify.

The walk-in pantry was a great space, but with just a few wire shelves, it was hardly optimal:

When I first moved in, we took it up a notch by adding some color to the walls, knobs to the cabinets, and some crown moulding:

Better, but it always left something to be desired. Because of it's size, doing much more always seemed daunting. (With over 60 cabinets and drawer fronts, even buying cabinet hardware was an expense!) So we lived with it for over ten years!

But for the past two months, we've taken it from dark and basic to bright and open.

First up was to tackle the pantry. A coat of paint, and new shelving and bins more than doubled the space available for storage:

It made sense to do the pantry first because it gave us space to store much of the "stuff" that we then took out of the kitchen while the renovation in there took place.

Over the course of six weeks, we replaced the black appliances with stainless steel ones, installed Cambria Torquay countertops, a white handmade subway tile backsplash laid in a herringbone pattern, undercounter lighting, new light fixtures, and new cabinet hardware. Finally, the original cabinet boxes were upgraded with new trim and everything was painted.

The walls are painted Sherwin Williams Mega Greige and the cabinets are done in their Agreeable Gray.

New glass pendants from Progress lighting are stylish and affordable.

The bar in the adjacent morning room was refinished to match the kitchen.

The color scheme was chosen because it felt up to date, but the paint shades still worked well with the earthier tones in adjacent rooms.

A Whole House Renovation

Several years ago, I designed an extensive expansion and renovation to a lackluster ranch house in a fantastic old neighborhood. One of the images that has been "pinned" most to Pinterest from this site is the schematic drawing of that house. (The original post is HERE.) Thought it was way past time to share some actual photos!

A little "before and after" of the front. The house went from 1600 square feet to nearly 5,000.

A close up of the new entrance. Wide front steps, gable end trusses, and large columns with bracketed details create a sense of arrival.

One of the original bedrooms became the formal dining room, with tall wainscoting and coffered ceiling.

A new master suite was added at the rear of the house. The bedroom features another coffered ceiling.

The new master bathroom.

The new stair hall overlooks the back yard.

A large vaulted living space on the second floor separates the two children's suites.

The owner's son enjoys this spacious vaulted bedroom.

While their daughter's room is Princess-perfect with a double tray ceiling.

Another suite is tucked under the roof over the added garage. Interesting ceiling lines give it a lot of character.

A large covered porch with stone fireplace expands the main level living area into the outdoors.

This view of the rear highlights the challenging slopes the project presented. The alley-entry garage is actually a half story above the main level of the house.

A final shot of the new front. The beautiful landscaping finishes everything off.

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Before and After: Kitchen Renovation

About a year ago, friends who live in New York asked if I could offer some advice on a kitchen renovation they were planning. The existing space was an oddly shaped galley that notched around the master bath at one end.

The original kitchen was oddly configured and cut off from the rest of the house.

My friends also planned to renovate the master bath at the same time, and hoped to enlarge it into the "notch" of the kitchen.

The existing master bath was cramped.

Fortunately, the answer to the space planning dilemma was fairly obvious: a hallway that led to the master suite could be absorbed into the kitchen, and a new entrance to the master bedroom could be created off of the great room.

This before photo shows the hall we added to the kitchen.

The "after" floor plan. The kitchen absorbed the hall, and the master bath grew into the old "notch" at the end of the  original galley kitchen.  The result is a much more function and space for two of the most used rooms in the house.

The kitchen after the renovation. Bright white cabinetry, carried up to the ceiling and capped with a beautiful, tall crown moulding make this a dramatic transformation.

Another view of the kitchen after the renovation. 

The master bath after renovation. The owners swapped out the double sink I'd originally proposed for a single long vanity and linen cabinet. Tall wainscoting adds detail, and classic hex tile gives the space a timeless appeal.

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New Life For a Century Old Farmhouse

The Perfect Southern Farmhouse

I recently wrapped up plans to ready a picturesque farmhouse, built in 1912, for it's next 100 years. Built by the owner's great grandparents and lived in by the family since, the large (over 3000 square foot) house originally had no indoor plumbing or electricity. While loaded with charm, the heirloom house was short on modern conveniences. A small basic bathroom was added in the 1960's, but it was located on the first floor, which meant none of the upstairs bedrooms had convenient access. The kitchen, though large, was not functional and very dated. The house, true to it's age, had almost no closet space, no insulation, and no central heat or air. While the current owners wanted to keep the house in the family, it was hardly a place to raise a young child and the baby on the way. They had contemplated tackling the project a bit at a time, but soon realized that it made more sense to just do the work all at once. The house needed a proper kitchen, a master suite, second floor bathrooms, and general updating of the mechanicals, as well as tackling some deferred maintenance.
So let's take a look at the "befores!"

The only bathroom was small, dated, and frankly, a bit scary.

 

Though twenty feet in length, the kitchen had only a few cabinets confined to one corner. The tattered vinyl floor, ancient appliances, and damaged walls hardly made it a place for family meals.

Horrible as the bath and kitchen were, the rest of the house was brimming with charm. The foyer and stair hall are to die for. The original plank walls throughout the house add such warmth and character.

One of the house's SIX original fireplaces. 

The original floor plan showing the single first floor bathroom and general lack of closets.

The existing rear of the house. By raising the original one-story areas at the rear up to two story height, we were able to capture the space necessary to ready the house for it's next 100 years.

The renovated main level plan.

The owners wanted to make certain that the house did not change at all from the front. Fortunately, the existing first floor was large enough that no expansion (aside from a small covered rear porch) on that level was necessary. We widened the openings to the kitchen, removed some of the original doors (saving them, of course, to be reused in our second floor addition), reworked the kitchen/mudroom/and bath area to include a gourmet kitchen with farm table style island, a six foot bank of refrigerator and freezer towers, and plenty of cabinet space. Built ins at the back door (where the family will enter most often) catch clutter before it makes its way into the house, a small closet is outfitted with a stack washer and dryer, and the existing bath is gutted, renovated, and it's access is moved to the mudroom to hide the view of it from the front door.

The biggest changes happen upstairs. By adding a second floor over the original kitchen, study, and mudroom, we were able to give the family two new bathrooms--a large compartmented bath for the secondary bedrooms to share, and an enormous spa-like master bath with freestanding tub, walk-in shower, and double vanities. The new master suite is rounded out with a room-sized walk-in closet that offers convenient access to the new second floor laundry room. While we were able to give one of the secondary bedrooms a new walk-in closet, we opted to leave the other two in their original state, and take care of clothes storage in those spaces "the old fashioned way" with armoires and dressers. 

Construction on the project just started this month! Follow us on Facebook to see the progress!

Remaking a Classic Georgian Style House

There is no house style that has been more consistently a favorite of mine than the classic "Five Over Four and a Door" Georgian. Timeless, elegant, and just speaks of "home" to me. So I was very excited to be part of the wonderful team that remade this house.

The owners built the house in the mid-eighties, when stained wood trim was in, and open floor plans were just starting to be the norm.

Let's take a look at a few of the "before" pictures:

The front of the house lacked a covered entry and just generally felt a little tired.

The original family room had a massive brick fireplace and felt dark.

The original kitchen was spacious, but the heavy wood cabinets and brick floor made it feel small.

The original floor plan was a traditional arrangement of separate rooms.

The landscaping had become somewhat overgrown, as the clients spent several years planning the renovation.  This side of the house would become the site of the new master suite.

The original dining room was elegant, but felt small and closed off.

The original rear of the house had a small screened porch and didn't maximize the wonderful backyard.

After the trees were removed, this side of the house gets ready for an addition.

With their children now grown and beginning families of their own, the clients felt it was time to not only give the house a new look, but make it work better for the way they lived. Top of the list was a first floor master suite and expanded outdoor living. Their architect, who I have worked with in one capacity or another since the beginning of my career, drew up a plan that knocked down walls, opened up ceilings, and created a spacious master suite and gracious screened porch.

I stepped in to refine the details and assist with the interior design. We created a neutral backdrop and recovered many of their upholstered pieces in plain linen or monochromatic textured fabrics and layered seagrass rugs over the hardwoods to bring a more casual feel to the spaces. It is quite a transformation, but retains the original elegance and style.

Ready for the afters? Here they are: (warning, TONS of pictures, but be patient, they are worth waiting for!)

The new master suite is light-filled and features a small patio, which has become a favorite spot for morning coffee.

The new screened porch carries across much of the rear of the house, allowing for three separate furniture groupings.

We painted the interior doors Benjamin Moore "Graphite" and put these on barn door tracks for a fun accent.

We painted the back of the dining room built ins the same graphite as the doors to allow the blue and white collection to really pop.

A wide shot of the dining room, which used to be the kitchen.

Another view of the dining room. The built in banquette has a gorgeous nailhead design.

The new front of the house. The landscape architect suggested the stone courtyard wall with gas lamps, which softens the formality of the facade and creates a sense of arrival.

Another view of the front, with the master addition on the right.

The great room was brightened up with Benjamin Moore "Revere Pewter" paint, a Stark seagrass rug, and new upholstery in light tones.

The original brick fireplace and raised hearth were demolished for a flush fireplace with an elegant painted mantel.

The kitchen was moved to the back of the house, where a set of sliding doors opens it to the new screened porch. Distressed cabinetry, a copper farm sink, and classic antiqued subway tile backsplash make it a timeless space.

The new master bath is soothing in soft blues and white marble.

At the back door, we created a built in drop zone with bench, shelves, cubbies and hooks, to catch the clutter we all carry in with us!

The new outdoor kitchen is seeing a lot of use. Reclaimed barnwood cabinets hide a built in cooler.

The original dining room was opened to the foyer to create a reception room.

The statement making powder room!

The nearly 40' long screened porch has a brick floor, painted beadboard ceiling, and billowing outdoor drapery. We recovered the old family room furniture in durable outdoor fabrics to make this a truly comfortable outdoor room.

The study features a pair of demilunes where stacked books are ready to leaf through.

Part of the new open floor plan is this TV room, where four chairs surround a tufted ottoman.

Crisp white cabinetry in the master bath is punctuated by black shaded sconces.

Out back, a bluestone path connects the various outdoor living areas.

The abundance of light in the new master bedroom made the dark indigo walls possible.

The new master closet features marble-topped built-ins, highly specialized shelving, and this fun Lily Pulitzer rug!

Overlooking the refreshed tennis court, this brick firepit is a favorite spot on cool evenings.

In the great room, we created a small wetbar and used wine corks as the backsplash!

 

 

We hope you enjoyed looking at this transformation as much as I enjoyed working on it! Be sure to like our Facebook page to keep up with more before and afters!