HONORING THE OLD AND INTEGRATING THE NEW, THIS KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY SPACE GETS A JOLT OF LIFE.

Right in the middle of the pandemic, clients Khorshid and Nick reached out for support with a full kitchen remodel. They were confident that, with the help of some talented friends, they could tackle most of the actual construction themselves, but really wanted to nail down the design direction and materials before getting started. Right off the bat, we all felt that we had to keep the original wood paneling in the bay window seating area, along with the built-in cabinetry next to it, but absolutely give it a fresh coat of paint. We also wanted to keep the exposed beam and original brass ceiling fixture. Since their existing floor plan required few changes or customization, we could go with IKEA’s Sekton Collection. I recommended bringing in the beaded fronts in off white for the upper cabinets to match with the paneling, and then add some contrast with slightly more modern greeny-gray flat fronts for the lower cabinets.

While we went back and forth on different flooring options, at the end of the day my clients really wanted to try and match their existing hardwood floors for the most seamless (and less labor intensive) look. Matte black cabinet hardware, faucet, and dining chairs blends so nicely with the stainless steel appliances and overall color scheme, and we loved the idea of bringing in more color with the bench cushion and pillows.

The real statement room is really the adjoining laundry space, which was in really rough condition when we first started. By the end, it became the most whimsical part of this transformation, boasting wainscoting that my clients installed themselves along with accent wallpaper that beautifully complements the cabinet colors. I mean, why not make one of your most used spaces the most stunning? Khorshid and Nick went from trying to hide their kitchen from visitors to actively entertaining in it, and then shortly thereafter bringing their baby home to the space. There’s nothing quite like sitting in this eating nook with the morning sun beaming through the windows, it just feels so effortlessly charming and welcoming.