Before and After: 4 Appealing Kitchens in 300 Square Feet
See how designers worked with this common size to create stylish spaces with abundant storage and islands with seating
With about 300 square feet, you can create a roomy kitchen with tons of storage, work surface and features for entertaining, such as a generous island with plenty of seating. To get an idea of what’s possible in this size, check out these four stylish and functional kitchens of about 300 square feet.
After: Reedy stripped the kitchen back and stretched the footprint into the breakfast area, adding 120 square feet. An extra-long navy blue island anchors the space and features face-to-face seating for six on one end and storage on the other. Perimeter cabinets are maple in a semitransparent stain. The flooring is 15-by-30-inch limestone-look porcelain tiles in a matte finish. A white ceramic subway tile backsplash and polished marble-look quartz countertops brighten the room.
Backsplash: Cloe in white, 2½ by 8 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; cabinetry: Artisan Maple Bellefonte five-piece in Mariner (island) and Sandbar with a semitransparent stain (perimeter), Wolf Home Products
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Backsplash: Cloe in white, 2½ by 8 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; cabinetry: Artisan Maple Bellefonte five-piece in Mariner (island) and Sandbar with a semitransparent stain (perimeter), Wolf Home Products
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“After” photo by Matthew Anderson
2. Warm and Inviting in White, Wood and Green
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Calvin and Amy Girard and their two kids
Location: Leawood, Kansas
Size: 303 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Nina Schmidt of Schloegel Design Remodel
Before: When Kansas couple Calvin and Amy Girard bought their 1952 brick home in 2012, they knew they would have to do something about the extremely tight 163-square-foot kitchen. Appliances jutted into the space. The cabinets were original to the home and worn down. A lack of countertops limited function. And beige ceramic tile flooring created a dated and jarring contrast to black-and-white elements. Amy, who works in marketing at Schloegel Design Remodel, turned to a coworker, designer Nina Schmidt, for help.
Where Designers Would Spend and Save in a Kitchen
2. Warm and Inviting in White, Wood and Green
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Calvin and Amy Girard and their two kids
Location: Leawood, Kansas
Size: 303 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Nina Schmidt of Schloegel Design Remodel
Before: When Kansas couple Calvin and Amy Girard bought their 1952 brick home in 2012, they knew they would have to do something about the extremely tight 163-square-foot kitchen. Appliances jutted into the space. The cabinets were original to the home and worn down. A lack of countertops limited function. And beige ceramic tile flooring created a dated and jarring contrast to black-and-white elements. Amy, who works in marketing at Schloegel Design Remodel, turned to a coworker, designer Nina Schmidt, for help.
Where Designers Would Spend and Save in a Kitchen
After: After considering their options, the Girards decided the best solution for getting everything they wanted was to expand their kitchen’s footprint with an addition. This added 140 square feet and allowed them to create a spacious layout with an island that seats their family of four.
A two-tone scheme pairs rift-sawn white oak cabinets with cabinets painted a deep green-gray (Laurel Woods by Sherwin-Williams), as well as a marble-look quartz island countertop with soapstone-look quartz perimeter countertops. Red oak flooring adds warmth and charm. A new beverage station, a new mudroom and better access to surrounding rooms and a backyard patio greatly improve functionality.
Island countertop: Calacatta Trevi quartz, MSI; perimeter countertops: charcoal soapstone quartz, suede finish, Silestone by Cosentino
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A two-tone scheme pairs rift-sawn white oak cabinets with cabinets painted a deep green-gray (Laurel Woods by Sherwin-Williams), as well as a marble-look quartz island countertop with soapstone-look quartz perimeter countertops. Red oak flooring adds warmth and charm. A new beverage station, a new mudroom and better access to surrounding rooms and a backyard patio greatly improve functionality.
Island countertop: Calacatta Trevi quartz, MSI; perimeter countertops: charcoal soapstone quartz, suede finish, Silestone by Cosentino
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“After” photo by Joyelle West Photography
3. Expanded in Fresh Green and Rich Wood
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four and its Saint Pyrenees dog
Location: Bolton, Massachusetts
Size: 313 square feet (29 square meters)
Designer: Kerri Reesey of Kindred Designs
Before: The former 125-square-foot kitchen in this 1992 New England Cape-style Boston home had dated honey oak cabinets, laminate counters and dizzying peel-and-stick vinyl tile flooring. A small peninsula wasn’t a good spot for gathering, and it blocked connection to the living room. A lack of cabinet storage resulted in cluttered countertops that ate up prep space. The homeowners needed a roomier kitchen in a fresh and welcoming style, so they turned to designer Kerri Reesey for help.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Click here to learn the basics
3. Expanded in Fresh Green and Rich Wood
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four and its Saint Pyrenees dog
Location: Bolton, Massachusetts
Size: 313 square feet (29 square meters)
Designer: Kerri Reesey of Kindred Designs
Before: The former 125-square-foot kitchen in this 1992 New England Cape-style Boston home had dated honey oak cabinets, laminate counters and dizzying peel-and-stick vinyl tile flooring. A small peninsula wasn’t a good spot for gathering, and it blocked connection to the living room. A lack of cabinet storage resulted in cluttered countertops that ate up prep space. The homeowners needed a roomier kitchen in a fresh and welcoming style, so they turned to designer Kerri Reesey for help.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Click here to learn the basics
After: To give the homeowners a more spacious and open kitchen, Reesey had an intriguing proposal: Flip spaces. By taking down walls and swapping the location of the kitchen with a dining area and adding a 5-foot bump-out, she was able to radically reconfigure the look and feel of the kitchen and surrounding areas. This doubled the square footage of the now-open space, which has better circulation and more natural light.
A maple island creates a hub for gathering and features abundant prep space. Pine-wrapped structural steel beams and oak hardwood flooring also add warmth. Perimeter cabinets painted a fresh, sophisticated green (Dried Thyme by Sherwin-Williams) enhance the inviting style. A backsplash featuring matte white scallop-shaped ceramic tiles brightens the room and adds visual movement.
Backsplash: Prado in Andalucia, Mirazur collection, Sonoma Tilemakers
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A maple island creates a hub for gathering and features abundant prep space. Pine-wrapped structural steel beams and oak hardwood flooring also add warmth. Perimeter cabinets painted a fresh, sophisticated green (Dried Thyme by Sherwin-Williams) enhance the inviting style. A backsplash featuring matte white scallop-shaped ceramic tiles brightens the room and adds visual movement.
Backsplash: Prado in Andalucia, Mirazur collection, Sonoma Tilemakers
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“After” photo by Elizabeth Patton Photography
4. Opened Up With Better Storage, Circulation and Style
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Carlsbad, California
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Lori Ramsay Design
Before: The former kitchen had an overwhelming amount of brown tones that ran together. The honey maple cabinets, brown granite countertops and backsplash and hand-scraped wood flooring looked and felt dated. A two-level peninsula with the main sink cut the kitchen off from the family room. A small island with a prep sink lacked adequate storage, and an awkwardly angled walk-in pantry to the right of the paneled fridge felt like wasted space.
On the left, an eat-in dining area took up 50 square feet and was just steps from the dining room, seen through the opening at back. There was also a soffit that wrapped the room, pushing the upper cabinets down and giving the room a heavy appearance. The homeowners hired designer Lori Ramsay to sort out the issues, maximize storage and add fresh style.
4. Opened Up With Better Storage, Circulation and Style
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Carlsbad, California
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Lori Ramsay Design
Before: The former kitchen had an overwhelming amount of brown tones that ran together. The honey maple cabinets, brown granite countertops and backsplash and hand-scraped wood flooring looked and felt dated. A two-level peninsula with the main sink cut the kitchen off from the family room. A small island with a prep sink lacked adequate storage, and an awkwardly angled walk-in pantry to the right of the paneled fridge felt like wasted space.
On the left, an eat-in dining area took up 50 square feet and was just steps from the dining room, seen through the opening at back. There was also a soffit that wrapped the room, pushing the upper cabinets down and giving the room a heavy appearance. The homeowners hired designer Lori Ramsay to sort out the issues, maximize storage and add fresh style.
After: This photo was taken from about the same spot as the previous one. Ramsay pushed the kitchen into the eat-in dining area, placing the main sink on the left beneath a window. She widened the opening between the kitchen and dining room to improve their connection. She also removed the peninsula to open the kitchen up to the family room.
Engineered white oak plank flooring creates a lighter foundation. Stained maple cabinetry on the fridge and range walls contrasts with cabinets on the base of the new large island and sink wall painted a rich, dark blue (After Midnight by Benjamin Moore). Ramsay couldn’t completely remove the soffit, so she shrank it and layered crown molding on the cabinets to conceal it.
Read more about this kitchen makeover
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Engineered white oak plank flooring creates a lighter foundation. Stained maple cabinetry on the fridge and range walls contrasts with cabinets on the base of the new large island and sink wall painted a rich, dark blue (After Midnight by Benjamin Moore). Ramsay couldn’t completely remove the soffit, so she shrank it and layered crown molding on the cabinets to conceal it.
Read more about this kitchen makeover
More on Houzz
Read more stories about kitchens
See photos of kitchens
Find a pro to work on your kitchen
Shop for kitchen products
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1. Ready for Entertaining in Wood and Blue
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple with grandkids
Location: Plano, Texas
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Design-build firm: Mae Reedy Design + Build
Before: This former 180-square-foot kitchen in Texas had many dated components, including stained oak cabinets, brown granite countertops and basic ceramic tile flooring that posed a slipping hazard. While the overall layout worked, a large breakfast nook on the other side of the peninsula offered the opportunity to expand. The homeowners, an empty-nest couple who love to entertain extended family and their grandkids, worked with design-build pro Mae Reedy for almost a year planning the right layout and look.
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