Kitchen Makeovers
Before and Afters
Before and After: 4 Attractive Kitchens in 200 to 230 Square Feet
See how these spaces were transformed for modern living with ample storage, user-friendly layouts and stylish details
Kitchens of 200 to 230 square feet offer a chance to create a welcoming environment with abundant appliances and cabinetry, adequate workflow and room for both daily living and entertaining. This size kitchen often includes a peninsula or island and can accommodate more than one cook at a time. Have a look at how designers updated the following four kitchens with improved function and distinctive style.
After: Mathieu removed the previous elements and cleaned up many of the angles. This photo was taken from a slightly different location than the previous one, but note the TV on the left and the vaulted ceiling for reference. New custom rift-sawn white oak cabinets wrap the space and are topped with Craftsman-style crown molding for a clean look. On the right is a new double-door pantry, which replaced the built-out angled pantry. Rollouts inside store dry goods.
The new, larger island has a white base and a marble-look quartz countertop with waterfall ends, one of which creates a focal point from the family room. The homeowners kept some of their appliances, including the wall ovens and gas cooktop, but replaced the refrigerator. Wide-plank wood-look luxury vinyl flooring adds warmth. Five metal counter stools upholstered in a caramel-colored faux leather complement the wood cabinets and add another dose of warmth.
Cabinetry hardware: Versa knobs and Monument pulls in matte black, Amerock; flooring: Butter Toast rigid-core luxury vinyl planks, cork back, NuCore, Floor & Decor
Read more about this kitchen makeover
The new, larger island has a white base and a marble-look quartz countertop with waterfall ends, one of which creates a focal point from the family room. The homeowners kept some of their appliances, including the wall ovens and gas cooktop, but replaced the refrigerator. Wide-plank wood-look luxury vinyl flooring adds warmth. Five metal counter stools upholstered in a caramel-colored faux leather complement the wood cabinets and add another dose of warmth.
Cabinetry hardware: Versa knobs and Monument pulls in matte black, Amerock; flooring: Butter Toast rigid-core luxury vinyl planks, cork back, NuCore, Floor & Decor
Read more about this kitchen makeover
“After” photo by Tessa Sheehan Photography
2. Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A recently engaged young couple
Location: Ketchum, Idaho
Size: 220 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Natalia Ferris Samway of SV Kitchen & Bath
Before: This newly engaged Idaho couple were excited to start their lives together in a home that had been in the soon-to-be husband’s family for years. But while they were looking ahead to their future, they felt the 1980s kitchen was stuck in the past.
In particular, they wanted to address the aging honey oak cabinets, hard-to-clean white tile countertops, mix of black and white appliances and wasted open space. For help, they hired designer Natalia Ferris Samway.
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2. Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A recently engaged young couple
Location: Ketchum, Idaho
Size: 220 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Natalia Ferris Samway of SV Kitchen & Bath
Before: This newly engaged Idaho couple were excited to start their lives together in a home that had been in the soon-to-be husband’s family for years. But while they were looking ahead to their future, they felt the 1980s kitchen was stuck in the past.
In particular, they wanted to address the aging honey oak cabinets, hard-to-clean white tile countertops, mix of black and white appliances and wasted open space. For help, they hired designer Natalia Ferris Samway.
7 Exciting Design Trends for Kitchen and Bath Products in 2025
After: Samway removed the appliances, cabinets, flooring, countertops, sink and peninsula. Contemporary light wood laminate cabinets updated the overall style, while a black island and other black details added dramatic contrast. The island also improved workflow and added prep space.
New stainless steel appliances, including a 36-inch gas range and hood, modernize the look and feel. Wood-look vinyl flooring complements the cabinetry and adds lightness. Marble-look quartz countertops and slab backsplash have dark brown veining on a mostly light gray background, adding a touch of elegance that also pulls in many of the tones found throughout the kitchen.
Read more about this kitchen makeover
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
New stainless steel appliances, including a 36-inch gas range and hood, modernize the look and feel. Wood-look vinyl flooring complements the cabinetry and adds lightness. Marble-look quartz countertops and slab backsplash have dark brown veining on a mostly light gray background, adding a touch of elegance that also pulls in many of the tones found throughout the kitchen.
Read more about this kitchen makeover
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
“After” photo by Above the Horizon Media
3. Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Ada, Michigan
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Designers: Project manager Jessica Crosby, who owns Delight in Designs, and her lead designer, Leah Velzen
Before: This photo shows the Michigan empty nesters’ former dining room with a window and a living room in the foreground. The door to the right of the dining room window led to a cramped, enclosed kitchen. The appliances, cabinets, layout and even the location itself had to go. Working with project manager Jessica Crosby, owner of Delight in Designs, and her lead designer, Leah Velzen, they set out to expand the kitchen into this dining space.
3. Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Ada, Michigan
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Designers: Project manager Jessica Crosby, who owns Delight in Designs, and her lead designer, Leah Velzen
Before: This photo shows the Michigan empty nesters’ former dining room with a window and a living room in the foreground. The door to the right of the dining room window led to a cramped, enclosed kitchen. The appliances, cabinets, layout and even the location itself had to go. Working with project manager Jessica Crosby, owner of Delight in Designs, and her lead designer, Leah Velzen, they set out to expand the kitchen into this dining space.
After: Velzen and Crosby knocked down the former kitchen walls to expand the kitchen footprint into the former dining area and increase the kitchen’s square footage. The dining room window seen in the previous photo stayed in the same location, but they updated it with a slightly wider version. The window to the right of the fridge had been over the sink in the former kitchen.
These major changes allowed the design team to greatly increase cabinet storage and countertop surface. The new open, L-shaped layout also freed up room for an island with seating and a sink. New Shaker-style, full-overlay birch cabinets and drawers are finished in two tones: a water-based chocolate brown stain for the perimeter cabinets and a water-based greige stain on the base of the island.
Cabinet doors have contemporary square knobs in a champagne bronze finish; the drawers have pulls in the same finish. The backsplash consists of 6-by-13-inch porcelain tiles with a rustic Spanish villa-inspired look in a cement color. Wood-look luxury vinyl flooring adds style and durability.
Backsplash: Provenzal Alhama Grey porcelain wall and floor tile, 6 by 13 inches, The Tile Shop
Read more about this kitchen makeover
These major changes allowed the design team to greatly increase cabinet storage and countertop surface. The new open, L-shaped layout also freed up room for an island with seating and a sink. New Shaker-style, full-overlay birch cabinets and drawers are finished in two tones: a water-based chocolate brown stain for the perimeter cabinets and a water-based greige stain on the base of the island.
Cabinet doors have contemporary square knobs in a champagne bronze finish; the drawers have pulls in the same finish. The backsplash consists of 6-by-13-inch porcelain tiles with a rustic Spanish villa-inspired look in a cement color. Wood-look luxury vinyl flooring adds style and durability.
Backsplash: Provenzal Alhama Grey porcelain wall and floor tile, 6 by 13 inches, The Tile Shop
Read more about this kitchen makeover
Before Photo
“After” photo by AB Photo & Video
4. Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their two teenagers and their dog
Location: Seattle
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Designer: Judith Wright Sentz of Judith Wright Design
Before: This 1906 West Seattle home, once known as Totem Place, has an Arts and Crafts architectural style and a storied history. The current homeowners are enthusiastic gardeners who dedicate a lot of effort to maintaining the home’s beautiful landscaping, and they open up the property for garden tours.
But their focus on the outside of the house had left the interiors a bit neglected. That included the kitchen, which was probably last renovated in the 1970s. The homeowners wanted to keep the stained-glass window that was deeply recessed into the wall and original to the house. They hired interior designer Judith Wright Sentz to help them add modern conveniences while maintaining a classic look that fits with the historic home. The designer and her clients created Houzz ideabooks to share inspiration images.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
4. Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their two teenagers and their dog
Location: Seattle
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Designer: Judith Wright Sentz of Judith Wright Design
Before: This 1906 West Seattle home, once known as Totem Place, has an Arts and Crafts architectural style and a storied history. The current homeowners are enthusiastic gardeners who dedicate a lot of effort to maintaining the home’s beautiful landscaping, and they open up the property for garden tours.
But their focus on the outside of the house had left the interiors a bit neglected. That included the kitchen, which was probably last renovated in the 1970s. The homeowners wanted to keep the stained-glass window that was deeply recessed into the wall and original to the house. They hired interior designer Judith Wright Sentz to help them add modern conveniences while maintaining a classic look that fits with the historic home. The designer and her clients created Houzz ideabooks to share inspiration images.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
After: The kitchen was taken down to the studs. The stunning original window now serves as a focal point. Wright Sentz emphasized it by adding an arch and dentil molding. She also used the aforementioned depth to create an alcove all around the window, setting the cabinets back into it.
To play off the window’s stained glass, Wright Sentz designed leaded glass doors for some of the cabinets. They were fabricated by a craftsperson who lives in the neighborhood. She added LED rope lights inside the cabinets to illuminate them. To maintain the old-fashioned feel of the house, Wright Sentz stuck with a classic palette. The countertops are soapstone, the backsplash is white subway tile and the custom inset cabinets — painted a muted green (Comfort Gray by Sherwin-Williams) — are Shaker-style. The wood floors are original to the house.
All the brass on the plumbing fixtures and cabinet hardware is unlacquered, so it will develop a patina over time. While the white farmhouse sink and brass faucet have classic finishes, the details on the sink’s apron and the silhouette of the faucet are updated and fresh. Wright Sentz also included scalloped edges on the countertops, a bit of flair that nods to the detailed craftsmanship of Arts and Crafts homes.
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
To play off the window’s stained glass, Wright Sentz designed leaded glass doors for some of the cabinets. They were fabricated by a craftsperson who lives in the neighborhood. She added LED rope lights inside the cabinets to illuminate them. To maintain the old-fashioned feel of the house, Wright Sentz stuck with a classic palette. The countertops are soapstone, the backsplash is white subway tile and the custom inset cabinets — painted a muted green (Comfort Gray by Sherwin-Williams) — are Shaker-style. The wood floors are original to the house.
All the brass on the plumbing fixtures and cabinet hardware is unlacquered, so it will develop a patina over time. While the white farmhouse sink and brass faucet have classic finishes, the details on the sink’s apron and the silhouette of the faucet are updated and fresh. Wright Sentz also included scalloped edges on the countertops, a bit of flair that nods to the detailed craftsmanship of Arts and Crafts homes.
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
1. Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three kids
Location: St. Michael, Minnesota
Size: 230 square feet (21 square meters)
Designer: Melissa Mathieu Designs
Before: This Minnesota couple with three kids needed a kitchen that could keep up with their busy family. When they built their transitional-style home in 2005, the open kitchen worked for their needs at the time, but soon the aging space became family-unfriendly. Maple cabinets set at different levels and a series of drop-down ceiling forms and angled walls created a chaotic look.
The island also proved frustrating, with an awkward shape the homeowners felt wasted space and made items hard to reach. Wanting a more cohesive kitchen with cleaner lines and a warm, inviting style, the couple turned to designer Melissa Mathieu.
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