Before and After: 4 Delightful Kitchens in Springtime Colors
See how design pros, including two found on Houzz, used joyful colors to revive tired cooking spaces
Gazing upon a happy color is like opening a window on a beautiful day — it can perk you right up and prompt a smile. The specific color that does the trick is a matter of personal preference, of course, but one thing is universal: Putting some springtime in a kitchen’s step is a wonderful idea anytime of year. Have a look at the four beguiling transformations below, then share in the Comments if you have a color-loving cooking space too.
“After” photo by Kyle Caldwell
After: The designers removed the existing range wall and took over the playroom behind it (visible through the door in the previous photo) to create an expansive kitchen that’s open to the family room. The new design has more than just increased breathing room and better flow, however. Among the new features are generous windows, more storage, a prep sink, double ovens and the pretty and practical centerpiece: a long island painted a lovely cool blue, with a seat for everyone in the family.
Island paint: Parma Gray, Farrow & Ball; cabinet paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; pendant lights: Darlana, Visual Comfort
Read more about this makeover
After: The designers removed the existing range wall and took over the playroom behind it (visible through the door in the previous photo) to create an expansive kitchen that’s open to the family room. The new design has more than just increased breathing room and better flow, however. Among the new features are generous windows, more storage, a prep sink, double ovens and the pretty and practical centerpiece: a long island painted a lovely cool blue, with a seat for everyone in the family.
Island paint: Parma Gray, Farrow & Ball; cabinet paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; pendant lights: Darlana, Visual Comfort
Read more about this makeover
2. Minty Fresh
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Amy and Mike Gennrich and their two kids
Location: Austin, Texas
Designer: Justin Quick of CG&S Design-Build
Before: Too tight, too cluttered, too dark. Run-down cabinets. Poor flow. Name any issue common to older spaces, and this 1950s kitchen in Texas probably had it. The homeowners worked with designer Justin Quick of CG&S Design-Build, a company they found on Houzz, to create a more open and uplifting space that would check all the practical boxes too.
How to Recycle Your Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Amy and Mike Gennrich and their two kids
Location: Austin, Texas
Designer: Justin Quick of CG&S Design-Build
Before: Too tight, too cluttered, too dark. Run-down cabinets. Poor flow. Name any issue common to older spaces, and this 1950s kitchen in Texas probably had it. The homeowners worked with designer Justin Quick of CG&S Design-Build, a company they found on Houzz, to create a more open and uplifting space that would check all the practical boxes too.
How to Recycle Your Kitchen Cabinets
“After” photo by Ryan Davis, CG&S Design-Build
After: The key to opening the kitchen lay just on the other side of the sink wall: an underused screened porch. The designer scooched the kitchen sink to the right and nixed the wall, windows and cabinets on that side but left a large opening. The porch side has three stools that belly up to the countertop, creating a convenient dining area.
Mint green cabinets team up with colorful dishware to enhance the kitchen’s fresh, lively look. And on the practical side, the new space has a more efficient footprint and better storage, plus a beverage fridge, a pantry cabinet and open shelves.
Green cabinet paint: Breaktime by Sherwin-Williams
Read more about this makeover
After: The key to opening the kitchen lay just on the other side of the sink wall: an underused screened porch. The designer scooched the kitchen sink to the right and nixed the wall, windows and cabinets on that side but left a large opening. The porch side has three stools that belly up to the countertop, creating a convenient dining area.
Mint green cabinets team up with colorful dishware to enhance the kitchen’s fresh, lively look. And on the practical side, the new space has a more efficient footprint and better storage, plus a beverage fridge, a pantry cabinet and open shelves.
Green cabinet paint: Breaktime by Sherwin-Williams
Read more about this makeover
3. Gray Out
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 178 square feet (17 square meters)
Design-build pro: Philip Hide of Wise Design & Remodel
Before: With a lonesome location and gray and white finishes as far as the eye could see — which wasn’t far at all, given the tight galley layout — this Minneapolis kitchen was ready for a redo. The homeowners tapped design-build pro Philip Hide to give the space a happy feel while expanding and opening it up, improving the layout and adding storage.
Find a cabinet pro near you
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 178 square feet (17 square meters)
Design-build pro: Philip Hide of Wise Design & Remodel
Before: With a lonesome location and gray and white finishes as far as the eye could see — which wasn’t far at all, given the tight galley layout — this Minneapolis kitchen was ready for a redo. The homeowners tapped design-build pro Philip Hide to give the space a happy feel while expanding and opening it up, improving the layout and adding storage.
Find a cabinet pro near you
“After” photo by Homecoming Photography
After: Walls came down, a support beam went up, and the footprint grew by 22 square feet during the gut renovation. Along with openness, the kitchen gained an island with a cooktop, a more efficient work triangle and the joyful palette the homeowners were seeking. The new colors recall a flower in bloom: sweet pink cabinets, soft yellow walls and a splash of glossy green.
Paint: Bella Pink (cabinets) and Lily (walls), Sherwin-Williams; backsplash: 4-by-4-inch handmade Moroccan terra-cotta tiles
Read more about this makeover
After: Walls came down, a support beam went up, and the footprint grew by 22 square feet during the gut renovation. Along with openness, the kitchen gained an island with a cooktop, a more efficient work triangle and the joyful palette the homeowners were seeking. The new colors recall a flower in bloom: sweet pink cabinets, soft yellow walls and a splash of glossy green.
Paint: Bella Pink (cabinets) and Lily (walls), Sherwin-Williams; backsplash: 4-by-4-inch handmade Moroccan terra-cotta tiles
Read more about this makeover
Photos by Julie Mannell Photography
4. Orange Slice
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman and her two grown children
Location: Edmonds, Washington
Size: 159 square feet (15 square meters)
Designer: Heather Kirk of Kirk Riley Design
Builder: Birrenkott Construction & Remodel
Before: This 1950s kitchen in Washington state was ready for retirement with its weary finishes, dim lighting and nonworking fridge. A Houzz search led the owner, a woman who loves color and Palm Springs style, to designer Heather Kirk. Their goal: a design that would nod to the past instead of being stuck in it.
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4. Orange Slice
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman and her two grown children
Location: Edmonds, Washington
Size: 159 square feet (15 square meters)
Designer: Heather Kirk of Kirk Riley Design
Builder: Birrenkott Construction & Remodel
Before: This 1950s kitchen in Washington state was ready for retirement with its weary finishes, dim lighting and nonworking fridge. A Houzz search led the owner, a woman who loves color and Palm Springs style, to designer Heather Kirk. Their goal: a design that would nod to the past instead of being stuck in it.
Shop for major kitchen appliances
After: The new kitchen has a cool midcentury modern vibe and lively splashes of color. Robin’s-egg blue walls partner with a zesty orange range to bring the fun, while white countertops, cabinets and backsplash tiles keep the party from going overboard.
A low-profile vent hood is one of the many thoughtful design touches that allowed for improved functionality without sacrificing style. Furniture-style storage in other corners of the kitchen, which you can see in the full story, is another.
Wall paint: Forget Me Not, Benjamin Moore; range: Bertazzoni; countertops: PentalQuartz
Read more about this makeover
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
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A low-profile vent hood is one of the many thoughtful design touches that allowed for improved functionality without sacrificing style. Furniture-style storage in other corners of the kitchen, which you can see in the full story, is another.
Wall paint: Forget Me Not, Benjamin Moore; range: Bertazzoni; countertops: PentalQuartz
Read more about this makeover
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young family of five
Location: Medfield, Massachusetts
Size: 500 square feet (46 square meters)
Designers: Kelly McGuill (interior design) and Caitlin Struble of Winslow Design (architecture)
Before: Not much natural light reached this kitchen in the center of a Massachusetts home. Not much personality or color had made an appearance either, and only three of the five family members could sit at the counter at the same time. The homeowners originally brought in architect Caitlin Struble and interior designer Kelly McGuill to reimagine their family room, seen here through the opening to the right, but the project grew — and the kitchen did too.
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