Before and After: 4 Inspiring Kitchens in 320 to 350 Square Feet
See how these rooms gained storage, function and inviting layouts made for modern-day living and entertaining
A kitchen that measures 320 to 350 square feet offers tons of roomy potential. The abundant space allows for an open layout, optimized cooking zones and enhanced entertaining, all with plenty of elbow room. Here, before-and-after photos of four uplifting kitchen remodels show a little of what’s possible.
Before Photo
After: After removing and donating what they could from the old kitchen, the Refined Renovations design and production teams had a blank canvas. Drawing inspiration from historical English kitchens and sculleries, this cheerful and charming makeover spearheaded by lead designer Morgan Taugher includes painted custom inset perimeter cabinets surrounding a stained oak island, all topped with marble-like Matarazzo quartzite.
Slightly shifting the location of the sink, placing the new paneled refrigerator to its left, centering a smaller range on the back wall and rotating the island 90 degrees created a more user-friendly layout. The furniture-look island, new decorative ceiling beams and refinished and stained hardwood floor add warmth. A bank of tall windows measuring just over 6 feet wide lets in abundant sunshine.
Cabinet paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore (uppers) and Silver Lake, Sherwin-Williams (lowers)
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Slightly shifting the location of the sink, placing the new paneled refrigerator to its left, centering a smaller range on the back wall and rotating the island 90 degrees created a more user-friendly layout. The furniture-look island, new decorative ceiling beams and refinished and stained hardwood floor add warmth. A bank of tall windows measuring just over 6 feet wide lets in abundant sunshine.
Cabinet paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore (uppers) and Silver Lake, Sherwin-Williams (lowers)
Read more about this kitchen makeover
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Before Photo
“After” photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
2. Light and Lofty
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with four kids and a Labrador
Location: Las Vegas
Size: 320 square feet (30 square meters)
Designer: Rebecca Zajac of RMZ Interiors and Design by Numbers
Before: This Las Vegas kitchen had a dark and dated 1990s Mediterranean style the homeowners disliked. A soffit wrapping the room forced the upper cabinets down, creating a closed-in feel. Tile flooring was cold and hard on the feet. And the small office niche in the back corner sat mostly unused.
But the couple, parents of four kids, had a keen fondness for the impressive arched opening between the kitchen and breakfast room. Wanting a brighter space with high-end appliances and a more custom look, the couple turned to designer Rebecca Zajac.
2. Light and Lofty
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with four kids and a Labrador
Location: Las Vegas
Size: 320 square feet (30 square meters)
Designer: Rebecca Zajac of RMZ Interiors and Design by Numbers
Before: This Las Vegas kitchen had a dark and dated 1990s Mediterranean style the homeowners disliked. A soffit wrapping the room forced the upper cabinets down, creating a closed-in feel. Tile flooring was cold and hard on the feet. And the small office niche in the back corner sat mostly unused.
But the couple, parents of four kids, had a keen fondness for the impressive arched opening between the kitchen and breakfast room. Wanting a brighter space with high-end appliances and a more custom look, the couple turned to designer Rebecca Zajac.
After: Using the arched opening as inspiration, Zajac designed a modern Spanish-style kitchen. She repeated the arch motif with an arched opening to a new butler’s pantry, an arched custom range hood and arch details on a new black-stained oak island.
The removal of the soffit allowed Zajac to take a couple of banks of upper cabinets flanking the range all the way to the raised ceiling. The creamy white Shaker-style perimeter cabinets, soft white walls and marble-look porcelain countertops all deliver a light and airy look. A new engineered white oak floor adds warmth. Brass stools at the island coordinate with unlacquered brass cabinet knobs and pulls. Pendant lights over the island feature white plaster shades and a natural rusted iron finish.
Pendant lights: Limoges, Visual Comfort
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Before and After: 4 Attractive Kitchens in 200 to 230 Square Feet
The removal of the soffit allowed Zajac to take a couple of banks of upper cabinets flanking the range all the way to the raised ceiling. The creamy white Shaker-style perimeter cabinets, soft white walls and marble-look porcelain countertops all deliver a light and airy look. A new engineered white oak floor adds warmth. Brass stools at the island coordinate with unlacquered brass cabinet knobs and pulls. Pendant lights over the island feature white plaster shades and a natural rusted iron finish.
Pendant lights: Limoges, Visual Comfort
Read more about this kitchen makeover
Before and After: 4 Attractive Kitchens in 200 to 230 Square Feet
Before Photo
Photos by Alyssa Lee Photography
3. Modern and Warm
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Woodland, Minnesota
Size: 348 square feet (32 square meters)
Designer: Colleen Slack of Fox Interiors
Before: The forest setting of this Woodland, Minnesota, home was a big influence on the design. Lots of large windows brought the woodsy feeling indoors. But a large vent hood over the island was a head banger and blocked all the sightlines across the kitchen. The kitchen also felt enclosed and cut off from adjacent rooms.
Most of the finishes in the kitchen dated back to 1978, so they showed the wear and tear of almost half a century of use. The homeowners wanted a more livable and attractive space, and turned to interior designer Colleen Slack for help.
3. Modern and Warm
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Woodland, Minnesota
Size: 348 square feet (32 square meters)
Designer: Colleen Slack of Fox Interiors
Before: The forest setting of this Woodland, Minnesota, home was a big influence on the design. Lots of large windows brought the woodsy feeling indoors. But a large vent hood over the island was a head banger and blocked all the sightlines across the kitchen. The kitchen also felt enclosed and cut off from adjacent rooms.
Most of the finishes in the kitchen dated back to 1978, so they showed the wear and tear of almost half a century of use. The homeowners wanted a more livable and attractive space, and turned to interior designer Colleen Slack for help.
After: The designer used Houzz photos to communicate ideas to her clients and help find the exact style they wanted. Creating a space that would be warm modern but not specifically midcentury modern with details that were refined but not elegant were big goals.
With the large vent hood gone, views across the kitchen are clear and the space is brighter and airier. Walnut cabinetry, a granite waterfall island bar, high-end appliances, a cozy banquette and a more open feel between rooms are just a few of the fully remodeled kitchen’s new assets. Meticulously book-matched cabinetry provides continuous horizontal graining patterns. Backsplash tiles with finished edges and large-format floor tiles that were painstakingly laid out in drawings on-site are other details that bring this livable space to the next level.
Wall paint: Natural Choice, Sherwin-Williams
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See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
With the large vent hood gone, views across the kitchen are clear and the space is brighter and airier. Walnut cabinetry, a granite waterfall island bar, high-end appliances, a cozy banquette and a more open feel between rooms are just a few of the fully remodeled kitchen’s new assets. Meticulously book-matched cabinetry provides continuous horizontal graining patterns. Backsplash tiles with finished edges and large-format floor tiles that were painstakingly laid out in drawings on-site are other details that bring this livable space to the next level.
Wall paint: Natural Choice, Sherwin-Williams
Read more about this kitchen makeover
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
Before Photo
“After” photo by Stephanie Russo Photography
4. Elegant and Functional
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Davis, California
Size: 330 square feet, including a dining area (31 square meters)
Designer: Kellie Love of MAK Design + Build
Before: In this aging 1970s Davis, California, space, a peninsula divided the kitchen from the dining area to the left. White tile countertops, dated and aged parquet wood flooring, basic wood cabinets and the lack of a backsplash and sufficient storage did little to energize the look and feel.
A former pantry can be seen at the back left. The brown door at the rear of the short hallway connects to the garage. The brown door on the right side of the short hallway leads to a closet, which the homeowners thought could be put to better use. Wanting to create an inviting and stylish kitchen where their family and friends could gather while they prepared meals, these empty-nest homeowners returned to designer Kellie Love, who had helped them renovate their laundry room and hall bathroom.
4. Elegant and Functional
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Davis, California
Size: 330 square feet, including a dining area (31 square meters)
Designer: Kellie Love of MAK Design + Build
Before: In this aging 1970s Davis, California, space, a peninsula divided the kitchen from the dining area to the left. White tile countertops, dated and aged parquet wood flooring, basic wood cabinets and the lack of a backsplash and sufficient storage did little to energize the look and feel.
A former pantry can be seen at the back left. The brown door at the rear of the short hallway connects to the garage. The brown door on the right side of the short hallway leads to a closet, which the homeowners thought could be put to better use. Wanting to create an inviting and stylish kitchen where their family and friends could gather while they prepared meals, these empty-nest homeowners returned to designer Kellie Love, who had helped them renovate their laundry room and hall bathroom.
After: Love eliminated the peninsula to open up the space. An island with seating anchors the new layout. A beloved piece of ceramic dishware from the homeowners’ collection inspired the warm and elegant color palette. Matte sage green perimeter cabinets (Herbes de Provence by Benjamin Moore) improve storage and offer a warm complement to the rift-cut white oak base of the island.
Love transformed the pantry into a hutch-style built-in with glass-front upper cabinets that display the couple’s dishes. LED lights inside and underneath the cabinets help illuminate the area and create a warm glow at night. A new door to the garage has a touch keypad lock and lever handle in polished chrome. A new pocket door to the left of the fridge connects to a new walk-in pantry that replaced the former utility closet. The updated backsplash has 2½-by-10-inch matte white ceramic tiles in a horizontally stacked pattern. The warm, elegant style ensures the design will look stylish for years to come.
Read more about this kitchen makeover
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen design stories
Browse kitchen photos
Find a kitchen remodeler
Shop for your kitchen
Love transformed the pantry into a hutch-style built-in with glass-front upper cabinets that display the couple’s dishes. LED lights inside and underneath the cabinets help illuminate the area and create a warm glow at night. A new door to the garage has a touch keypad lock and lever handle in polished chrome. A new pocket door to the left of the fridge connects to a new walk-in pantry that replaced the former utility closet. The updated backsplash has 2½-by-10-inch matte white ceramic tiles in a horizontally stacked pattern. The warm, elegant style ensures the design will look stylish for years to come.
Read more about this kitchen makeover
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen design stories
Browse kitchen photos
Find a kitchen remodeler
Shop for your kitchen
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1. Charming and Cheerful
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with grown children and two dogs
Location: Delafield, Wisconsin
Size: 320 square feet (30 square meters); 20 by 16 feet
Designer: Morgan Taugher (lead) of Refined Renovations
Before: This aging Delafield, Wisconsin, kitchen had dark cabinetry and countertops that gave it a heavy, shadowy look. An off-center stainless steel range, backsplash and hood dominated a back wall. The refrigerator stood on a wall to the right of the range, out of view, across from the sink and separated from it by the island, creating an inefficient workflow. The only pantry was located down the hall, accessed through a mudroom.
The homeowners, a couple with grown children and two dogs, wanted a kitchen with improved storage, a more efficient layout and a fresh look with an antique English sensibility. For help, they hired design-build firm Refined Renovations.