Kitchen of the Week: A Galley With White-and-Blue Style
A designer helps a D.C. couple create a bigger and brighter family kitchen with a new island and a fresh palette
In 2012, Dan and Katie Corrigan found an affordable split-level row house in an up-and-coming neighborhood in Washington, D.C., close to the U.S. Capitol and a Metro station. More recently, the couple, who now have two young sons, decided it was time to reconfigure the kitchen layout, which wasn’t taking advantage of the available square footage in the room. The awkward layout also separated the range and sink by a considerable distance on opposite walls, creating a hazard whenever the couple carried pots of hot water or other loads back and forth. The existing green walls and light oak cabinets were also on the couple’s list of things to update.
The Corrigans looked to Houzz for inspiration and worked with designer Carolyn Elleman to rework the layout into a more functional galley-style arrangement, with a narrow island and the sink and range on the same wall. A fresh color palette — light gray walls, white cabinets and generous doses of blue for the backsplash and island base — delivers bright, uplifting style.
The Corrigans looked to Houzz for inspiration and worked with designer Carolyn Elleman to rework the layout into a more functional galley-style arrangement, with a narrow island and the sink and range on the same wall. A fresh color palette — light gray walls, white cabinets and generous doses of blue for the backsplash and island base — delivers bright, uplifting style.
After: Elleman removed the corner fireplace to extend the new kitchen cabinets along the entire left wall of the room. A new convection and microwave oven occupies the site of the former fireplace. Taking advantage of the square footage in the room freed up space for a new center island. The fridge, sink and range now sit on the left wall, and the island surface creates an efficient work triangle among the components.
The couple wanted a no-seat island where guests could still gather during get-togethers. “We can just put out appetizers there and everyone can help themselves,” Katie says. The island includes a beverage fridge on the side facing the appliances.
“The island stands out because it has that brighter blue base, which makes it the main eye focal point of the kitchen,” Elleman says.
White textured melamine cabinets provide a fresh look with durability, and together with light gray walls (On the Rocks by Sherwin-Williams) and a white ceiling (Bright White by Sherwin-Williams) create a clean backdrop for the backsplash, whose blue mosaic tile coordinates with the island base color.
Dan and Katie saved money on the renovation by keeping their existing cherry floor.
The couple wanted a no-seat island where guests could still gather during get-togethers. “We can just put out appetizers there and everyone can help themselves,” Katie says. The island includes a beverage fridge on the side facing the appliances.
“The island stands out because it has that brighter blue base, which makes it the main eye focal point of the kitchen,” Elleman says.
White textured melamine cabinets provide a fresh look with durability, and together with light gray walls (On the Rocks by Sherwin-Williams) and a white ceiling (Bright White by Sherwin-Williams) create a clean backdrop for the backsplash, whose blue mosaic tile coordinates with the island base color.
Dan and Katie saved money on the renovation by keeping their existing cherry floor.
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The arrowhead-shaped backsplash tile features grout with a bluish tint. “Katie wanted a hint of blue, and these tiles have an even softer blue in person,” Elleman says. “But she also wanted something that was a bit geometric and not your standard 3-by-6 subway tile.”
This photo also highlights the texture of the cabinet doors, which add visual interest to the kitchen. Warm bronze cabinet pulls complement the blues in the space.
Cabinet hardware: Ascendra pulls in Honey Bronze, Top Knobs
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This photo also highlights the texture of the cabinet doors, which add visual interest to the kitchen. Warm bronze cabinet pulls complement the blues in the space.
Cabinet hardware: Ascendra pulls in Honey Bronze, Top Knobs
Find a kitchen remodeler near you
The couple disliked their previous double-basin sink, which made washing large pots difficult. A new single-basin stainless steel sink eliminates that problem. A pull-down single faucet in a gold finish coordinates with the cabinet hardware. “I would have never picked a gold color myself, but once we put everything together it looked great,” Katie says.
The quartz countertops have a white background with swirls of blue and gray veining. “[The couple] wanted something very durable, and it was a better option than granite or marble because it’s not as porous,” Elleman says.
Sink: Crosstown, Elkay
The quartz countertops have a white background with swirls of blue and gray veining. “[The couple] wanted something very durable, and it was a better option than granite or marble because it’s not as porous,” Elleman says.
Sink: Crosstown, Elkay
Elleman relocated existing recessed ceiling lights to accommodate the new layout. And a sleek 8-foot white LED fixture on a dimmer hangs over the island. “It was kind of meant to blend in a bit,” Katie says. “It provides enough light that we can control, but we wanted something that didn’t look too busy.”
Light fixture: Sonneman
Light fixture: Sonneman
The couple incorporated their previous gas range into the updated layout and added a new undercabinet, European-style stainless hood.
Soft-close drawers and spacious cabinets surround the cooking area.
Soft-close drawers and spacious cabinets surround the cooking area.
Before: This floor plan of the previous kitchen shows how the layout (center) wasn’t taking advantage of the available square footage. The range (top center) sat a considerable distance from the sink (bottom center), creating a hazard. “It was just not convenient for cooking or prepping food,” Elleman says. The corner fireplace is at the bottom left.
After: Ellemen removed the old cabinets and fireplace to extend the cabinets all the way to the corner and added a narrow center island. With the sink, dishwasher, range, fridge and convection microwave all on one wall, the couple now have a more efficient and safer setup. A new built-in banquette (top center) provides a spot for casual meals.
“Once we got rid of all the brown in there, it made it feel so much bigger,” Katie says. “Before, things were always on the counter, and it would drive us crazy. Now there’s a place for everything, and the cook doesn’t feel isolated.”
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“Once we got rid of all the brown in there, it made it feel so much bigger,” Katie says. “Before, things were always on the counter, and it would drive us crazy. Now there’s a place for everything, and the cook doesn’t feel isolated.”
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: Dan and Katie Corrigan and their two young sons
Location: Northeast Washington, D.C.
Size: 370 square feet (34 square meters)
Designer: Carolyn Elleman of Case Design Remodeling
Before: The existing kitchen wasn’t making the best use of the space. Instead, a small family room area with a TV above a corner fireplace occupied one portion of it, while cabinets wrapped around the other end to form the compact kitchen.
The cabinet layout had lots of corners, resulting in limited counter space. But while the work surface felt cramped, the distance between the sink (on the left wall) and the range (on the right) felt enormous. With small kids coming in and out of the kitchen, the couple soon learned how dangerous it could be to carry hot pots of water and other loads across the room.
The green walls, light brown oak cabinets and beige granite countertops weren’t helping things.