Kitchen Makeovers
Kitchen of the Week
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: Airy and Elegant in 155 Square Feet
A more open layout with sophisticated yet energetic details helps a family tackle busy schedules in style
With busy jobs and two elementary school kids, Kendra Oxholm and her husband needed a kitchen that could keep up with their hectic lifestyle. Their existing kitchen didn’t come close. It sat closed off behind a wall separating it from the dining room. The space felt cramped. The cabinets lacked storage. And the materials — aging basic white cabinets, laminate countertops, tile flooring and blue wallpaper — felt dated and uninspiring. “I love to cook and knew this kitchen wouldn’t work for me,” Oxholm says.
Wanting more openness, efficiency, color and contemporary materials, the couple hired designer Sean Lewis for help. Lewis got to work knocking down the wall to open the kitchen to the dining room. He added a peninsula with seating that improves connection between the two spaces. Closing off an exterior door to the driveway freed up room to add more cabinetry and improve storage. Gray paint for the cabinets with brass hardware and other brass details creates an elegant style. A graphic black-and-white porcelain tile floor energizes the new kitchen, while a black-painted open pantry brings a dramatic touch.
Wanting more openness, efficiency, color and contemporary materials, the couple hired designer Sean Lewis for help. Lewis got to work knocking down the wall to open the kitchen to the dining room. He added a peninsula with seating that improves connection between the two spaces. Closing off an exterior door to the driveway freed up room to add more cabinetry and improve storage. Gray paint for the cabinets with brass hardware and other brass details creates an elegant style. A graphic black-and-white porcelain tile floor energizes the new kitchen, while a black-painted open pantry brings a dramatic touch.
Before Photo
After: This photo was taken from about the same spot as the previous one. Lewis knocked out most of the wall that separated the dining room and kitchen and added a peninsula with seating that improves connection. “I love it, it’s such a major improvement,” Oxholm says. “My two kids like to help cook and pick out recipes. We cook together, and they can sit there on the other side at the peninsula with the stools.”
The peninsula extends about a foot into the dining room to provide more breathing room in the kitchen. The dining room walls combine painted white wainscoting and sangria-colored sisal wallpaper. “The inspiration was to bring a more fun and vibrant feel to this historic home but to do it in a way that works with the more traditional detailing in the house,” Lewis says.
Symmetry was important too, so Lewis balanced the wall proportions here. “It made sense to have some wall on the left like the right,” he says. “We were going to extend the peninsula all the way, but it didn’t make sense to have someone sitting there staring at a wall. That’s why we did that lower cabinet there.”
This view frames elegant and dramatic details in the kitchen, including the gray cabinets, a walnut detail on the range hood, graphic black-and-white porcelain flooring and an arched open pantry with black elements. “I wanted to work with Sean because I thought he uses color in an interesting way,” Oxholm says. “My last kitchen had white cabinets and I was interested in doing something more fun.”
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The peninsula extends about a foot into the dining room to provide more breathing room in the kitchen. The dining room walls combine painted white wainscoting and sangria-colored sisal wallpaper. “The inspiration was to bring a more fun and vibrant feel to this historic home but to do it in a way that works with the more traditional detailing in the house,” Lewis says.
Symmetry was important too, so Lewis balanced the wall proportions here. “It made sense to have some wall on the left like the right,” he says. “We were going to extend the peninsula all the way, but it didn’t make sense to have someone sitting there staring at a wall. That’s why we did that lower cabinet there.”
This view frames elegant and dramatic details in the kitchen, including the gray cabinets, a walnut detail on the range hood, graphic black-and-white porcelain flooring and an arched open pantry with black elements. “I wanted to work with Sean because I thought he uses color in an interesting way,” Oxholm says. “My last kitchen had white cabinets and I was interested in doing something more fun.”
Find kitchen remodelers near you
Before Photo
Before: Here’s a look at the former kitchen and its basic white cabinets, tile flooring and laminate countertops. Patterns on the flooring, dark blue wallpaper and tiled backsplash clashed. A window and a door on the right prevented countertop surface or cabinets on that wall. “There wasn’t enough counter space, the upper cabinets were really low — if I was working at the counter, it was very cramped — and there wasn’t enough storage,” Oxholm says.
After: This photo was taken from about the same spot as the previous one. Note the window over the sink for reference. Lewis stripped the former kitchen and filled in the door and window on the right, which allowed him to create a U-shaped cabinet layout and add more cabinets and countertop surface. He also relocated the new range to that side as well, turning it into a focal point.
Gray custom Shaker-style inset cabinets blend a modern-day profile with traditional molding that nods to the history of the home. The cabinet hardware is a mix of 6- and 8-inch pulls and knobs in a rich honey bronze finish. “It was to add some interest and contrast but to keep it neutral,” Lewis says. The finish complements a bridge-style faucet in a satin brass finish. The backsplash is 2½-by-10-inch white ceramic tiles in a matte finish with custom gray grout, installed in a horizontal stacked pattern for a contemporary look.
Three soft-close drawers to the lower left of the stainless steel undermount sink hold kitchen tools, lunch items for the kids and storage bags. “All the stuff I need handy when I’m working at the peninsula and packing lunches,” Oxholm says. The lower corner cabinet on the right has a lazy Susan inside for canned goods and pasta.
Backsplash: Makoto in Shoji White, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; hardware: Charlotte pulls, 6 and 8 inches, and Hollow round knobs, all in honey bronze, Top Knobs; sink: Standart Pro, Kraus; faucet: East Linear in satin brass, Newport Brass; paint colors: High Reflective White (walls) and Oyster White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
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Gray custom Shaker-style inset cabinets blend a modern-day profile with traditional molding that nods to the history of the home. The cabinet hardware is a mix of 6- and 8-inch pulls and knobs in a rich honey bronze finish. “It was to add some interest and contrast but to keep it neutral,” Lewis says. The finish complements a bridge-style faucet in a satin brass finish. The backsplash is 2½-by-10-inch white ceramic tiles in a matte finish with custom gray grout, installed in a horizontal stacked pattern for a contemporary look.
Three soft-close drawers to the lower left of the stainless steel undermount sink hold kitchen tools, lunch items for the kids and storage bags. “All the stuff I need handy when I’m working at the peninsula and packing lunches,” Oxholm says. The lower corner cabinet on the right has a lazy Susan inside for canned goods and pasta.
Backsplash: Makoto in Shoji White, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; hardware: Charlotte pulls, 6 and 8 inches, and Hollow round knobs, all in honey bronze, Top Knobs; sink: Standart Pro, Kraus; faucet: East Linear in satin brass, Newport Brass; paint colors: High Reflective White (walls) and Oyster White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
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A 24-inch stainless steel dishwasher with built-in top touch controls sits in the peninsula to the left of the sink area. “It just wouldn’t fit by the sink,” Lewis says. “The homeowners were concerned about pushing the kitchen too much into the dining room. We went back and forth with that, and she struggled with that decision.”
“It works great,” Oxholm says. “I was worried it wouldn’t feel natural, but Sean was right. It’s very functional there.” The large deep drawers to the left of the dishwasher hold pots and pans. To the left of those is a paneled pullout trash and recycling center (not shown).
Three round flush-mount LED lights with an aged brass finish — one over the sink, two above the peninsula — provide task lighting. The kitchen also includes LED recessed ceiling lights (not shown).
The flooring is 12-by-12-inch graphic black-and-white porcelain tiles with a matte finish and custom truffle-colored grout. “I think it adds a playful or whimsical detail to an otherwise formal-feeling space,” Lewis says. “We wanted the kitchen to feel a little bit different than the rest of the house.” Toe-kick heaters painted to match the cabinetry keep the space cozy during the colder months.
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“It works great,” Oxholm says. “I was worried it wouldn’t feel natural, but Sean was right. It’s very functional there.” The large deep drawers to the left of the dishwasher hold pots and pans. To the left of those is a paneled pullout trash and recycling center (not shown).
Three round flush-mount LED lights with an aged brass finish — one over the sink, two above the peninsula — provide task lighting. The kitchen also includes LED recessed ceiling lights (not shown).
The flooring is 12-by-12-inch graphic black-and-white porcelain tiles with a matte finish and custom truffle-colored grout. “I think it adds a playful or whimsical detail to an otherwise formal-feeling space,” Lewis says. “We wanted the kitchen to feel a little bit different than the rest of the house.” Toe-kick heaters painted to match the cabinetry keep the space cozy during the colder months.
25 Genius Kitchen Storage Ideas
Lewis rejiggered the layout, placing a new 42-inch stainless steel French door refrigerator to the right of the former fridge’s spot. In place of the former refrigerator, he added a new arched doorway to a step-in pantry. The space features black cabinets, a black marble-look quartz countertop, black walls and a black stainless steel microwave drawer. “We wanted the arch to be what was standing out in that space,” Lewis says. “By using the black cabinetry and walls, we were making the butler’s pantry recede and the arch stands out as an architectural feature.”
Countertop: Black Tempal, Caesarstone
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Countertop: Black Tempal, Caesarstone
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A 36-inch dual-fuel range with four burners and infrared griddle sits to the left. “The range is working wonderfully,” Oxholm says. “My husband loves to cook breakfast on the griddle. That’s something we didn’t have before.” A doorway to the right leads to the colorful new mudroom.
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The mudroom is drenched in a cool deep blue (Distance by Sherwin-Williams). “We wanted it to feel dark and cozy,” Lewis says. “When you leave it, the rest of the house is open and inviting.” A walnut bench coordinates with the walnut details in the kitchen. Tall cabinets with mirrored fronts on the left have shelves inside for shoes and USB outlets for charging devices. Open shelves offer a spot for grab-and-go items. Integrated hooks provide hanging storage for hats, jackets and more. A shelf on top provides space for woven baskets that hold stuff for the kids.
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New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Here’s a wider view of the refreshed dining room and kitchen. A large, midcentury-style linear chandelier with milk glass globes coordinates with modern sconces. All have a brushed brass finish that complements the kitchen cabinet hardware. “I love those light fixtures Sean picked out,” Oxholm says. “They really bridge that gap between modern and traditional in a really lovely way.”
Chandelier: Lune Linear Suspension in burnished brass, Visual Comfort Studio; wallpaper: Winfield Thybony Sisal in Sangria, DecoratorsBest
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Chandelier: Lune Linear Suspension in burnished brass, Visual Comfort Studio; wallpaper: Winfield Thybony Sisal in Sangria, DecoratorsBest
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This floor plan shows the layout of the updated home. The kitchen (upper left) now sits open to the dining room (lower left) with a peninsula (center left) providing seating and work surface. The kitchen also opens to the new mudroom (upper right). “I love to create spaces for modern families in traditional homes that make the home better,” Lewis says. “It fits the house first, but it’s a modern design and layout.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Kendra Oxholm, her husband and their two kids
Location: Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania
Size: 155 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Sean Lewis of Airy Kitchens
Before: This photo of the historic center-hall Colonial home prior to the remodel was taken from the dining room looking toward the kitchen. A wall separated the two spaces and had one narrow doorway that impeded traffic flow. “They knew they wanted to open up the spaces to each other but weren’t sure how to address the character in the dining room that they like and wanted to keep, like the crown molding and wainscoting,” Lewis says. “They wanted to open it up but not lose the historic details in their house.”