Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: Bright and Happy for an L.A. Makeup Artist
Aqua cabinets and a bold turquoise backsplash push retro-cool style in this galley kitchen and laundry area
For a makeup artist in Los Angeles who wears bright lipstick and makes her own kombucha, her gunmetal-gray kitchen hardly provided the kind of spunk she longed for. In search of a pick-me-up, she reached out to designer Lucie Ayres to make her galley-style kitchen bright and happy.
After. Designer Lucie Ayres ripped everything out and started fresh, beginning with a slaphappy backsplash tile that sets off the aqua color (Serene Breeze by Benjamin Moore) on the custom cabinets.
She kept the black-and-white theme going on the floor, but chose a cement tile design with more white than black to lighten things up.
Padma Cool Motif backsplash tile: Fireclay Tile; Zenith floor tile: Clé Tile; cabinets: Dakota Witzenburg of td[s]
She kept the black-and-white theme going on the floor, but chose a cement tile design with more white than black to lighten things up.
Padma Cool Motif backsplash tile: Fireclay Tile; Zenith floor tile: Clé Tile; cabinets: Dakota Witzenburg of td[s]
A new paneled counter-depth refrigerator on the right creates a clean, smooth look that gives the appearance of a wider galley.
Ayres took the new cabinets all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage.
Classic opal globe pendant: Rejuvenation; more pendant options
Cabinets 101: How to Get the Storage You Want
Ayres took the new cabinets all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage.
Classic opal globe pendant: Rejuvenation; more pendant options
Cabinets 101: How to Get the Storage You Want
After. A larger vintage O’Keefe & Merritt range, with its retractable temperature gauge and cover, looks as happy as the homeowner amid the funky backsplash, crisp new cabinets and engineered quartz countertop.
Engineered quartz countertop in Classic White: Silestone
Engineered quartz countertop in Classic White: Silestone
Before. Walls separated an awkwardly laid-out laundry area and desk from the kitchen. (The chair on the right sits at the desk.) A hallway to the right of the washer-dryer leads to the master bedroom, so this area became a chokepoint for through traffic.
The slim white door led to a rarely used pull-down ironing board. “That whole wall was not being used properly,” Ayres says.
The slim white door led to a rarely used pull-down ironing board. “That whole wall was not being used properly,” Ayres says.
After. Removing the non-load-bearing walls opened the laundry area up to be reconfigured. A custom cabinet now houses the washer-dryer, pantry storage and microwave. A slim desk area now sits beneath a small window.
Ayres moved the doorway to the hallway a few feet to create a smoother walkway. (See before-and-after floor plans below.)
Clever Ways to Hide a Laundry Station
Ayres moved the doorway to the hallway a few feet to create a smoother walkway. (See before-and-after floor plans below.)
Clever Ways to Hide a Laundry Station
After. Retractable doors on the cabinet allow the homeowners to keep the unit open without blocking the path to and from the hallway. “Those doors were the heroes of the project,” Ayres says.
Here’s the unit all closed up.
A farmhouse-style sink was top on the homeowner’s wish list. The window box was existing, but Ayres cleaned it up and redecorated it.
Shaws apron-front fireclay sink: Rohl; HiRise bridge faucet with independent side spray in polished stainless steel: Kohler
Browse farmhouse-style fireclay sinks
Shaws apron-front fireclay sink: Rohl; HiRise bridge faucet with independent side spray in polished stainless steel: Kohler
Browse farmhouse-style fireclay sinks
The floor tile extends into a breakfast nook, creating a seamless transition.
Classic pipe pendant with tiered and pinstriped shade: Rejuvenation
Classic pipe pendant with tiered and pinstriped shade: Rejuvenation
After. Widening the opening between the kitchen and the laundry area and moving the hallway door, at bottom, over a few feet resulted in a cleaner layout.
More
Trending Now: 11 Popular Kitchens That Rock Not-White Cabinets
10 Tips for Planning a Galley Kitchen
See more Kitchens of the Week
Other Resources on Houzz
Find a kitchen designer
Get ideas and inspiration
Browse kitchen products
More
Trending Now: 11 Popular Kitchens That Rock Not-White Cabinets
10 Tips for Planning a Galley Kitchen
See more Kitchens of the Week
Other Resources on Houzz
Find a kitchen designer
Get ideas and inspiration
Browse kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple — she’s a makeup artist, he’s in the music industry — and their young son
Location: Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: 124 square feet (12 square meters); 10½ by 7½ feet
Designer: Lucie Ayres of 22 Interiors
Before. Tiled countertops and a worn linoleum floor, despite its retro appeal, failed to inspire the Los Angeles homeowner.