Kitchen Makeovers
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: Design Embraces the Surrounding Woods
A Minnesota interior designer balances modern and refined style with livability in mind
When it came to redoing this 1978 kitchen outside Minneapolis, interior designer Colleen Slack’s careful approach helped her find the exact style her clients wanted. She says the goal was warm modern but not specifically midcentury modern. The details would make it refined but not elegant. The vibe would be sophisticated but not formal. The bottom line was that the homeowners wanted a livable and attractive space that would let them function the way they like to in a kitchen.
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. Details included meticulously book-matched cabinetry that provides continuous horizontal graining patterns, backsplash tiles with finished edges and large-format floor tiles that were painstakingly laid out in drawings and on site.
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. Details included meticulously book-matched cabinetry that provides continuous horizontal graining patterns, backsplash tiles with finished edges and large-format floor tiles that were painstakingly laid out in drawings and on site.
Before Photo
After: With the large vent hood gone, views across the kitchen are clear. The space is brighter and airier.
Though Slack had worked with the couple in the past, this house and its surroundings were markedly different from their previous projects. Focusing on the home’s setting and the views out the windows helped them land at the livable, refined style. Walnut, geometric wallpaper and clean lines nod to midcentury modern style, while newer elements update it. Creating larger openings between the kitchen and other rooms, as well as continuing materials like the new large-format floor tile from room to room, made the kitchen feel connected to the rest of the house. And Slack’s careful study of her clients’ storage needs resulted in a kitchen that functions for the way they live.
In addition to sharing photos already on Houzz, the clients uploaded photos to their ideabooks, including photos of granite slabs they liked for the countertops. They and Slack found it easy to leave each other notes in the comments area under each photo. “This makes sharing ideabooks a great communication tool,” Slack says. The result was a deep understanding between the designer and her clients.
Though Slack had worked with the couple in the past, this house and its surroundings were markedly different from their previous projects. Focusing on the home’s setting and the views out the windows helped them land at the livable, refined style. Walnut, geometric wallpaper and clean lines nod to midcentury modern style, while newer elements update it. Creating larger openings between the kitchen and other rooms, as well as continuing materials like the new large-format floor tile from room to room, made the kitchen feel connected to the rest of the house. And Slack’s careful study of her clients’ storage needs resulted in a kitchen that functions for the way they live.
In addition to sharing photos already on Houzz, the clients uploaded photos to their ideabooks, including photos of granite slabs they liked for the countertops. They and Slack found it easy to leave each other notes in the comments area under each photo. “This makes sharing ideabooks a great communication tool,” Slack says. The result was a deep understanding between the designer and her clients.
Previously, there had been a kitchen table in this area in front of the windows. However, Slack transformed the wall behind it to elevate the look and functionality of the entire area. She designed a built-in banquette to go with a tulip table and new Scandinavian modern-inspired chairs. The new cabinetry to the left serves as a sideboard, with storage for things like party platters, bowls and linens below a countertop that’s handy for serving. Slack covered the wall in a geometric wallpaper by Schumacher. The pattern plays off the homeowners’ existing George Nelson
Ball clock.
The open shelves give the homeowners display space for some of their favorite things, many collected from far-flung places. “Their passion is world travel and they love adventures like going on safari in Africa, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, exploring the Alaskan wilderness and visiting Machu Picchu,” Slack says.
Ball clock.
The open shelves give the homeowners display space for some of their favorite things, many collected from far-flung places. “Their passion is world travel and they love adventures like going on safari in Africa, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, exploring the Alaskan wilderness and visiting Machu Picchu,” Slack says.
The banquette wraps the corner of the room. Slack considered every detail of how her clients wanted to function in here, designing drawers according to what they needed to store in them.
When she learned that the husband likes to sit at the kitchen table and work on his laptop, she determined which seat he likes best and which side of the laptop the charger plugs into. Then she had an outlet installed in the side of the nearby cabinetry accordingly.
Browse dining tables in the Houzz Shop
When she learned that the husband likes to sit at the kitchen table and work on his laptop, she determined which seat he likes best and which side of the laptop the charger plugs into. Then she had an outlet installed in the side of the nearby cabinetry accordingly.
Browse dining tables in the Houzz Shop
Before Photo
Before: The kitchen desk wasn’t of much use to the couple, and Slack’s new storage solutions eliminated the need for the tall cabinet to the right. The soffit over the cabinets was typical throughout the kitchen. “Lucky for us, there wasn’t anything hidden in these soffits, they were just put there for that soffits-over-the-cabinets look that was popular in the 1970s,” Slack says. They were another element that made the room feel enclosed and crowded.
After: Slack removed the desk and the cabinetry around it to make room for the sideboard cabinets and open shelving. This let in more light from the adjacent space, and now that light bounces off the cream-colored walls.
Wall paint: Natural Choice, Sherwin-Williams
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Wall paint: Natural Choice, Sherwin-Williams
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Before Photo
Before: The vent hood was the biggest problem in the kitchen. It was a visual obstacle from any angle. It was so big because it contained two separate liners, one for the cooktop and the other for an indoor grill.
After: Slack replaced the existing vent hood with a sleek new flush-mount hood. Another important aspect of the new design is the opening between the kitchen and family room. Before, there had been a door and a window-size opening. Slack got rid of the door, widened the opening and made it taller. Now the kitchen feels more connected to the family room and to its expansive view of the trees.
Slack replaced the existing terra-cotta tiles with large-format (24-by-48-inch) porcelain tiles. “These are a warm gray color but they have these subtle little pebbly bits of brown that reminded me of the North Shore [along Lake Superior in Minnesota]. They complement the wood tones and provide just enough movement without being distracting,” she says. “The flooring creates a calm foundation with minimal grout lines.” The large tiles also make the room feel more expansive and open.
Laying them out was tricky, however, as the tiles extend from the kitchen into the back entry, a hallway and around a corner to the front entry. “We laid it all out in CAD, but it also took careful dry fitting on site,” Slack says. “This is one of those times when it’s so important to have a contractor and subcontractors that work well as a team.” For example, the tile installer sloped the tile that abuts the wood flooring in the family room ever so slightly so as not to require any sort of transitional threshold piece between the two. “This kind of precision by the tile installer gave us a next-level detail,” Slack says.
Slack replaced the existing terra-cotta tiles with large-format (24-by-48-inch) porcelain tiles. “These are a warm gray color but they have these subtle little pebbly bits of brown that reminded me of the North Shore [along Lake Superior in Minnesota]. They complement the wood tones and provide just enough movement without being distracting,” she says. “The flooring creates a calm foundation with minimal grout lines.” The large tiles also make the room feel more expansive and open.
Laying them out was tricky, however, as the tiles extend from the kitchen into the back entry, a hallway and around a corner to the front entry. “We laid it all out in CAD, but it also took careful dry fitting on site,” Slack says. “This is one of those times when it’s so important to have a contractor and subcontractors that work well as a team.” For example, the tile installer sloped the tile that abuts the wood flooring in the family room ever so slightly so as not to require any sort of transitional threshold piece between the two. “This kind of precision by the tile installer gave us a next-level detail,” Slack says.
Slack also eliminated the need for transitional pieces on the backsplash. These tiles don’t require a metal finishing strip or a pencil tile where they meet the wall, as they have finished edges. This means the finish continues from the face of the tile around the side. The designer arranged the rectangular tiles in a gridded pattern for a clean-lined, modern look.
The new island has a bar-height seating counter on one side. Mitered edges give it the appearance of being crafted from massive 6-inch-thick pieces of granite. A steel L-shaped support in the waterfall portion and a support on the other side in the island handle the weight of the bar. This took very careful coordination among Slack, the stone fabricator, the cabinetmaker and the contractor. The bottom of the bar is flush with the edge of the island countertop on the right side of this photo.
Backsplash tile: Shetland Wool, Fireclay Tile; workstation sink: Ruvati
The new island has a bar-height seating counter on one side. Mitered edges give it the appearance of being crafted from massive 6-inch-thick pieces of granite. A steel L-shaped support in the waterfall portion and a support on the other side in the island handle the weight of the bar. This took very careful coordination among Slack, the stone fabricator, the cabinetmaker and the contractor. The bottom of the bar is flush with the edge of the island countertop on the right side of this photo.
Backsplash tile: Shetland Wool, Fireclay Tile; workstation sink: Ruvati
Before Photo
Before: The homeowners liked having the cooktop on the island but didn’t like the large vent hood. In fact, they had nicknamed it “The Head Basher.” They wanted more counter space for working as well as seating at the island.
After: Slack outfitted the cabinets around the new 48-inch Wolf range to serve the cook. Herb, spice and oil pullouts flank the range, while deep drawers accommodate cookware. Other special cabinet features in the kitchen include the corner drawers, a bread drawer and a pullout for cookie sheets and cutting boards.
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This photo shows the glory of the meticulous bookmatching. Note how beautifully the graining patterns of the wood continue across the entire pantry and appliance wall. The edge pull cabinet hardware complements the walnut without distracting from it.
Slack notes that while the pullout drawers in the pantry are maple, she specified that walnut wrap their front-facing frames and faces. This kept the look consistent, so if any tiny bit of them shows between pantry doors, it will be in matching walnut. “This is another one of those next-level details,” she says.
When configuring the pantry, she sized the rollouts specifically for items like canned goods, jars of nuts and cereal boxes.
When configuring the pantry, she sized the rollouts specifically for items like canned goods, jars of nuts and cereal boxes.
Before Photo
Before: This was the opening between the kitchen and family room as seen from the family room side.
After: Slack widened the opening and made it taller. “It felt really low and dark,” she says. “It was important to expand the connections between the rooms.” This also helps the rooms share light. With its walnut cabinetry, floating shelves and accent wallpaper, the sideboard wall at the back of the kitchen provides a nice view.
Before: The major change to the floor plan was removing the kitchen desk cabinetry (top right corner) and adding the sideboard and banquette along the right side of the room. Moves like removing the massive vent hood over the island and enlarging the opening between the kitchen and family room also had a big impact on how the space flowed.
After: The original room felt cramped, and Slack knew it was important that the new design include wide pathways between the island and perimeter cabinets. All the pathways through the kitchen are a minimum of 44 inches wide.
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Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
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 in Woodland, Minnesota, was a big influence on the design. “Even though it’s located just outside the Twin Cities, it feels like you are way out in the deep woods somewhere,” Slack says. “This area is heavily wooded and trees are sacred here.”
The house had lots of large windows that brought the woodsy feeling indoors. “We all loved the up-in-the-trees feel,” Slack says. “But a large vent hood over the island was a headbanger and it blocked all the sightlines across the kitchen.” The left side of this photo offers a glimpse of this 90-by-36-inch vent hood, which hung over the entire kitchen island. The kitchen also felt enclosed and cut off from adjacent rooms, Slack says.
Most of the finishes in the room dated back to 1978, so they showed the wear and tear of almost half a century of use. “The floor tiles had humps to them, which made it so uncomfortable to walk around or stand in here,” Slack says. “They had so many grout lines. No matter how much my clients tried to get the grout looking clean, it was a huge job and it was impossible.”
The designer used Houzz photos to communicate ideas to her clients. “I create an ideabook for all my clients to fill up with ideas,” Slack says. “Or if they already have an ideabook, I ask them to add us to it. I find this helps them think about the details, and I love to use them for sharing specific storage ideas. Some things I show clients they have never seen before.” For example, she showed these clients a Houzz photo of corner-shaped drawers that are a good alternative to a lazy Susan. They wound up installing them in a corner of their kitchen.
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