Kitchen of the Week
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: Family Style With Lake Hues and Views
A designer found on Houzz transforms a kitchen with a wood, white and gray-green palette, plus appliances galore
When a Minnesota couple found designer Kate Roos on Houzz and tapped her to update their kitchen overlooking Lake Minnetonka, they communicated several priorities. First, they wanted to open sightlines to the water and improve the room’s flow. They were also eager to brighten and modernize the space. But their overarching goal was to maximize what the house was all about: family time.
“They have a big family with lots of grandkids,” Roos says of the empty nesters. “They enjoy entertaining them and doing activities with them at the lake, and they all like to gather around and work together in the kitchen. So they just wanted a space that was going to really work toward spending that time together effectively.”
Roos delivered on all fronts. The new, transitional-style kitchen has a smarter layout, separate freezer and refrigerator columns, wine and wet bars and a coffee station, among other functional updates. A white, wood and gray-green palette looks fresh and “lake-y,” as Roos describes it, and a larger island has a warm walnut breakfast bar and a quartzite waterfall countertop with a niche set into the stone — a luxe detail that provides handy storage. Plus, now the family can enjoy better views of the lake that brings them all together.
“They have a big family with lots of grandkids,” Roos says of the empty nesters. “They enjoy entertaining them and doing activities with them at the lake, and they all like to gather around and work together in the kitchen. So they just wanted a space that was going to really work toward spending that time together effectively.”
Roos delivered on all fronts. The new, transitional-style kitchen has a smarter layout, separate freezer and refrigerator columns, wine and wet bars and a coffee station, among other functional updates. A white, wood and gray-green palette looks fresh and “lake-y,” as Roos describes it, and a larger island has a warm walnut breakfast bar and a quartzite waterfall countertop with a niche set into the stone — a luxe detail that provides handy storage. Plus, now the family can enjoy better views of the lake that brings them all together.
After: In the new kitchen, white-painted cabinets, white Sea Pearl quartzite countertops and a pale neutral tile floor really help to lighten and brighten the space.
The remodeling project also entailed adding a large deck and covered seating area off the kitchen and the adjacent dining room. Part of Roos’ task was to create a better flow through the kitchen to that outdoor entertaining space.
To do so, she took down a wall separating the dining room from the hallway. (That’s a remaining structural post in the foreground of this photo; Roos built it out and wrapped it in shiplap to make it look intentional.)
She added a fully retracting triple-panel glass sliding door that opens to the deck, part of which you can see in the background. This, along with a new fixed window over the sink, opened up views to the lake and allowed sunlight to pour in.
Paint colors: Glass Slipper (walls) and Simply White (cabinets), Benjamin Moore
The remodeling project also entailed adding a large deck and covered seating area off the kitchen and the adjacent dining room. Part of Roos’ task was to create a better flow through the kitchen to that outdoor entertaining space.
To do so, she took down a wall separating the dining room from the hallway. (That’s a remaining structural post in the foreground of this photo; Roos built it out and wrapped it in shiplap to make it look intentional.)
She added a fully retracting triple-panel glass sliding door that opens to the deck, part of which you can see in the background. This, along with a new fixed window over the sink, opened up views to the lake and allowed sunlight to pour in.
Paint colors: Glass Slipper (walls) and Simply White (cabinets), Benjamin Moore
Before: The original island seated three and faced a wall with a door to the family room.
15 Ways to Kick Your Kitchen Island Up a Notch
15 Ways to Kick Your Kitchen Island Up a Notch
After: Now there are two entries into the family room. The new, larger island is turned 90 degrees, which maintains wide work aisles and allows traffic to flow comfortably between the rooms.
This shot also shows off Roos’ favorite detail in the kitchen: the niche integrated into the quartzite at the end of the island, which she designed to fulfill the homeowner’s request for a grab-and-go spot for dishes. Roos allows that it was a pricey and tricky feature to build, but she loves how “monolithic” it makes the island feel.
“To have a client be willing to lean into the design ideas is really fun,” Roos says. “I think it was exactly what she was looking for.”
This shot also shows off Roos’ favorite detail in the kitchen: the niche integrated into the quartzite at the end of the island, which she designed to fulfill the homeowner’s request for a grab-and-go spot for dishes. Roos allows that it was a pricey and tricky feature to build, but she loves how “monolithic” it makes the island feel.
“To have a client be willing to lean into the design ideas is really fun,” Roos says. “I think it was exactly what she was looking for.”
Need a pro for your home remodeling project?
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
The subtle greens in the quartzite guided Roos’ choice of Benjamin Moore’s Dark Pewter paint on the island cabinets. Because of the way the sunlight was hitting them when these photos were taken, the color reads a bit brighter than it does in person, Roos says — it’s a dark gray with green undertones, which echoes the color of the lake.
The island is equipped with a microwave drawer, seen here, and a row of outlets along the front. “It was a nice way of getting electricity on the island without having to make a mess of that waterfall countertop,” Roos says.
The island is equipped with a microwave drawer, seen here, and a row of outlets along the front. “It was a nice way of getting electricity on the island without having to make a mess of that waterfall countertop,” Roos says.
Measuring 56 by 98 inches, the island is pretty substantial, so Roos employed a visual trick to keep it from overwhelming the kitchen.
“We were able to break up its heaviness by adding the walnut breakfast bar on the end,” she says. “It gives you a lot of nice counter surface, and it also gives you a place to sit and eat that’s a little bit softer and warmer than the stone,” she explains. Three pendant lights from Urban Electric hang overhead.
The island’s new orientation also lets those seated there look outside rather than at a wall.
Shop for pendant lights
“We were able to break up its heaviness by adding the walnut breakfast bar on the end,” she says. “It gives you a lot of nice counter surface, and it also gives you a place to sit and eat that’s a little bit softer and warmer than the stone,” she explains. Three pendant lights from Urban Electric hang overhead.
The island’s new orientation also lets those seated there look outside rather than at a wall.
Shop for pendant lights
Speaking of warmth, the new floor is heated, which makes it comfy during the Minnesota winters, Roos says. She also notes that the porcelain tile will hold up well to traffic to and from the lake.
This photo shows off the walnut cabinetry surrounding the new six-burner Wolf range top and hood as well as the cabinet hardware, which is cast bronze.
What to Ask When Considering Heated Floors
This photo shows off the walnut cabinetry surrounding the new six-burner Wolf range top and hood as well as the cabinet hardware, which is cast bronze.
What to Ask When Considering Heated Floors
The corbels between the upper and lower cabinets make the arrangement resemble an antique buffet and hutch — a traditional touch. They also provide a place for outlets that doesn’t mar the look of the pale green ceramic backsplash tile by Jeffrey Court, which has a soft linen texture.
The 10 Most Popular Kitchens of Spring 2022
The 10 Most Popular Kitchens of Spring 2022
This photo captures the beautiful lake view from the vantage point of the farmhouse sink. You can see the new deck’s pergola through the top of the window.
Over the course of the project, the client added several appliances to her original wish list, including this steam oven and the built-in coffee system above it. (Double wall ovens are to the left of the sink.)
“We were struggling to figure out where these things were going to go,” Roos says with a laugh.
To accommodate them, she extended the cabinetry run along the sink, which created a small void behind it, just around the corner.
Over the course of the project, the client added several appliances to her original wish list, including this steam oven and the built-in coffee system above it. (Double wall ovens are to the left of the sink.)
“We were struggling to figure out where these things were going to go,” Roos says with a laugh.
To accommodate them, she extended the cabinetry run along the sink, which created a small void behind it, just around the corner.
Roos’ solution to the void was this handsome little walnut wine niche, which is framed with shiplap and casing to give the impression that it sits behind a doorway. It’s just inside the sliding glass doors leading to the new deck.
The niche is paneled in walnut on the sides and top and backed by a mirror; glassware is in the glass-fronted cabinets above, and the drawers below hold barware and wine bottles.
The niche is paneled in walnut on the sides and top and backed by a mirror; glassware is in the glass-fronted cabinets above, and the drawers below hold barware and wine bottles.
Before: The wall opposite where the coffee system and steam oven now sit used space inefficiently and was made more awkward by a corner pantry.
After: Now the corner pantry is gone and the wall accommodates a huge freezer column on the left, a refrigerator column on the right and a beverage fridge between them.
On the far left of the photo, you can see a wet bar outfitted with a sink and ice maker. Another pantry is just outside the kitchen entryway.
On the far left of the photo, you can see a wet bar outfitted with a sink and ice maker. Another pantry is just outside the kitchen entryway.
But wait — there’s more! The cabinet doors above the beverage refrigerator tuck away, revealing a breakfast station backed with walnut paneling.
This looks like the perfect spot to grab a quick piece of toast before heading to the lake on a summer morning.
This looks like the perfect spot to grab a quick piece of toast before heading to the lake on a summer morning.
Before: The original kitchen had only one door to the family room, and a wall between the hallway and dining room both blocked the view and impeded the flow.
After: Thanks to smart design and a few structural changes, Roos dramatically improved the look and functionality of the space.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
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: An empty-nest couple
Location: Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota
Size: 478 square feet (44 square meters)
Designer: Kate Roos of Kate Roos Design
Builder: Hamann’s Custom Carpentry
Before: “The old kitchen was very dated and ready for the remodel,” Roos says. Abundant wood and a black island countertop contributed to its dark and heavy look.
Scroll to the bottom to compare the before-and-after layouts.
Find a kitchen remodeler