Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: Light Wood Cabinets and a Touch of Drama
A designer transforms an Idaho couple’s 1980s kitchen with new cabinets, black details and modern appliances
This newly engaged couple were excited to start their lives together in a home that had been in the soon-to-be husband’s family for years. But while they were looking ahead to their future, they felt the 1980s kitchen was too stuck in the past.
In particular, they wanted to address the aging honey oak cabinets, hard-to-clean white tile countertops, a mix of black and white appliances and wasted open space. For help, they hired designer Natalia Ferris Samway. She removed the old components and created a fresh style with new light wood cabinets and wood-look vinyl flooring. A new black island and other black details give the space a bit of drama. Updated stainless steel appliances add modern-day function. And marble-look quartz countertops and slab backsplash beautifully tie in many of the elegant colors and finishes.
In particular, they wanted to address the aging honey oak cabinets, hard-to-clean white tile countertops, a mix of black and white appliances and wasted open space. For help, they hired designer Natalia Ferris Samway. She removed the old components and created a fresh style with new light wood cabinets and wood-look vinyl flooring. A new black island and other black details give the space a bit of drama. Updated stainless steel appliances add modern-day function. And marble-look quartz countertops and slab backsplash beautifully tie in many of the elegant colors and finishes.
After: Samway removed the former appliances, cabinets, flooring, countertops, sink and peninsula.
Contemporary light wood laminate cabinets updated the overall style, while a black island and other black details added dramatic contrast. The island also improved workflow and added prep space.
New stainless steel appliances, including a 36-inch gas range and hood, modernize the look and feel.
Wood-look vinyl flooring complements the cabinetry and brings more lightness. “It was a cost-effective way to upgrade the look of the kitchen and the rest of the house,” Samway says.
Marble-look quartz countertops and slab backsplash have dark brown veining on a mostly light gray background, adding a touch of elegance that also pulls in a lot of the tones found throughout the kitchen.
Matte black pendant lights coordinate with the island base color, oversize matte black cabinet pulls and black laminate floating shelves.
Wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
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Contemporary light wood laminate cabinets updated the overall style, while a black island and other black details added dramatic contrast. The island also improved workflow and added prep space.
New stainless steel appliances, including a 36-inch gas range and hood, modernize the look and feel.
Wood-look vinyl flooring complements the cabinetry and brings more lightness. “It was a cost-effective way to upgrade the look of the kitchen and the rest of the house,” Samway says.
Marble-look quartz countertops and slab backsplash have dark brown veining on a mostly light gray background, adding a touch of elegance that also pulls in a lot of the tones found throughout the kitchen.
Matte black pendant lights coordinate with the island base color, oversize matte black cabinet pulls and black laminate floating shelves.
Wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Find a kitchen designer
A 36-inch stainless steel double-basin apron-front sink sits below a window on the right and is paired with a commercial-style pull-down faucet.
Faucet: Purist
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Faucet: Purist
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Samway went with just one upper cabinet on the sink wall to make the kitchen feel more open and spacious.
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A 33-inch-wide standard-depth stainless steel French door refrigerator stands roughly where the old white refrigerator did.
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A large pantry cabinet with adjustable rollout shelves sits to the right of the refrigerator, providing storage for dry goods. “The upper part is added storage for small appliances not used often,” Samway says.
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New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
A bar area with a spacious counter extends to the left of the refrigerator. “It’s a place to prepare cocktails if they’re having a dinner party,” Samway says. “It’s also nice added countertop space.”
A 24-inch flat-panel microwave drawer sits under the counter. “We didn’t want to take up any countertop space,” Samway says. “A drawer microwave was the best solution.”
A lower cabinet and surrounding drawers hold breakfast and entertaining supplies.
Microwave: Sharp
A 24-inch flat-panel microwave drawer sits under the counter. “We didn’t want to take up any countertop space,” Samway says. “A drawer microwave was the best solution.”
A lower cabinet and surrounding drawers hold breakfast and entertaining supplies.
Microwave: Sharp
Samway also took down a wall between the kitchen and family room to improve flow and light between the spaces. “We were able to take a kitchen that was very dated and upgrade it to something that this newly engaged couple can call their own,” she says.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A recently engaged young professional couple
Location: Ketchum, Idaho
Size: 220 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Natalia Ferris Samway of SV Kitchen & Bath
Before: The former kitchen was large, but without a central island it had a lot of wasted floor space. That meant the homeowners had to make long trips between the fridge, sink, oven and cooktop, which sat without ventilation in the two-level peninsula.
Aging honey-toned oak cabinets, white tile countertops and mismatched appliance finishes gave the space a low-energy feel the homeowners wanted to perk up. “It was very eclectic,” Samway says.
A pot rack hung awkwardly alone from the ceiling.