Before and Afters
Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week: Warm, Elegant Style in a New Open Plan
Removing walls helped turn this once-closed-off kitchen into a breezy space with a wood island and improved storage
Fed up with the choppy layout, laminate countertops and worn beige tile flooring in their 1995 kitchen, this couple with two kids reached out to designer Kamila Malewska for help. The family wanted to improve everything — layout, style, storage and entertaining potential.
Malewska got to work relocating a laundry area and removing a small pantry and peninsula to enlarge the kitchen footprint by 123 square feet. That gave her the room she needed for a large central island with seating on two sides, a sink and storage. A light maple island base, lower perimeter cabinets and a range hood detail coordinate with new wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring to complement warm taupey-gray Shaker-style cabinets. Plus, with seating for six at the island, more openness to the family room and a new built-in banquette breakfast area, this updated kitchen is ready for lively gatherings.
Malewska got to work relocating a laundry area and removing a small pantry and peninsula to enlarge the kitchen footprint by 123 square feet. That gave her the room she needed for a large central island with seating on two sides, a sink and storage. A light maple island base, lower perimeter cabinets and a range hood detail coordinate with new wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring to complement warm taupey-gray Shaker-style cabinets. Plus, with seating for six at the island, more openness to the family room and a new built-in banquette breakfast area, this updated kitchen is ready for lively gatherings.
After: Malewska removed all of the former components, including the laundry closet and the peninsula, which allowed her to expand the kitchen along the back wall into what had been a closed-off dining room.
The large new island offers seating on two sides for up to six people. “From a functional point of view, it made sense,” Malewska says. “From a design perspective, the island really had to be oversized to be proportional to the space.”
The new paneled refrigerator stands in about the same location as the former laundry closet. And Malewska used that long back wall to create tons of storage that extends into the new dining area on the left to form a built-in buffet cabinet.
Shaker-style cabinets in a taupey-gray (Anew Gray by Sherwin-Williams) work with the maple island base, lower perimeter cabinets and other wood details to create a warm, elegant style. “I knew gray can be tricky, but this color has warm taupe undertones that make the space feel warmer and not so sterile,” Malewska says. “With the 10-foot ceilings here, white cabinetry could feel too cold.”
The white island countertop, white backsplash tile and white walls, ceiling and trim paint (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) enhance the light. “Pure White in my opinion doesn’t have a yellowy, creamy undertone,” Malewska says, “but it’s also not stark white.”
Counter stools: Vail in boucle and walnut, Denver Modern
Shop for bar stools and counter stools
The large new island offers seating on two sides for up to six people. “From a functional point of view, it made sense,” Malewska says. “From a design perspective, the island really had to be oversized to be proportional to the space.”
The new paneled refrigerator stands in about the same location as the former laundry closet. And Malewska used that long back wall to create tons of storage that extends into the new dining area on the left to form a built-in buffet cabinet.
Shaker-style cabinets in a taupey-gray (Anew Gray by Sherwin-Williams) work with the maple island base, lower perimeter cabinets and other wood details to create a warm, elegant style. “I knew gray can be tricky, but this color has warm taupe undertones that make the space feel warmer and not so sterile,” Malewska says. “With the 10-foot ceilings here, white cabinetry could feel too cold.”
The white island countertop, white backsplash tile and white walls, ceiling and trim paint (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) enhance the light. “Pure White in my opinion doesn’t have a yellowy, creamy undertone,” Malewska says, “but it’s also not stark white.”
Counter stools: Vail in boucle and walnut, Denver Modern
Shop for bar stools and counter stools
The new black stainless steel 36-inch dual-fuel range with champagne bronze knobs has a spacious oven and a durable, scratch-resistant porcelain top with cast-iron grates. “Number one, we wanted a pop of color,” Malewska says. “It delivers a visual punch and brings attention to that back wall. It also looks different, since everyone does the basic stainless steel. The black element is also reflected in other areas of the kitchen.”
That includes flat black pulls on the lower wood cabinets.
A custom prominent range hood features wood trim designed to coordinate with the lower cabinets. “I wanted the hood and range to be accentuated and be the focal point,” Malewska says. “That’s why I recessed the cabinets there and ran the backsplash all the way up.”
The backsplash consists of 2-by-8-inch ceramic white tiles with a pearl-like finish, installed vertically at a 50% offset pattern with pale off-white grout. “The finish on the tile changes color with the light of the day,” Malewska says. “It’s a very organic feature of the kitchen.”
Backsplash: Montauk Gin in white with satin finish, 2 by 8 inches, Tile Bar; range: Autograph Edition in black stainless steel and champagne bronze, ZLINE Kitchen and Bath; lower cabinet hardware: Davenport in flat black, Top Knobs
7 Essential Features of a Well-Designed Kitchen
That includes flat black pulls on the lower wood cabinets.
A custom prominent range hood features wood trim designed to coordinate with the lower cabinets. “I wanted the hood and range to be accentuated and be the focal point,” Malewska says. “That’s why I recessed the cabinets there and ran the backsplash all the way up.”
The backsplash consists of 2-by-8-inch ceramic white tiles with a pearl-like finish, installed vertically at a 50% offset pattern with pale off-white grout. “The finish on the tile changes color with the light of the day,” Malewska says. “It’s a very organic feature of the kitchen.”
Backsplash: Montauk Gin in white with satin finish, 2 by 8 inches, Tile Bar; range: Autograph Edition in black stainless steel and champagne bronze, ZLINE Kitchen and Bath; lower cabinet hardware: Davenport in flat black, Top Knobs
7 Essential Features of a Well-Designed Kitchen
The 42-inch panel-ready built-in French door refrigerator blends into the surrounding cabinetry with a fully flush and integrated design. “We didn’t want the refrigerator to be a visual focal point because we knew it would be a big item,” Malewska says. “It would look heavy. This gives it a more seamless, discreet look.”
Two 24-inch-deep pantry cabinets on either side of the refrigerator include rollout trays for dry goods, small appliances and oversize items.
Drawers below are part of the pantry. “I didn’t want super long doors there,” Malewska says. “Visually it looks better, but it also allows you to organize your storage and have something like a dedicated snack drawer.”
The upper cabinets and fridge cabinetry have honey bronze knobs and pulls.
An added bar and built-in buffet area on the left has a built-in ice maker and beverage fridge that serves both the kitchen and dining room. “This way guests don’t have to go all the way into the kitchen to grab ice or a drink,” Malewska says.
Refrigerator: 42-inch panel-ready built-in French door, JennAir; hardware: Davenport pulls and Marion knobs in honey bronze, Top Knobs
Two 24-inch-deep pantry cabinets on either side of the refrigerator include rollout trays for dry goods, small appliances and oversize items.
Drawers below are part of the pantry. “I didn’t want super long doors there,” Malewska says. “Visually it looks better, but it also allows you to organize your storage and have something like a dedicated snack drawer.”
The upper cabinets and fridge cabinetry have honey bronze knobs and pulls.
An added bar and built-in buffet area on the left has a built-in ice maker and beverage fridge that serves both the kitchen and dining room. “This way guests don’t have to go all the way into the kitchen to grab ice or a drink,” Malewska says.
Refrigerator: 42-inch panel-ready built-in French door, JennAir; hardware: Davenport pulls and Marion knobs in honey bronze, Top Knobs
Before: The former two-level peninsula with sink divided the kitchen from the family room on the left. Variations in flooring highlighted the abrupt transition. A two-sided fireplace wall connected the family room with, and divided it from, a living room on the other side.
A 3-by-4-foot pantry stood across from the laundry area, providing limited storage and closing off the kitchen from the dining room.
“The space was way too small for a family of four who like to entertain,” Malewska says. “The lack of counters meant clutter and visual mess.”
A 3-by-4-foot pantry stood across from the laundry area, providing limited storage and closing off the kitchen from the dining room.
“The space was way too small for a family of four who like to entertain,” Malewska says. “The lack of counters meant clutter and visual mess.”
After: Eliminating the pantry and peninsula opened up the space between the kitchen, dining room and family room. Malewska expanded the living space by removing the fireplace to join the family room and living room into one large open-plan area. (A new fireplace and TV sit opposite the island.)
“The homeowners were blown away by how much space they actually had once the walls and bulky dividers were removed,” Malewska says.
The island includes a 32-inch undermount single-basin stainless steel sink with basin rack, basket strainer and cutting and drain boards. The sink has a pull-down bridge faucet with a rich brushed gold finish. “It helped create the work triangle,” Malewska says. “We also didn’t have room on the perimeter of the kitchen to include the sink. And this way you can also watch TV.”
The interior side of the island features a paneled pullout trash and recycling center, 24-inch stainless steel dishwasher and a storage cabinet.
The island top is marble-look quartz with muted pale gray veining on a white background. The perimeter countertop is concrete-look quartz in a medium gray. “I wanted to make the island stand out a little bit from the rest of the kitchen,” Malewska says. “Also, the concrete-look quartz made sense with the perimeter cabinets and went with other details in the rest of the space.”
Sink and Allyn bridge faucet: Kraus USA
The Pros and Cons of 3 Popular Kitchen Layouts
“The homeowners were blown away by how much space they actually had once the walls and bulky dividers were removed,” Malewska says.
The island includes a 32-inch undermount single-basin stainless steel sink with basin rack, basket strainer and cutting and drain boards. The sink has a pull-down bridge faucet with a rich brushed gold finish. “It helped create the work triangle,” Malewska says. “We also didn’t have room on the perimeter of the kitchen to include the sink. And this way you can also watch TV.”
The interior side of the island features a paneled pullout trash and recycling center, 24-inch stainless steel dishwasher and a storage cabinet.
The island top is marble-look quartz with muted pale gray veining on a white background. The perimeter countertop is concrete-look quartz in a medium gray. “I wanted to make the island stand out a little bit from the rest of the kitchen,” Malewska says. “Also, the concrete-look quartz made sense with the perimeter cabinets and went with other details in the rest of the space.”
Sink and Allyn bridge faucet: Kraus USA
The Pros and Cons of 3 Popular Kitchen Layouts
Modern black-and-gold cage candlestick lantern pendant lights visually fill the space over the island while keeping sightlines open. The kitchen also has new LED ceiling lights and undercabinet light strips on the perimeter.
New 9-inch-wide wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring now extends throughout the kitchen and surrounding spaces for a cohesive look and feel.
Glass sliding doors off the family room lead to a covered porch and the backyard with pool.
Flooring: Riverside collection in Buttercup, LW Flooring
Shop for kitchen lighting
New 9-inch-wide wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring now extends throughout the kitchen and surrounding spaces for a cohesive look and feel.
Glass sliding doors off the family room lead to a covered porch and the backyard with pool.
Flooring: Riverside collection in Buttercup, LW Flooring
Shop for kitchen lighting
Before: In the former kitchen, a dark, hefty wood table sat out in the open and didn’t take advantage of the space in the bay window.
After: Malewska replaced the old table with a built-in cushioned banquette that takes full advantage of the bay window. A round pedestal table is easy to maneuver around and doesn’t take up too much floor space. “It also creates a nice spot for morning coffee, or somewhere for guests to sit while the homeowners are preparing meals,” Malewska says.
Table: Dania, Nuevo; pendant light: Cecilia 8-light in rope and patinaed brass, Capital Lighting Fixture
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Table: Dania, Nuevo; pendant light: Cecilia 8-light in rope and patinaed brass, Capital Lighting Fixture
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
And speaking of coffee, a coffee station sits in a cabinet off the breakfast area. It includes a microwave, coffee maker and toaster. “Being able to close the doors and hide the extra appliances helps them avoid having visual clutter,” Malewska says.
Long drawers underneath the coffee station hold breakfast and coffee supplies. “They also have their coffee mugs and tumblers in there,” Malewska says.
Move Over, 3-Zone Kitchen. Meet the 5-Zone Kitchen
Long drawers underneath the coffee station hold breakfast and coffee supplies. “They also have their coffee mugs and tumblers in there,” Malewska says.
Move Over, 3-Zone Kitchen. Meet the 5-Zone Kitchen
Before: Here’s a look at the former layout of the kitchen (bottom left), dining room (bottom right), living room (top right) and family room (top left).
Notice how the peninsula (center) and pantry essentially shut the kitchen off from surrounding rooms. And the laundry area (bottom center) took up valuable floor space. Meanwhile, a two-sided fireplace (top center) divided the family room and living room.
Notice how the peninsula (center) and pantry essentially shut the kitchen off from surrounding rooms. And the laundry area (bottom center) took up valuable floor space. Meanwhile, a two-sided fireplace (top center) divided the family room and living room.
After: The updated floor plan shows how removing the peninsula, pantry and laundry area freed up space for a large central island and better connection with other rooms. And removing the fireplace wall created an airy, open plan. “Removing all the walls and creating one big, open concept allowed the whole space to be connected,” Malewska says. “It creates a much better environment for entertaining family and friends.”
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: A couple with two kids and two dogs
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Size: 315 square feet (29 square meters)
Designer: Kamila Malewska of Level Up Design
Before: The former kitchen wasn’t terrible, but after nearly 30 years of use, its look and feel had run its course. Laminate countertops, beige tile flooring and basic white cabinets all had to go. Plus, a peninsula in the foreground cut the space off from the family room and left wide-open floor space the couple had to cross with ingredients and pots and pans as they traversed between the fridge, sink and range.
“The kitchen was outdated and not functional,” Malewska says. “It was a small, closed-in space and not proportional to the size of the house. The final straw was when a couple of the cabinets lost structural integrity and started tilting.”
Also, a laundry area sat smack dab in the kitchen behind the folding double doors on the left.
Find kitchen remodelers near you