Kitchen Design
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: White-and-Wood Charmer in Texas
A designer and a builder brighten a couple’s kitchen and create fresh style with handcrafted tile and oversize features
While many of this Texas couple’s kitchen appliances were in good shape, the heavy wood cabinets, granite countertops and brick flooring made them feel trapped in darkness. Wanting to escape into a brighter space, they hired designer Tonia Coleman and builder Mariusz Kalinowski.
The remodeling team stripped the kitchen down and created a light and airy look with white Shaker-style cabinets, warm white walls and light quartzite countertops. New red oak flooring and other wood details and honey-bronze cabinet hardware add the right amount of warmth. A zellige tile backsplash gives the room fresh style, while oversize zinc dome pendants and a large range hood punch up the design with Texas-size charm.
The remodeling team stripped the kitchen down and created a light and airy look with white Shaker-style cabinets, warm white walls and light quartzite countertops. New red oak flooring and other wood details and honey-bronze cabinet hardware add the right amount of warmth. A zellige tile backsplash gives the room fresh style, while oversize zinc dome pendants and a large range hood punch up the design with Texas-size charm.
After: Coleman and Kalinowski eliminated the old cabinetry, angled island, backsplash tile, brick flooring and pendant lights. They incorporated the dishwasher, refrigerator and wall ovens into the new design. “With their budget in mind, we kept the refrigerator and other appliances, which allowed us to splurge on other areas of the kitchen,” Coleman says.
Warm white walls and Shaker-style cabinets (painted in Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams) brighten the new space. “Because we repainted the entire downstairs, we didn’t want something that was too sterile, or have that hospital feel,” Coleman says.
Honed Silver Macaubas quartzite countertops with light gray veining on a soft, creamy background add to the lighter palette. “We actually selected that first, and that dictated the rest of the kitchen,” Coleman says. “My client fell in love with that slab, and it was what she envisioned for her kitchen.” The stone coordinates with the varying white and cream tones of the handcrafted backsplash tile.
Red oak flooring, a maple wood band on the range hood, maple wood open shelves and wood seats add warmth that balances the room.
A new rectangular island improves traffic flow. “We first considered doing a contrasting color but decided against it, because the homeowner wanted to keep things light and airy,” Coleman says.
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Warm white walls and Shaker-style cabinets (painted in Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams) brighten the new space. “Because we repainted the entire downstairs, we didn’t want something that was too sterile, or have that hospital feel,” Coleman says.
Honed Silver Macaubas quartzite countertops with light gray veining on a soft, creamy background add to the lighter palette. “We actually selected that first, and that dictated the rest of the kitchen,” Coleman says. “My client fell in love with that slab, and it was what she envisioned for her kitchen.” The stone coordinates with the varying white and cream tones of the handcrafted backsplash tile.
Red oak flooring, a maple wood band on the range hood, maple wood open shelves and wood seats add warmth that balances the room.
A new rectangular island improves traffic flow. “We first considered doing a contrasting color but decided against it, because the homeowner wanted to keep things light and airy,” Coleman says.
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Oversize dome pendants in a weathered zinc finish complement the scale of the room. “I feel like they add the contrast we lost with the island when we painted it white, in a style that represents what we were going for,” Coleman says. “They also have a natural, organic feel, and they’re unique.”
The ceiling has recessed LED lights; the photographer edited them out of these photos.
Pendants: Fett, Tech Lighting
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The ceiling has recessed LED lights; the photographer edited them out of these photos.
Pendants: Fett, Tech Lighting
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A large range hood also better fits the scale of the room. The homeowners upgraded to a 36-inch gas cooktop with sealed brass burners and brass knobs that coordinate with the honey-bronze cabinet hardware.
The handcrafted 4-by-4-inch clay zellige backsplash tiles vary in tone. With their ash-colored grout, they create a color scheme that nods to the stone countertops.
Backsplash: zellige in Snow White, 4 by 4 inches, Riad Tile; cooktop: Rise gas rangetop, 36 inches, JennAir
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The handcrafted 4-by-4-inch clay zellige backsplash tiles vary in tone. With their ash-colored grout, they create a color scheme that nods to the stone countertops.
Backsplash: zellige in Snow White, 4 by 4 inches, Riad Tile; cooktop: Rise gas rangetop, 36 inches, JennAir
See the Latest Kitchen Appliance Trends for 2022
Before: The former cabinets didn’t go all the way to the ceiling, creating a cramped appearance. A black microwave hung above a short countertop that spanned the space between the wall ovens and refrigerator, furthering the crowded feeling. “It wasn’t attractive, and felt very cut up,” Coleman says.
A TV area to the right featured the same heavy cabinetry.
A TV area to the right featured the same heavy cabinetry.
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After: Coleman shifted the refrigerator a couple of feet to the right and eliminated the microwave to create an airy appliance counter with open distressed-maple shelves. “We wanted to open up that space, and this gives her a way to display a few things,” Coleman says of her client. “It’s both functional and practical.”
A stainless steel microwave now sits in the end of the island opposite the cooktop.
Coleman took the cabinetry all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage and highlight the height of the room. She also brought the backsplash tile to the ceiling to add interest and texture.
The TV area now features updated cabinetry that matches the kitchen.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Click here to learn the basics
A stainless steel microwave now sits in the end of the island opposite the cooktop.
Coleman took the cabinetry all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage and highlight the height of the room. She also brought the backsplash tile to the ceiling to add interest and texture.
The TV area now features updated cabinetry that matches the kitchen.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Click here to learn the basics
A pull-down single-handle faucet with a polished chrome finish complements the stainless steel appliances.
Faucet: Crue in polished chrome; sink Whitehaven, both by Kohler
Faucet: Crue in polished chrome; sink Whitehaven, both by Kohler
A tall cabinet over the French door refrigerator features dividers for baking pans. The open doorway seen here leads to a powder room, utility room and guest bedroom.
Four backless stools can be tucked against the back of the island, which has touch-open cabinets that store seasonal items.
The updated design gives the homeowners the bright and welcoming kitchen they had hoped for. “They can now move in and out of the kitchen so easily, and it’s a more fun environment,” Coleman says.
Stools: Williamsen, Studio McGee
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The updated design gives the homeowners the bright and welcoming kitchen they had hoped for. “They can now move in and out of the kitchen so easily, and it’s a more fun environment,” Coleman says.
Stools: Williamsen, Studio McGee
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 three kids — two in college and one at home
Location: Southlake, Texas
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Tonia Coleman of Le Belle Maison Interiors
Builder: Mariusz Kalinowski of Prada Interiors
Before: Brick flooring, heavy brown cabinets and trim, dark gray backsplash tile and darkly mottled granite countertops gave the existing kitchen a dour appearance. It “felt like a dungeon,” Coleman says.
An angled island created tight entry points into the cooking area, while a raised bar counter gave the kitchen an off-limits feel. Small pendants over the island didn’t fit the scale of the space.