Earthy Modern Kansas Kitchen - The Plan
When my clients first contacted me about updating their kitchen, requesting that I include their Grandmother’s old recipes in the design, my heart...it did flutter. YES! I do…I mean…I will.
Okay, so I was sold on this sweet couple even more when I learned they wanted to do most of the labor themselves. I am not one to shy away from a DIY so I knew we were a great fit.
Now to the design. This kitchen had just been updated prior to my clients moving in. Wha-wha. The finishes were not their style and were mismatched , with so much movement in all the textures; your eye didn’t know where to settle in this room. Backsplash tile that belongs in a shower…a soffit that made the ceiling appear lower…a floor with massive tiled that were mimicking both wood and stone at the same time…
I love this challenge.
Before
What this kitchen DOES have going for it, is a functional, L-shaped layout, new appliances and timeless, shaker door cabinets. It really has great bones and so much potential.
Along with addressing the obvious concerns, their list of requests for the finished design included:
Modern, updated lighting
Wine storage
A way to display cherished family recipes
A spot for plants
A space that reflects both of their preferences; one clean and modern, the other homey, storied and gathered.
So, the goal for this room is really about editing, and replacing some of the overwhelming texture with polished, cleaner finishes. When deciding which of the existing finishes would stay, I surprised the home-owners by suggesting we design around the granite formica. Say whaaaaa?? I know. Call me crazy but I believe this one can totally feel transformed in the right context. The countertop has a nice, clean edge to it, with no weird backsplash attached, and it coordinates with the sink and appliances so well. But how to #makegranitecoolagain, you ask?
Well, here’s the plan…
From cringe to swoon. If there is a single solitary problem that the right shade of green doesn’t fix, I don’t know what that is. I selected a tranquil shade of medium-toned green with a blue undertone to both compliment AND contrast the granite. A DIY faux slate, glossy white tile with paint to match, black hardware and BOOM. The result is an earthy-modern Frank Loyd Wright-esque kitchen, fitting of a young, fun family. And because they plan to rent out their home in 3 years, I know this is a design that will appeal to a wide group of people, and will be easy to maintain.
I am SO excited to see this one come together and even more thrilled to get to design for such nice people.