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Kitchen Tour: A Stylish White Kitchen With Masses of Storage
Small layout and colour changes made a huge difference in this family kitchen
At first glance, there wasn’t anything really wrong with Michael and Megan Beaver’s kitchen. Maybe the light blue walls, beige ornamental cabinets and basic granite worktops looked a little out of date, but everything functioned fine, right? Not so much. “You would walk by that ornamental cabinetry, bump it, and a piece would fall off,” Megan says. Plus, the hob had broken burners. And the drawers didn’t close properly, the doors squeaked and the cabinets weren’t roomy enough for everything the couple had. “The space was just tired,” she says.
The couple wanted a more functional kitchen with a brighter feel that combined Megan’s love for modern-day design and Michael’s preference for traditional elements. They searched Houzz for designers and found Jena Bula of Delphinium Design. Jena removed the worn cabinets and tired finishes and fitted bespoke white cabinets that create a bright look and maximise every available inch.
The couple wanted a more functional kitchen with a brighter feel that combined Megan’s love for modern-day design and Michael’s preference for traditional elements. They searched Houzz for designers and found Jena Bula of Delphinium Design. Jena removed the worn cabinets and tired finishes and fitted bespoke white cabinets that create a bright look and maximise every available inch.
Jena removed all the cabinets and finishes, but kept the layout roughly the same. She placed the new fridge a little further to the left to free up space for a hardworking pantry wall where a wall oven and microwave once were. A pullout in the pantry now holds the microwave, and a new range cooker combines the oven and hob.
Bespoke, soft white, Shaker-style cabinets join greige walls (Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore), greige porcelain splashback tiles and a soft white ceiling (Simply White by Benjamin Moore) to create a bright and airy space. “We wanted something that felt welcoming and warm,” Jena says. (The recessed ceiling lights were removed from these photos by the photographer.)
The dark quartzite worktops and matt black hardware and other black finishes, as well as a darker stain on the refinished wood floor, add a touch of contrast.
Bespoke, soft white, Shaker-style cabinets join greige walls (Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore), greige porcelain splashback tiles and a soft white ceiling (Simply White by Benjamin Moore) to create a bright and airy space. “We wanted something that felt welcoming and warm,” Jena says. (The recessed ceiling lights were removed from these photos by the photographer.)
The dark quartzite worktops and matt black hardware and other black finishes, as well as a darker stain on the refinished wood floor, add a touch of contrast.
Nine-inch crown moulding softens the look of the cabinets, fits the traditional style of the house and gives the kitchen an elegant, finished look.
What look like panels on the back of the island are actually push-to-open cabinets that store seasonal items. Matt black island pendant lights coordinate with the other black details.
A new single stainless-steel sink features a pull-down tap with touch technology. “I love a single basin,” Megan says. “I can throw a big pan or cookie sheet in there to clean and it all fits.”
A bespoke white linen Roman blind with a taupe trim replaced the valance. A panelled Miele dishwasher sits to the right of the sink, with a panelled bin and recycling pullout on the left. A paper towel holder above it can pull out to reveal drawer storage for rolls of clingfilm, foil and baking paper.
What look like panels on the back of the island are actually push-to-open cabinets that store seasonal items. Matt black island pendant lights coordinate with the other black details.
A new single stainless-steel sink features a pull-down tap with touch technology. “I love a single basin,” Megan says. “I can throw a big pan or cookie sheet in there to clean and it all fits.”
A bespoke white linen Roman blind with a taupe trim replaced the valance. A panelled Miele dishwasher sits to the right of the sink, with a panelled bin and recycling pullout on the left. A paper towel holder above it can pull out to reveal drawer storage for rolls of clingfilm, foil and baking paper.
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A 1200mm pro-style stainless-steel gas range cooker with six burners has a coordinating stainless-steel hood and splashback. “There are no grout lines, which gives [the couple] easy clean-up,” Jena says.
An adjustable warming shelf attaches to the splashback. “We warm up loaves of bread for dinner there,” Megan says.
Pullout cupboards that flank the range hold spices and utensils. Glass-fronted cabinets lighten things up in the corner and give a peek at the family’s favourite glassware. The worktop cabinet hides a coffee station.
An adjustable warming shelf attaches to the splashback. “We warm up loaves of bread for dinner there,” Megan says.
Pullout cupboards that flank the range hold spices and utensils. Glass-fronted cabinets lighten things up in the corner and give a peek at the family’s favourite glassware. The worktop cabinet hides a coffee station.
The accent splashback consists of 12cm x 20cm porcelain tiles. “The tiles have a greige colour that’s slightly darker than the walls,” Jena says. “These tiles have a handmade look, and because the countertop is so distinctive, I wanted something that would let it shine, but also have some personality.”
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This look at the previous kitchen shows how the fridge, microwave and oven were squeezed together on one wall. “With the double ovens there, there wasn’t much room for storage,” Jena says.
The top drawers on the island didn’t close properly and the two deep island cabinets offered limited access. “You had to sometimes crawl in there to get items at the back,” Megan says.
The top drawers on the island didn’t close properly and the two deep island cabinets offered limited access. “You had to sometimes crawl in there to get items at the back,” Megan says.
Jena removed the wall oven and moved the microwave. The new pantry wall she now had room for includes a cabinet with a dry-erase board for the family’s schedule, slots for homework and a charging station.
“I needed a place for things, but I didn’t need a desk,” Megan says. “I saw something like this on Houzz and thought that’s exactly what I need. It allows us to stick all our stuff away, everything we need to run our family.”
The upgraded island includes three soft-close drawers with pegs for storing dishes and glassware, plus a large cabinet with three pullouts for pots, pans and lids. Open shelves on the end offer display space.
Glass-fronted doors at the main entrance to the home bring natural light into the kitchen through the opening at the left.
“I needed a place for things, but I didn’t need a desk,” Megan says. “I saw something like this on Houzz and thought that’s exactly what I need. It allows us to stick all our stuff away, everything we need to run our family.”
The upgraded island includes three soft-close drawers with pegs for storing dishes and glassware, plus a large cabinet with three pullouts for pots, pans and lids. Open shelves on the end offer display space.
Glass-fronted doors at the main entrance to the home bring natural light into the kitchen through the opening at the left.
This view of the kitchen from the living room shows an adjoining dining area and a new dresser that forms a bar area and gives the family an easy way to entertain outside of the main kitchen work zone.
Jena designed the dresser and had it painted a custom black. “They were really open to doing an accent in black, and that gives it more personality,” Jena says. “It’s cohesive in the space, but also has its own moment.”
The dresser bar features brushed gold hardware and cabinets with pullouts for storing bottles, including Michael’s bourbon collection.
Now the homeowners have the more functional kitchen they wanted, with a style that reflects their love for both modern and traditional design. “Michael and I genuinely love having people over to the house,” Megan says. “By making the kitchen much more useful and adding that bar, we can have everyone over and they can enjoy themselves.”
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this kitchen makeover? Let us know in the Comments.
Now the homeowners have the more functional kitchen they wanted, with a style that reflects their love for both modern and traditional design. “Michael and I genuinely love having people over to the house,” Megan says. “By making the kitchen much more useful and adding that bar, we can have everyone over and they can enjoy themselves.”
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this kitchen makeover? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here? Michael and Megan Beaver and their two kids
Location Ballantyne, North Carolina, USA
Kitchen dimensions 17 sq m
Designer Jena Bula of Delphinium Design
Builder Ekren Construction
‘After’ photos by Tiffany Ringwald Photography
The couple felt the beige cabinetry, seen here, had to go. “I would be working in the kitchen in a big, cosy sweater, and it would get snagged,” Megan says. Plus, a decorative valance over the window blocked light. “I don’t like unnecessary pieces and didn’t want that there,” she says. “We have this great big window, so let’s enjoy it.”
In fact, none of the finishes passed muster and the couple didn’t feel the space was living up to its full potential. “There was a lot of wasted space and it was not conducive to how they live,” Jena says.