Kat Nelson Designs
“After” photos by Lisa Konz Photography
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A busy family that loves to entertain
Location: Cumming, Georgia
Size: 170 square feet (16 square meters); 10 feet by 17 feet
Designer: Kat Nelson
The redesign of this home started in the kitchen. “My clients wanted a wow factor when you walk in the front door and see this kitchen,” says interior designer Kat Nelson. “Their extended families live nearby, and they wanted a fabulous entertaining space,” she says. Wide open to the family room, the new kitchen set the tone for other remodeling and decorating projects in the house.
Before Photo
Problems. The design of the existing kitchen was functional but seemed dark to the family. The narrow cabinets around the vent hood were awkward. And with such an open floor plan, it wasn’t the star the family wished it to be. But the upside was that there was plenty of great quality parts of it that could be reused in the new design.
Keep list. Cabinets, island (including its countertop), most appliances, sink, windows, flooring.
Replace list. Perimeter countertops, island countertop finish, back wall tile, island legs, range, feature lighting, vent hood, cabinet hardware.
Kat Nelson Designs
Solutions. Nelson transformed the space into a stunner that doesn’t look so “kitchen-y,” as it’s seen from the adjacent rooms and front entry. She removed the awkward narrow cabinets and the stainless steel vent hood.
She reused the remaining cabinets and most of the appliances. One exception was a new stainless steel range, which replaced the existing black one. She had the cabinetry painted, reduced the millwork around the windows to make room for feature lighting above them and changed out the legs on the island to reflect the cabinet door style.
This is the view when you walk in through the front entry. The space to the right is a sitting area; to the left is the family room, which Nelson and the homeowners are currently planning to upgrade.
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Kat Nelson Designs
Style. Classic in blues, grays and whites. “The tile is really what set the tone for the kitchen and the family room. We designed all of our fabrics around this tile,” Nelson says. It is a hand-painted terra-cotta tile and the room’s big splurge.
Tile: Fatima Decorative Field in Mezzanotte, Duquesa Collection, Walker-Zanger
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Kat Nelson Designs
Lighting. “We wanted some feature lighting, so we hung shallow chandeliers in the open space overhead and reduced the size of the trim around the kitchen windows so we could add sconces there,” Nelson says. “We wanted to get a little jewelry up there,” she says, referring to the brass and glass sconces.
Materials palette. To forge connections between spaces within an open floor plan, Nelson recommends repeating textures. Here the wood beams over the sitting area and family room tie into the wood countertop on the island. She used the same wall and trim paint colors in both spaces. And she kept the focus on the vent hood and tile wall by choosing a low-profile chandelier, forgoing pendant lights over the island and selecting low-profile counter stools that allow a view clear across the island.
Lighting: Visual Comfort; wall paint: Aesthetic White; trim paint: Pure White, both Sherwin-Williams
See more photos of wood and white kitchens | Browse candle-style chandeliers
Kat Nelson Designs
Cabinets. The company that made the existing cabinets was Keystone Millworks Inc., which Nelson already loved working with. They painted all of the existing the cabinets, provided the new oil-rubbed bronze hardware, added the columns to the island and custom-made the vent hood.
Vent hood. The new wood hood and surround ties in with the cabinet profiles. “It really softens the space,” Nelson says.
Countertops. The countertops are a light-colored quartz, which is durable and practical and complements the tile.
Cabinet paint: Edgecomb Gray, Benjamin Moore; hardware: Keystone Millworks
See why a designer chose white quartz for her kitchen counters
Kat Nelson Designs
Island. The island counter was already wood but needed a sprucing. The pros at Keystone re-stained it and sealed it with a urethane to stand up to water spots. The island also contains the dishwasher, a beverage refrigerator and additional storage.
Sink. Nelson reused the existing sink but replaced the faucets with oil-rubbed bronze, which she loves. “It’s such a classic,” she says.
How to Clean and Care for Your Butcher Block | See oil-rubbed bronze hardware
Kat Nelson Designs
Pantry. The refrigerator, small appliances and a second sink are in the pantry, inside the double doors. While some might complain about the extra steps to this storage area, there is an advantage to this placement: If anything is going to make a kitchen look really “kitchen-y,” it’s a large refrigerator and countertops filled with small appliances. These doors keep those things out of sight.
Takeaways from this project:
- Keep what works.
- Continue colors and textures to create a nice flow between rooms within an open floor plan.
- Symmetry is a smart choice for a wow-ing accent wall.
- If you’re going to make a splurge for your kitchen refresh, a special tile is a good candidate.
More
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