A beautiful and functional kitchen can make life a lot easier and more enjoyable — as our long-time Arlington clients can attest. The empty-nest couple recently asked us to orchestrate a major kitchen transformation. In previous posts, I covered the design phase and renovation process. Now I’m thrilled to reveal their new space and give you a virtual tour.
Kitchen Makeover Reveal
We completely reimagined our clients’ kitchen, improving function and flow while instilling fresh, transitional style. This is the glorious outcome:
To refresh your memory, here is the kitchen/dining area before the major renovation and redesign:
As you can see, this dramatic kitchen transformation went far beyond a cosmetic facelift. We developed a plan that better fits our clients’ lifestyle and worked closely with Old Dominion Building Group to execute it. Before, the peninsula cut off circulation between the kitchen and dining area. We removed that dividing element and replaced it with a large island, which we positioned lengthwise in the space, so that it straddles the previous two zones. Now there is one open space for cooking, eating and entertaining.
The L-shaped island seats six, which was important to the couple with grown kids who often return to the nest. We chose comfy Hickory Chair counter stools and covered them in a textural, tone-on-tone weave. The sizable island is also perfect as a serving station when hosting bigger groups.
Since the renovated space now does double-duty as the home’s only dining area, it needed to have plenty of pizazz. Custom-colored, glass pendant lights from Tracy Glover Studio certainly fit the bill. An accent wall painted a marine blue adds another dose of color.
Drilling Down on Designer Details
The new transitional-style kitchen boasts Decora cabinets. We selected a warm gray paint finish for the periphery and a dark wood stain for the island. Mixing the two tones lends interest and depth. A marble-like quartz with soft veining was our choice for the countertops. It’s both elegant and durable.
The real star of the space, however, is the glass mosaic backsplash from Lunada Bay Tile. It blends earthy neutrals with touches of blue, along with the right amount of sparkle. And the subtle mix of different sized tiles enhances the look.
I love how the glass pendant picks up on the tile’s watery hues. Above, you can also see the light rail we added to the upper cabinets to completely conceal the under-cabinet lighting strips.
Brass accents introduce more shine to this kitchen transformation. The faucet is from Kohler, and the cabinet pulls are Emtek.
Chef-Worthy Appliances
Since we spend so much time in our kitchens, I’m a big believer that the details matter. And that was especially true in this combined kitchen and dining area. But the appliances, of course, are important too. Our clients like to cook, so top-quality appliances ranked high on their wish list. The range, speed oven, refrigerator and dishwasher are Thermador; the hood is from Zephyr.
Stainless steel is a timeless, chef-approved choice for appliances and works in almost every scenario.
We love to mix metals in our kitchen designs. Here, the brass cabinet hardware contrasts nicely with all the stainless steel. It’s more interesting when everything is not one note.
Step Inside this Kitchen/Dining Space
It’s always exciting when we can reveal a newly completed project — and even more exciting when we can give you a virtual tour. Click below and follow along as we walk you through this new kitchen and dining space.
Dreamy Kitchen Transformation
This new kitchen boasts a more functional plan that allows the kitchen and dining area to flow seamlessly. It also showcases our carefully curated selections and designer details. Replacement windows and a new sliding door that opens to the just-added porch were key to enhancing the space’s livability.
Our clients love their transitional-style design. If your kitchen is less than ideal, please reach out. We’d be happy to discuss a refresh.
Kitchen Renovation: Behind-the-Scenes Scoop
