A Kitchen From 1970, Finally Feeling Like Home
When this family first sat down with me, they'd already been living with their kitchen for about seven years – long enough to know exactly what wasn't working. The space was original to the 1970s, full of dark wood tones and heavy textures left over from the previous owners. They loved their home, but this room never quite felt like theirs. My job was to bring it into today, without erasing the character that made the house feel like a home in the first place.
Watch Krista tour this dramatic kitchen renovation!
Starting With Warmth, Not White
White cabinetry would have proved too stark for the warm feel we were looking to achieve. Instead, we built a neutral palette that still felt like a natural evolution. For the perimeter cabinetry, we chose a soft, warm greige that plays beautifully off the textures they were keeping, including their original brick wall and the cork wallpaper in the butler's pantry. For the island, we chose a rich, grey-toned brown wood finish – sophisticated rather than the reddish, dated cherry tones so many of us picture from older kitchens. Together, those two tones are timeless rather than trendy, and they immediately felt like this family's taste rather than a leftover from someone else's.
We paired that palette with Medallion cabinetry, which afforded them every organizational feature on their wish list, while providing the flexibility to adjust dimensions here and there so the finished kitchen reads like a custom fit.
Catching Challenges Before They Start
One of my favorite parts of a remodel like this is what happens before a single cabinet is ordered. Before we finalized anything, our installers came out for a site visit, specifically because we were removing the old soffits and wanted zero surprises once demo started. Sure enough, we found plumbing tucked up in there that would have been costly to relocate. Rather than compromise the design, we solved it in-house: we ordered a shorter cabinet but kept full-height doors, so from the outside the sightline reads exactly as designed while quietly concealing the mechanicals behind it. That kind of foresight and coordination is only possible when your design team, your installers, and your cabinetry line are all working from the same playbook – which is exactly what our own KSI team does best.
That same collaborative approach shaped the floors. This family entertains often, with grandchildren who run wild through the kitchen during family parties, so durability mattered as much as looks. While pulling cabinet door samples, we set them right on top of a warm, oak-toned LVT floor in our showroom, and it stopped us in our tracks – it reads like a chameleon of warm and grey undertones, exactly what the space needed! We sourced the flooring through our Family of Brands partner, Riemer Floors, and our own installation team brought it to life.
Appliances Built Around What They Already Loved
They already owned a Sub-Zero refrigerator they weren't about to give up, so my goal was to make everything around it feel intentional rather than mismatched. Working from its dark finish and metal trim, I pulled dimensions and aesthetic direction into the plan, then brought in one of KSI's appliance specialists, so the homeowners could talk through exactly what they wanted from a cooktop and microwave. They landed on a suite of appliances with built-in air fryer and convection features, along with an induction cooktop. Having an in-house appliance specialist meant they got guidance built around how they actually cook and entertain. Our in-house team also made it easy to spec and special order alternate appliance handles to ensure every new piece looks like it was always meant to live inside their new kitchen and beside their existing refrigerator.
Storage That Matches How They Actually Live
The little details are what make a kitchen work day to day. We tucked in a tray divider, a dedicated cookie sheet drawer, deep drawer storage for pots and pans, an appliance garage with a lift door to keep countertops clear, a spice pull-out within easy reach of the range, and two Lazy Susans for effortless corner storage. Because they soak dishes rather than lean on the dishwasher, we chose a deep, double bowl sink for exactly that. On their original brick wall, we added a bench seat finished to match the island, giving them extra hidden storage for entertaining pieces. And that cork wallpaper in the butler's pantry, which I happen to love, stayed exactly where it was – its warmth now ties beautifully into the cabinetry surrounding it. Dark cabinet hardware, matching hardware on the new appliances, and a black stainless faucet pull every space together into one cohesive story.
Looking at this kitchen now, it's hard to picture it as the dark, dated space it once was. Every choice, from the warm neutral palette down to the smallest pull-out drawer, was made with this family's real life in mind: the parties, the grandkids, the quiet mornings before anyone else is up. Seven years of waiting turned into a kitchen that finally feels like theirs, and that's the part of this job I love most!
Ready to Bring Your Vision to Life?
Whether you're dreaming of a full remodel or just starting to imagine what's possible, we'd love to help you create a kitchen that truly feels like yours. Schedule a free design consultation and let's talk about what your space could become.
Materials Used
- Medallion cabinetry: Chai Latte painted perimeter, Cherry Biscotti island
- COREtec Miles Oak LVT flooring, sourced through Riemer Floors
- Café series wall ovens, microwave, and induction cooktop
- Existing Sub-Zero refrigerator, integrated into the new design
- Double bowl sink and Delta Trinsic faucet in black stainless
- Antique nickel/black cabinet and appliance hardware
