Adding a Little Character

This completed project is a lovely home just outside of Dallas that was just needing a little TLC. The home was built almost 15 years ago and the finishes and color palette reflected that.  Our main goals for this kitchen were to brighten and update the space. 

In the 'before' image below you can see the space was dark and dated with it's terra cotta faux finished walls (which at the time this home was built was all the rage).  There were some generic 12x12 beige tiles on the floor and the windows had never been properly treated, except for the basic 'builder' blinds.  Please excuse the orange blob in the middle of the kitchen...I photoshopped the homeowner out of a borrowed photo :-)

 Update and brighten we did!

You'll notice that we salvaged the beautiful granite, which happened to work well with our new color palette and in turn helped our budget out.  We replaced the non-descript tiles with gorgeous new tiles laid in a brick pattern from Walker Zanger.

We freshened up the paint which, in my opinion, does more for the space than anything else!  If we had only repainted the room it still would have been a dramatic change!  I added one of my favorite lanterns in place of the 'builder lighting package' light that previously hung over the table.  Lighting has a ton of impact on interiors...so don't cheap-out on your lighting!!!

I treated the window with a new motorized roller shade that looks like woven wood.  The motorization allows the client to just flip a switch on the side of that cabinet, instead of climbing all over the banquette in order to open and close the blinds.  Wonderful little conveniences!

There is a lighted bar inside of that stunning cabinet...so fun!

In this before/mid-progress photo you can see how dark the paint made the space.  You can also see how the height of the ceiling gets lost in the darkness without anything to draw your eye up.
The drapery panels and new light fixtures treat that open space with visual interest.

Another budget friendly tactic that we implemented was utilizing the original cabinetry. I kept the base cabinetry but had new doors made.  We made the doors a little smaller than the original full overlay doors, so that they would fit inside of the existing opening.  This gives the appearance of a custom, flush, inset door without the pricetag of completely remaking all of the cabinetry.
In the 'before' image below you can see what the original cabinetry looked like.  It was a dated honey red oak and the upper cabinets were too short in the scale of the space.

I had a row of cabinets made that were built right on top of the old cabinetry.  This accomplished two things.  It added more storage while aesthetically treating the awkward emptiness above the previous cabinets. 
Do you spy the new, fun glass tile backsplash from Walker Zanger?  And the shiny new stainless appliances?

The new industrial pendants.

The comfortable new nook with some simple succulents on the table.

The details...

The new space is fresh, bright and updated and we couldn't be happier! 

A special thank you to the Nichols family for trusting me with the design of your home :-)  You are lovely and sweet and I've been so blessed to have the opportunity to work with you for so many years!
Things are going well on the homefront :-) My sweet baby is already pulling up and has recently started cruising around some furniture.  This seems too soon to me!  She is only 7 1/2 months old!  Ahh, where is the time going?!?!  My husband bought a birdfeeder for our back patio so that Alice could watch the birds.  All three of us sat out there the other evening with the ipad and looked up the birds that flew in to eat.  It was nerdy and actually really fun :-)  Alice points at the birds which I think is just precious!  We love her so!
I hope that you are having a great week!
*due to client contracts, I am unable to share sources*