Given that Danielle and Peter met while studying in Europe, got engaged in Iceland, and will be married in Italy this fall, they wanted to make a home that suited their vibrant life together. R:U designer Kiera Kushlan explains that "the concept for Danielle and Peter's kitchen came from our initial visit to their condo. We were immediately inspired by several of their favorite pieces. First, they had purchased a beautiful yellow Moorish style rug for the living room and both agreed it was a piece they loved the most in their apartment. While we were chatting about some of their traveling adventures, we came across an amazing picture of Danielle in front of a beautifully bold blue door in Tunisia. Those two elements really became the entire design inspiration for the renovation!"
From there, they sourced inexpensive Morocco-inspired tile— featured last week in our Morocco roundup— and splurged on custom Moroccan pendant lights for over the bar. They contrasted the blue tile with bright yellow accents, like the DIY high gloss yellow barstools and framed chalkboard paint door. Aside from reworking the cabinetry and updating the appliances, other major game changers included replacing the dated vinyl tile with hardwoods that run throughout the rest of the condo for a seamless transition, and choosing oil-rubbed bronze hardware for the cabinetry.
To learn more about Residents: Understood, check out their website.
(Images: Kate Haus Photography)
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The 'before' was not so bad--just a lot of shiny white.
Love the rich color and shape of the new indigo tiles and the beauty of the pendants. Genius to leave the upper border of the tiles 'ragged' so the shapes make even more of a statement.
Wondering how practical open shelving is for everyday dishes (all dinner plates stored on an overhead shelf?)
Deep blue sky + sunshine = a great palette.
Combining that yellow and blue is risky because of, ya know, that store...
The after kitchen is cute and warm. I'm not getting "global", though. The before kitchen is actually more European in feel.
What fabulous tiles. Tiles and color are spot on.
The shelves cheapen the look though.
It seems to me a waste to redo a perfectly fine kitchen. Their right to waste of course, but waste nonetheless. Especially discarding the stainless countertops --- why? It's not like the white counters are such a bold statement. I do love the blue tile, it's beautiful.
What did you do with those steel cabinets? I want them and promise to care for them.
Nice!
Exactly what Griffin said.
I can't understand why they have done that.
BEAUTIFUL. Love the palette
Why didn't you travel the backsplash all the way up the wall? It's looks unfinished :(
@MSHANNAHNV, I love the scalloped edge of the tile.
My problem with the "after" isn't that they did it (I mean, I'm in the middle of completely gutting my "perfectly fine" kitchen because I hate it); it's that they didn't compensate for the storage they removed. It's a very nice kitchen, but not nearly as functional as it used to be. My rule is that a kitchen must be functional, and must be efficient. If you're removing a whole wall of cabinets, you need to replace that storage.
I don't mind the scalloped edge. Just the fact that there's only a foot left, I would have loved to see them go all the way with it.
Hi everyone and thanks for the thoughts on our new kitchen :)
Unfortunately, we don't have many "before" photos, so it's hard to tell what the kitchen looked like before the remodel. The stainless steel countertop shown in the photos was the only counter space in the entire kitchen. It was dented and stained, and there was no way to replace the broken cook top with a range without destroying it. The cabinets were the original stainless cabinets from 1960 that had been painted several times from their original salmon pink. The opposite wall of the kitchen (which is now open and turned into a bar) had our refrigerator and 2 Ikea kitchen carts holding our microwave and various small appliances. It was dark, cramped, and closed off, and the first thing
we did when we moved in was take down the door that closed the kitchen completely.
Our primary goal was to have our kitchen opened to the living room to entertain and to update it for practical everyday use, and both of these goals were met (and surpassed!) beautifully. We had enough contractor issues along the way to fill an entire blog of our own, but working with R:U saved the day on more than one occasion!
@MCRoss- I was slightly skeptical at first about having dishes just sitting out on a shelf, but it really makes sense now that we're using the kitchen. The shelves are home to the dishes we use daily, and they're right above the dishwasher, so it makes grabbing a plate or emptying the dishwasher a dream!
@Griffin - Don't you realize by your own definition ever single renovation or redecoration then is a "waste?" Because there will always be subjective views on what is acceptable, lovely or cool "just the way it is."
To suggest that doing anything with your own space is a waste is kind of and odd viewpoint for someone on a design blog.
This must be the Towers Complex because the before pics look just like my kitchen. In response to those who question the need for a redo, I can only say that these are very tiny kitchens that are short on counter space and big on cabinet storage. I wish I had the guts to redo my kitchen but I love the cabinets and the one-piece sink. My food prep space is miniscule but it is a PITA I am willing to live with. Now, about the redo, I am so over open shelving, especially in a condo. It devalues the rental and resale value of the unit. Love the blue tiles but the color is overwhelming and not tiling all the way to the ceiling makes the job look undone.
The after is so gorgeous. love that BLUE tile. wow. I also love the apron that reminds me of a bluejay.
i am half on-board with this reno. i would've left the lower cabinets and hardware as is, added the blue tile to the wall, and used open shelving up top, but NOT THOSE SHELVES. that's some low-rent ikea towel rack stuff. i would've gone with wooden floating shelves (yes, also available at ikea, but much nicer to look at, and would've stood out on the blue wall). and please, people, stop staggering your shelving. it looks accidental.
I am down with the tiles, stunning color and design, but I would have loved that sink in the before and I have never been a fan of open shelving. As long as the owners are happy, good for them. Enjoy the many dinners!
Danielle and Peter's comment sheds valuable light - I too, had felt like the Before was not only fine but quite nice. But apparently the photos are too complimentary, and those cabinets and countertop were indeed ready to go, not to mention how the other side of the kitchen had structural remodeling done.
I magnified the photo with the top edge of the tile. It looks better up close and in fact, really brings out that nice design element reminiscent of Islamic art, that curve. And YUM, that shade of yellow against the clear gorgeous blue, what can I say.
The pendants are to die for! Was there a source listed?
Would also love to see your LR Moroccan style rug!
I agree that the shelves are not ideal. I would have gone with anything but the steel bars. Those pretty yellow mugs look precariously placed for staging.
A solution if the owners really like the bars is to put a piece of plexi glass along the top (at least for where the smaller dishes like cups and mugs are).
As you can tell from the homeowners comments, the design team completed this design to their specifications and are extremely happy with the result. I find the color combination beautiful and understand the need for an open kitchen for entertaining. From the before pictures it looked like a poorly lit kitchen which is not inviting for cooking or entertaining which means the previous space was not functional for the owners. I am certainly jealous of this beautiful space!
It's absolutely gorgeous. I looove Moroccan style.
Great transformation from dark, dated and cramped galley kitchen closed off from the rest of the unit to a vibrant, lively and unique space! (the kitchen looked good before, really??) I love the symmetry of the open shelves on either side of the sink, not to mention the open shelving in general as it really allows the room to feel even more bright and open. In my opinion, more closed off cabinets on the wall with the beautiful blue tile would have just made the space feel cramped all over again. What a great design and I am sure the owners are loving every minute of their beautiful new kitchen.
The beautiful part about renovating your home is that it is YOUR HOME. This kitchen has gone from an all white "ok" kitchen to an amazing kitchen that the owners love judging by their comment. They chose everything based on their taste and I think it shows. It comes across as unique space and doesn't look like every other renovation I've seen recently. I commend the owerns and designers for branching out of the typical kitchen mold!
LOVE the blue tile, especially with the scalloped edge. Absolutely adds character and interest to the space. Also love the cabinet hardware.
And as someone with open shelving for our daily use dishware and mugs... That type of layout is pricelessly convenient and sweet. Of course, you can only get away with this kind of thing if you have pretty dishware that matches your space, which they accomplish here. Ours happen to be brightly color-coordinated Fiesta ware, which make me happy every time I look at them.
Oh, I just noticed what Ikea shelves were being used on the tile. While I have the same metal shelf and love it for my pots on top and pans hanging, I also wouldn't personally use it for smaller or more delicate ceramics like dishes. It's a sturdy shelf but the bars make for a pretty slippery and uneven surface. I'd go with white wooden shelves (or unfinished wood) to match the rest of the space and have an even surface. FWIW. :)
Good job and nice use of color. I prefer a stark white kitchen (and bath) and would have had it all done in white. I know everyone at AT hates white kitchens.
Nice job!
As a general "Before and After" rule, it's nice to take a post-reno shot from the same perspective as the Before shot.
I don't understand the love for those sinks.
How is that more functional than the 'before' sink, which has a drainage area that washes straight into it? SO much more practical - e,g measuring out ingredients, do it on the drainage area and wipe any spillage straight into the sink.
Those vessel sinks are bulky and they break up the line of the counter at the front. I predict they'll be the first things ripped out in the next round of renos.
Lovely splashback, though.
Eep, sorry - that particular sink does *not* break up the line of the counter. I was thinking of the one over on a Kitchn post today.
But the 'edge of the sink not sitting flush' comment still stands.
I love the backsplash, I love the lamps, I love the yellow.
Very nice.
Oh. Cobalt blue. And those lamps....
So nice to FINALLY see people who aren't doing what everyone else is doing! LOVE it all!
Wow! The renovated kitchen looks superb, especially, the blue tiles! How much did it cost to renovate your kitchen?