When Kyle moved into her San Francisco home two years ago, she knew that remodeling her kitchen was a priority. She loves to host dinner parties and the layout of her kitchen was not conducive to entertaining. Opening the room to create a welcoming space for friends to eat, drink and interact was a must.
Kyle turned to pinterest for design inspiration. Ready to ditch the yellow and blue color combo of her old space, she fell in love with the fresh, clean aesthetic found in shades of whites.
In order to create a more open space Kyle decided to demo the walls that divided the kitchen and dining room. She worked with a structural engineer to develop the plans and was able to transform her corner kitchen into a large space, great for entertaining.
Kyle's dad, a jack of all trades, was her right hand man throughout the process, serving as her construction team and innovator.
One of the biggest challenges my dad faced during this project was how uneven the ceiling was between the kitchen and the dining room once we removed the dining room wall. He tried a few things to even it out, but wasn't having a ton of luck (you can only raise the roof so much.) His creative solution was to put a faux beam up where the wall used to be in order to distract you from noticing this discrepancy. Even though this was never planned for, it has become one of my favorite architectural details.
To attain the white on white aesthetic, Kyle initially thought she wanted Carrara marble. When it was delivered she realized it was too gray and not the counter she had in mind. She sifted through hundreds of slab options in search of a replacement and finally settled on Calacatta marble. Calacatta is a whiter version of Carrara with a bolder striation pattern.
Marble requires a bit more maintenance than other counter materials, because it is more porous and prone to scratching. As a result, it needs to be resealed twice a year. Despite these upkeep requirements, Kyle is in love with the finished product. And so are we!
RESOURCES OF NOTE:
• Paint: Valspar "Cream in My Coffee", Lowes
• Cabinets: Home Depot
• Cabinet Pulls: Floorcraft Kitchen & Bath Appliance Center
• Range: Viking
• Refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel
• Dishwasher: Bosch
• Sink: Shaws Original Farmhouse
• Faucet: Floorcraft Kitchen & Bath Appliance Center
• Wine Fridge: Home Depot (Vinotemp)
• Floors and Tile: Home Depot
• Countertops: GGI Granite, San Francisco
• Pendant Light Fixtures: Peer Light, San Francisco
• Pantry Doors: Designed by Kyle and custom made with love by her dad
• Bar stools: Ballard Design
(Images: Kyle Ewing)
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My old kitchen looked similar to that one. Tiny, closed off, and dark, despite having a window. I can't imagine being cooped up in a kitchen. I cook a lot, and it was very lonely to be cut off from other people in the living room and to be in a kitchen so small (partly because it was enclosed) that additional people couldn't have fit in there to sit and talk.
Absolutely beautiful.
Gorgeous!!! We’re planning our kitchen remodel, and I love white-on-white… We put a marble hexagon floor in our master bath, and it’s fine… but I’m not sure if I’m up for extra maintenance in the kitchen. Trying to talk myself into choosing practicality over appearance.
I especially envy the beautiful new floors. I have possibly the exact same shiny indigo tile in my bathroom, and it's impossible to keep it looking clean.
LOVE the wall removal to open the space. Absolutely fantastic redo.
It's light and beautiful! Does anyone else want to flip that island around so that the wine fridge is on the other side?
@AmandaN - nope, I think the wine fridge works there because it's easy access from the dinner table. And if you flipped it, then you would have the bar chairs facing away from the dining table. I prefer when seating in a small place looks towards each other, easier to converse/entertain.
Love the white on white!
Bold & Beautiful. White on white for the kitchen. I wouldn't hesitate for the bathroom, but not sure I could keep it up in the kitchen. I'm way too much of a cook for that. Even the neatest person would have to contend with stubborn stains like wine, tomato sauce, etc. I couldn't handle that in a white kitchen!
I was going to paint my cabinets white when I remodeled my kitchen. Then I got hooked on AT and now I want anything but. Seriously this is gorgeous but it looks like every other kitchen on AT. Except for the little bench which is lovely.
Eh, who cares what shows up on AT all the time? Do whatever you like. AT hardly represents everyone's taste.
That cobalt blue floor in the dining area is lovely! And taking out the wall and opening everything up was genius...
Oops! The cobalt floor was already there -- well, you were smart to keep some of it!
Best kitchen remodel in ages!
The colors and elements may look similar to many other kitchens--it's the function and flow that makes this my favorite.
That is beautiful!
I love it! So bright and open! I am a huge fan of white kitchens.
Love this! I've always been a fan of white kitchens and this one looks so bright and open. Really like the barn doors in the last pic! Great job :)
Beautiful. Clean, bright, and B E A U T I F U L !! I do wish we were told about the large barn door in the last image. I believe it may replace the two doors and catch-all table in the image above it? If so, amazing way to clean up the space! Is it now one large closet?
I love that blue tile, too bad you couldn't keep it.
I like it for photos, but does it work in real life? What happens if someone (meaning me because I am a clutz) spills some red wine?
Are you referring to the white counters? I'm an occasional klutz as well, and I don't have any problems with my wood floors or white cabinets. I have black counters because I preferred them, but because of them it's hard not to notice all the flour I've spilled most weekends :)
Spectacular job of reconfiguring. I especially like the barn/pantry doors your Dad made!
However...
I loved those tile floors! I cant bear another "gleaming expanse of hardwood' but the after is beautiful none the less.
Can AT make a new category called "Painted It White" and relegate all albino decorator choices to there and there alone?
That's a pretty amazing renovation. Removing the walls did wonders. And those pantry doors are astonishing. Well done!
Some say all the kitchen remodels look the same, but I say no. They may have common points, such as new floors, walls removed, etc. each kitchen has it's own set hurdles. I especially like the ingenuity of the false beam to disguise the uneven ceiling heights between kitchen and dining rooms. Not only do they solve a problem, they also provide a solution of making the room separate, but without walls. The beam visually hints at the dining room being different, giving it a grander appeal. Very will done!
Love it! But I do have a practical question--is it bothersome to have the refrigerator that close to the wall? I've been trying to figure out how to reconfigure my kitchen, and one option has the fridge up against the wall like that, but I was afraid it would be annoying because the door would hit into the wall when you opened it, and you might not be able to get the door open all the way....? Thanks!
I'm with you loreski. I find the white on white on white quite stark and kind of depressing. but then I'm a color person and find most "relaxing" color palettes boring. The new layout is pretty excellent through.
Wow, it's so lovely! I didn't realize until I took a second look that you use the same cabinets! The light in the room is fantastic!
Simply beautiful. I love color and I love white - depends on the home. This remodel is perfection in my opinion.
Holy Cow!! What a gorgeous transformation. The power of removing walls is quite evident in this renovation!
The 'after' is quite nice, but I was thinking "please keep that floor" before I clicked through. Since she didn't keep it, I'll take it :) I'm aiming for a blue/yellow/white kitchen.
@Sandra - Other than the marble being a bit hard to care for, I can say (as a SUPREME klutz) that an all white kitchen is really easy to care for. My kitchen is almost entirely white and it looks exactly like it did when it was installed 7 years ago specifically because it's white. It's easy to clean, looks fresh and if there's a red wine spill - there have been many - you can always use a touch of bleach on tile and grout.
People visiting my house for the first time always think we just renovated our kitchen. White kitchens are the best kept secret in design, imo. I have a lot of color throughout the rest of the house but I don't think I'd ever do a non-white kitchen.
Lovely transformation! Soooo much better! Cooking and entertaining in that new kitchen must be a joy! The old one was so dark and isolating. Great job with the new lay-out. The barn doors are a real kick!
A really pretty kitchen - the light is great. How does the stove work in the corner? Can you still open the cupboards next to it, or did the corner just get closed off - or is that just the angle of the photo?
Your dad does wonderful work! Maybe he can help me with my upcoming kitchen reno. ;)
I love what you did with the ceiling between the kitchen and dining area. I have a soffit that I TOTALLY HATE. It makes the kitchen very dark. I love the open feeling you achieved in your remodel.. Love the white, white, white... Great job!!!
wow...wow...wow
btw...wow. Great job!
Simply stunning.
The new layout is a huge improvement, but the original kitchen had so much character!
Absolutely beautiful.
I love that you worked with the footprint you had for the kitchen. Very refreshing to see in a world filled with incredible kitchens that come about only by being made larger. Well done.
Perfect. Stunning.
Absolutely perfect. What a great transformation!
A real lovely transformation! Great design, and I love the white. But I question a bit two items.... I had a white sink once and it was awful to keep it clean. You have to be polishing all the time. I could not imagine having to seal the marble 2x a year, either.
Wow, huge transformation, and a gorgeous one!
It's definitely more open, spacious, and bright, but I'm not sure about the functionality of that layout. Because the fridge was relocated, she lost some counter space closer to the stove. I know she gained the island, but the stools are on the side that seems logical for prep, and even if you prep there, you have to haul everything back over to the counter to cook, and the pictures make it seem like the island isn't exactly close to the stove. It just doesn't seem super practical to me, but then again it's not my kitchen (and maybe the pictures don't provide an accurate representation of the space).
I love the removal of the wall and I love those double barn doors (serious swoon) but I don't understand the layout at all. There actually seems to be less counterspace than before, the island unit is too far away from the cooking area to be of any use, and anyone sitting at the island would be facing neither the cook nor the lovely view out the window. Anybody at the cooker would have to talk over their shoulder to anyone sitting at either the island or the dining table. Is this a kitchen for someone who never cooks? Or who perhaps has "staff" who wouldn't be engaging with guests anyway?
Absolutely beautiful
As a rowhouse owner, I totally get this concept. We just redid our kitchen, but did not remove a wall because we are retired with budget constraints--and fortunately our kitchen is large and has three windows. But in the best of all worlds, I would open up the kitchen and dining room this way to brighten our dark dining room. Neighbors with the same houses (all over 100 years old) have done this, and it's quite functional. When you are dealing with an old house, you compromise.
@hyzen - I have the same problem. The previous owners knocked out a half bath to expand the kitchen but ended up putting the refrigerator next to the wall. I'm thinking they did so to take advantage of the existing plumbing from the half bath. If it were me, I would have shifted some cabinets around so the refrigerator isn't right by the wall. You're limited on fridge designs in that respect.
I like the impact of opening the wall and the pantry doors, but there are some functionality problems in the layout. Those cabinets could have gone higher to maximize storage and I think the fridge doesn't open all the way. A recessed panel door would also be more consistent with the rest of the house.
That little, dark kitchen turned into a bright & beautiful space. Well done!
Love it, although as a couple of other people have said, I would have kept the blue floor (although maybe it didn't look as good in real life as it did in the photos).
@retro-roost - yes! the barn doors replace the two less functional closets/pantry. The left side now has a built in pantry (floor to ceiling storage, microwave, espresso machine, etc) and the right side has a stackable washer/dryer plus additional storage for cleaning and laundry supplies. Thanks for the kind words :)
@hyzen - you are absolutely right in that it is not an ideal place for the fridge, right up against the wall like that, but I was limited with the existing sink and stove/window placement. It is actually less frustrating than I assumed it would be. The pull out freezer is the biggest problem as it doesn't pull out all the way, but it doesn't prevent me from doing anything I need to do ... just not as smooth as I would prefer :) The fridge door opens all of the way with no problems.
@stationaryfiend - Oh how I wish I had "staff" to do all the cooking! I think I like your version of my life better than the real one :) Truth be told, I am a single gal who is by no means a gourmet chef. The kitchen suits me and my needs perfectly for now, you bring up some good points though aout function should my needs change drastically. Have a great weekend!