Jennie's kitchen was tired and Jennie was tired of her kitchen. The floor plan was functional but the surfaces were worn, outdated and mismatched. She craved a kitchen that was unified and calm to off-set her busy lifestyle. With modern finishes and a neutral color palette, Jennie achieved her goal and kept her sanity.

[Images by Lonnie Glasscock]

Being on a strict budget, Jennie declined hiring a general contractor and managed all the sub-contractors herself. She ordered natural maple cabinets from Home Depot and topped them with low maintenance quartz countertops. To open up the space above the central workspace, the former bar was leveled to the same height as the counter and the upper cabinets were removed. The brick column that housed the double oven was demolished and replaced with a slide-in range and low cabinet for the microwave. Glass pendants were installed over the workspace as task lighting.

Jennie created more airiness by using glass fronted upper cabinets around the window and open shelving near the stainless vent hood. The soothing backsplash was composed of various tones of taupe, beige and gray elongated subway tile from the Daltile Modern Dimensions collection. Jennie chose gray linen textured floor tiles to cover the existing stained concrete. The 12x24 rectangles keep consistent with the shapes in the backsplash and the existing brick. The walls and the brick were painted a subtle warm gray to maintain the serene palette.

Ahh (deep breath), inner peace can be found in the kitchen. Good job, Jennie!

How about you? Do you prefer a calm and collected kitchen like Jennie's or a more colorful, energizing kitchen?