We spotted the kitchen makeover of Lara Ferroni today. Lara is a photographer based in Seattle, Washington and had a very unfortunate kitchen that needed a little work. Luckily she has great taste&mdash because we're now inspired to transform our own kitchen!
We spotted Lara's kitchen on Design*Sponge and the best part of the transformation &mdash the demise of those overpowering bright red walls! Lara removed excess cabinetry above and next to the kitchen sink &mdash replacing them with unique, decorative shelves. Under the shelves, we're happy to see that Lara selected a much more subtle paint color for the bead board she installed. It brings interest and texture to the space.
We love the color blue that she chose to paint the cabinets. Light blue and cream work so well together; especially with the muted pottery on the shelves. The white and butcher block island closes in the wide open space (in a good way).
Lara Ferroni also installed a wine glass rack under the cabinets. We've always been intrigued by wine glass racks because we don't have very much cabinet space&mdash we were thinking about installing one ourselves!
Overall, we really enjoyed what Lara did with her kitchen! It's calming, serene and really makes you want to whip up something tasty!
(Images: Lara Ferroni)
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The only thing I'm iffy on is the beadboard. I remember how everyone on AT freaked out about the mirror over the stove, and that to me seems much less worse for cleaning than beadboard... Did she use a highgloss paint to make it easy to wipe?
Wow. I love it.
Honestly not a huge fan.
Looked way waaaaay better with the red wall. the After pic is so blaaaaaah & nondescript.
I really can't see what makes the "before" picture "unfortunate," and I don't care for the "afters" at all (way too countrified) -- but both are a matter of personal taste.
isn't everything posted on design blogs a matter of personal taste?
I, for one, prefer the softer look. I'm not a fan of country kitchens, but the "aftee" looks custom, while the screaming red "before" kitchen looked like some horrible bachelor rental loft.
e6: I agree with you about the beadboard being hard to clean...and I'd love to put a mirror above a stove!
http://mylittleapartment.blogspot.com/
Yes, beadboard is a stinker to clean. It's funny that AT characterizes the red walls as overpowering; usually the editors of the blog are gung-ho for an intense color like that!
The big problem with the before picture is that the cabinets just seem to be hung there in space, as though clipped from a catalog and pasted. They have no relation to anything around them and the looong continuation of wall above to the ducting, empty of art or anything to relieve the eye, makes it all look stark and unbalanced. I do think that the red walls could have worked with a little thought about why they seem overwhelming.
As for the remodel, are there cabinets with doors somewhere? The high open shelves with pottery on them are not the most practical thing to have in a quake zone, even with museum wax (which prevents you from easily using the objects, of course).
i NEED the name of the blue paint on the cabinets!??!
Preferred the before look, myself, but if you can't live with the red walls, you can't live with them. The after doesn't really seem to do justice to the vivid blue enameled items, though (le creuset?)
I really like the subdued look. I'm not keen on that colour red on the walls, especially with the white- far too much contrast. Red combined with the grey countertops also gave it a very eighties vibe.
I'd have replaced the beadboard with white subway tile, only because cleaning grease/spaghetti sauce out of the grooves would drive me mad; though it would have obviously been much more expensive.
The grey makes the condo standard cupboards look much more high end.
I agree with the subway tile - that would have looked great, but yes, very pricey.
wonderful, great job. I wish i could do this to my rental kitchen. Its amazing how just a little bit of thought and a superficial upgrade can take things into a whole new direction. congrats.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who doesn't perceive the "after" as vastly superior to the "before."
I vastly prefer the "after." The red bore no relation to the style of the cabinets or the floor. The new look is very harmonious - and I'll guess that it suits the rest of her stuff better too, unless she has 1980's puffy leather sofas in the next room...
Old kitchen was cold and dated, new is welcoming.
I can't believe some people actually prefer that before picture. That red used in that space was so oppressive! It was probably the height of the walls mixed with the stark contrast of those white cabinets that made it so, uh, scary.
The after is subtle, airy, charming.
I love it :) The red was just way too much...I think the mellower blues are much more suited to a classy, airy kitchen. It's beautiful. And I love the flooring!