Before and After: A Dated, Dark Wood-Paneled Kitchen Gives Way to Wow
No matter how much one might love wood paneling and/or brown, this kitchen featured a little too much of both. Between the orangey brown, the above-sink scallop, and the avocado stove, this kitchen was a ’70s triple threat—but not for long.
According to the owner, the kitchen was pretty indicative of the house as a whole:
[The entire house] had boxed-in living spaces, dark paneled walls, and carpet or linoleum covering up gorgeous original hardwoods.
Designer Molly Sellers of Molly By Design and Sellers & Co. completely renovated this kitchen for a friend, and it’s hard to believe it’s the same house. The white paint and tile are bright and clean, and the entire space is so much more open; be sure to check out all of Molly’s photos and renderings to see how divided the house was and how the space works now. Whereas before the U-shaped kitchen was isolated and crowded, the new kitchen is L-shaped and flows into the living/dining room and the sitting area.
The new floors have a serious natural warmth, balancing the bright white of the other finishes. If there is a competitor with the wood floor, it’s the marble countertops, which are absolutely sensational. That breakfast bar looks like the perfect spot to enjoy a meal.
The new white cabinets have plenty of visual interest thanks to the restrained paneling and the cool hardware. We see a lot of white cabinets with black handles, but this is an especially appealing example of the look thanks to the black window frames.
The trio of black lights work extremely well with the window frames and handles. The long, thin proportions of the tiles make them stand out from the ubiquitous classic subway tiles.
The open shelves appear to be stocked with primarily decorative items—like plants—but the kitchen has so much storage in the lower cabinetry and the island that the shelves can be arranged purely for aesthetics rather than practicality. That’s the dream of open shelving, right?
Thank you, Molly Sellers of Molly By Design and Sellers & Co.!