Before and After: This Small Kitchen Got One Big Upgrade
This nearly 100-year-old kitchen is part of a South Florida home that was neglected for seven years, during which mold and plants ruled the roost. The next owners got rid of the worst of the damage, and now one ambitious couple is upgrading the home into a super-glam rental property.
This makeover was overseen by Lana Katsuras of Happily Curated Chaos. It looks like the cabinets, stove, and countertop are the same, but the new backsplash adds so much beauty and drama. I love the deep blue of the new tile, and the way the white grout ties in with the stove and cabinets. The blue tile and red artwork with gold text create a charming but subtle primary color combo.
This kitchen configuration was aggressively horizontal (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but now the leather straps effectively draw the eye up towards the artwork. This is now a much more balanced area—an impressive feat considering only the tile, shelf, and painting were added.
This shot gives us a glimpse of the rug and the pendants, which further emphasizes the understated palette. The black-and-white tables are nice companions to the black-and-white stove (and I know some folks hate non-matching kitchen appliances, but here the fridge and stove are in separate zones), while the linear stools and long lights add to the new feeling of verticality.
This studio is, along with the main house and a duplex, part of a 1925 compound in West Palm Beach, Florida, that Lana is converting into a “luxury short-term rental and retreat home.” This studio is where Lana’s family spend their time when they’re in town.
Now we can see how the room fits together: The countertop and tables are parallel, providing a nice seating area for anyone who isn’t cooking while keeping them firmly OUT of the kitchen. If needed, it appears that the table is deep enough to accommodate four stools on the other side as well, doubling the seating capacity. If I were to visit West Palm Beach, I would love to stay here. The white walls are so cool and peaceful, and the whole space seems user-friendly yet calmingly minimal, which is what I would want from a vacation home.
Thank you, Lana and Happily Curated Chaos!