A DIY Makeover Gives a “Sterile” White Kitchen Cozy Craftsman Vibes

For decades, classic all-white kitchens have been a design staple all over the globe. And for good reason — white is a neutral that goes with anything and can reflect light in a space to make it appear larger.

However, despite its popularity, some designers feel that the white kitchen trend is on its way out. Homeowners and designers Palmer Schallon and Melissa Arcaro, who co-founded PSAMA Design, agree that white kitchens are outdated — especially when it came to the kitchen in their bohemian Atlanta home.

“When we bought the house, the seller had redone the kitchen with all-white everything,” Schallon says. “Neither one of us are fans of white kitchens because they can feel so sterile and impersonal, so it was one of the first projects we tackled in the house.”

The couple looked to the 1920s Craftsman-style home’s origin story for inspiration for the kitchen remodel. “Earth tones and warm woods are a hallmark of Craftsman design, so that drove a lot of our design decisions,” Schallon shares.

Instead of installing stone or quartz, DIY walnut butcher block countertops added warmth to the space and complemented the prairie-style stained glass window, designed by John Eachus, above the sink. To amplify the room’s coziness, they added wainscotting (painted in Farrow & Ball’s “New White”), removed some cabinets (and replaced them with pine open shelves), added stained pine cabinets, and made DIY rattan center panels for the upper cupboards. 

“We added wainscoting around the walls to give the room a little more detail and to add more of a cozy feel and swapped out the stainless stove with a vintage avocado range we found on Facebook Marketplace,” Schallon explains.  

The dining room is next to the kitchen, and to create a flow between the two spaces, Schallon and Arcaro brought the paint from the other room (Farrow & Ball’s “Calke Green”) into the kitchen. In total, the couple spent around $4,000 to renovate and decorate the new kitchen (including the gorgeous light fixtures).

“Our favorite part of the kitchen is really the overall environment and how it feels to be in the space now,” Schallon says. “The original was not a pleasant space to be, but now it is a warm, cozy, and welcoming place to prepare meals.” If you love this Craftsman-style kitchen, you’ll definitely want to explore more of their space.

Visit the full home tour on Apartment Therapy. 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Before & After: Beautiful Rattan Cabinets and Green Walls Make a “Sterile” All-White Kitchen Feel So Cozy