This “So Plain” 2010s Kitchen Got a Gorgeous Green Makeover (with Double the Storage!)
When starting a kitchen renovation, there’s a style question you might be asking yourself: Do you keep a neutral, timeless, classic (albeit slightly less visually interesting) look, or go for something bolder?
Digital creator Kate Ward (@kateandherhome) didn’t hesitate to add color to the 10-year-old kitchen in her Lancashire, U.K. home, but she also proved you can have the best of both worlds.
“It was very plain with cream high-gloss doors and wasn’t really keeping with my interior style,” Kate says of the original kitchen. “The configuration of the cabinets didn’t optimize the space very well, and there was not very much storage. The layout of the cabinets and stove in the original kitchen wasn’t very sociable when having guests, as I either had my back to people whilst cooking or couldn’t see out onto our decking and patio.”
After living with the “neutral kitchen,” Kate knew she wanted to swap it out for something colorful and “bold.” She also wanted to combine different styles — shaker-style cabinets had always been her dream, and combining them with livelier colors would create a glorious mashup of classic and modern aesthetics.
But it wasn’t just the kitchen’s colors that needed to change. Kate says that being able to chat with guests and family while cooking was a huge goal in reframing the space’s layout, so she hired a designer to create her dream floor plan that would check all of her boxes.
During the renovation, Kate hung MDF paneling and decorative beading on the wall and painted it with Farrow & Ball’s Ammonite. The forest green color complemented the new Howdens’ Elmbridge fitted cabinets in Olive and Truffle. Lastly, the cabinets and drawers were adorned with new hardware. It took around three weeks to finish the room’s makeover.
Kate loves how the transformation has changed how her family uses the space. She can now chat with friends while cooking and watching her children playing in the garden beyond. But that’s not all. “The colors are much brighter than before, and I instantly feel happy when I look at this space,” she says. “But the new storage is really the highlight of the renovation.”
“My storage problems have been solved with plenty of drawers and the larder of my dreams! I love being able to display all of my ingredients in the larder. It really is the star of the show,” Kate says. “I’m no longer facing the wall when cooking now that we have an induction hob on the island.”
What’s your favorite part of the renovation? Let us know in the comments below!
This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Before & After: This “So Plain” 2010s Kitchen Got a Bold Green Makeover (with Double the Storage!)