This “Drab, Sad” Kitchen Gets the Most Maximalist Makeover for $5,000
When author Brandon Andrew Robinson, chair and associate professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of California, Riverside, found their loft apartment in downtown Los Angeles, they were in love with the bones of the space. The existing color palette? Not so much — especially in the kitchen.
“The kitchen was all white walls and white cabinets,” Brandon explains. “It was so sad and drab there. It was not a very inspiring space to cook or eat in.”
A white kitchen wasn’t going to work for them They worked with interior designer Michelle Fahmy of Haus of Meeshie to reimagine the rest of the home, and the kitchen was top of the list. There aren’t any windows in the room, and Brandon felt the stark white walls made it feel even darker. “I wanted to add color and print to make the kitchen brighter and more alive,” they share.
Brandon and Michelle followed Haus of Meeshie go-tos while designing the space — namely, color blocking and pattern drenching. “‘Animal print is a neutral’ was another HōM rule we leaned into here,” Michelle shares. It was important to make “The Litter Box” (Brandon’s moniker for their home) neon sign a focal point in the room, too.
Michelle presented Brandon with some mood boards and renderings before they got started, including, most importantly, the color palette, which Brandon loved. The pair landed on Sherwin-Williams’ Rejuvenate for the walls and island, and Dishy Coral for the accent walls in the kitchen.
“The day we had our painting contractor meet us on-site, we meticulously walked through each wall and surface color,” Michelle explains. “They had never done anything like this, and they absolutely killed it. Communication was key in making sure the colors were executed properly as that was the foundation of the whole design.”
However, the wallpaper — they opted for a zebra print pattern from Spoonflower — ended up being the biggest design challenge in the home.
“[It was] a nightmare! The first zebra print we went with was a mural wallpaper instead of a traditional wallpaper. The company kept sending not enough panels or the panels didn’t line up correctly,” Brandon says. “We eventually had to have that wallpaper removed and find a different zebra print wallpaper. I think Meeshie and I probably both lost sleep over that first wallpaper that went up in the kitchen.”
But now that there isn’t a white wall in sight, it’s a happy place for people to hang out, Brandon says. The extra-large island is special as it’s a gathering place for guests, and they use it as a table. The entire renovation cost “around $5,000.”
“I, of course, love the color of the kitchen! But I really love the zebra wallpaper print,” Brandon says. “It is really fun and almost becomes a neutral in the space when contrasted with all the other colors and prints happening in my home.”
If this room intrigues you, you’ll want to check out more of Brandon’s home. (Spoiler alert: There’s not a white wall in the space!). Visit the full home tour on Apartment Therapy and the bedroom makeover to see more.
This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Before & After: This “Drab, Sad” Kitchen Gets the Most Dramatic $5,000 Makeover (Hello, Zebra Print!)