Kitchen remodels often start as a result of one thing is damaged, outdated, or worn out. Mine wasn’t. The kitchen already had premium home equipment, {custom} cabinetry, a big island, built-in wine storage, designer lighting, and beneficiant workspace.
The darkish grey and black finishes regarded fashionable, the structure labored, and most of the people would have thought-about the undertaking completed. But after residing with it for a while, I spotted it wasn’t giving me what I wished from the residence.
As an alternative of updating a number of finishes, I eliminated the complete kitchen and redesigned the structure from scratch. These photographs present the kitchen earlier than the transformation and the options that made the choice far harder than a typical rework.
Matte Grey Cabinetry Outlined the House
The unique kitchen used flat-panel MDF fronts completed in a darkish grey tone paired with black counter tops and an identical backsplash. Tall storage cupboards stretched to the ceiling whereas higher cupboards shaped a clear horizontal line throughout the primary wall.
Nothing in regards to the kitchen regarded outdated. Handleless fronts, built-in home equipment, and a restrained materials palette gave the room a up to date look that would match into many new flats immediately.
The Island Mixed Seating and Workspace
Some of the distinctive options was the island configuration. A black preparation zone sat on the heart whereas a pure wooden extension created seating for 4 folks.
The distinction between the wooden and black surfaces prevented the island from turning into visually heavy. It additionally allowed eating, informal work, and meals preparation to occur throughout the similar footprint.
Foscarini Pendant Lights Framed the Island
Three Aplomb pendant lights from Foscarini hung above the island and helped outline the middle of the room.
Their slim profile maintained open sightlines throughout the residence whereas introducing a sculptural factor above the work floor. The fixtures grew to become one of many first particulars guests seen when getting into the area.
Constructed-In Wine Storage Added a Customized Contact
A Liebherr wine fridge was built-in immediately into the island and surrounded by matching cabinetry.
Relatively than treating wine storage as a separate equipment, the design included it into the island itself. The glass door launched one other materials layer among the many matte cupboard fronts and darkish surfaces.
Premium Home equipment and Designer Particulars Had been Already A part of the Kitchen
The kitchen already included Siemens built-in home equipment, together with the oven, microwave, induction cooktop, and washer. Performance was by no means the problem. Storage, workspace, and on a regular basis usability had already been addressed via the unique design.
A giant black Falmec Laguna hood occupied the nook part and have become one of many strongest visible components within the room. Its glass floor contrasted with the matte cabinetry whereas connecting with the black countertop and backsplash to create a constant materials palette all through the kitchen.
Costa chairs from Kare Design launched pure wooden and leather-based into an area dominated by darker finishes. Their sculptural form softened the robust traces of the cabinetry and island whereas echoing the wooden extension hooked up to the island.
Mixed with the Foscarini Aplomb pendants above, these particulars gave the kitchen a custom-built look. Premium home equipment, designer lighting, built-in wine storage, and thoroughly chosen furnishings made the choice to take away the kitchen a lot more durable than a typical renovation.
The Kitchen Was Lovely. I Eliminated It Anyway
The kitchen wasn’t outdated, broken, or poorly designed. It got here with many options folks add throughout costly renovations: premium home equipment, a big island, designer lighting, built-in wine storage, and {custom} cabinetry.
The rationale for the rework was a lot easier. The kitchen got here with the residence, and whereas I revered the standard and craftsmanship, I by no means linked with the darkish grey and black design path. I wished the area to mirror my very own style slightly than another person’s selections.
Eradicating the kitchen meant taking virtually every thing out. The cabinetry, island, counter tops, backsplash, and a lot of the home equipment have been eliminated to make manner for the brand new design. Only some components stayed behind, together with the Foscarini Aplomb pendant lights and chosen Siemens home equipment such because the built-in oven and microwave, together with the Liebherr wine fridge.
The unique kitchen wasn’t discarded. Round 90% of it was relocated and reused in one other property, together with a lot of the cabinetry, island parts, home equipment, and storage models. Realizing the kitchen would proceed serving its goal made the choice a lot simpler. Relatively than ending up as renovation waste, it grew to become a part of one other house whereas permitting me to create a totally completely different imaginative and prescient for this residence.
The First Cupboards Revealed a Utterly Completely different Course
After months of planning, ready, measurements, revisions, and manufacturing, the primary items of the brand new kitchen lastly arrived. Seeing cabinetry return to the area after demolition made it simpler to visualise the path of the undertaking.
The distinction was rapid. As an alternative of darkish grey fronts, black counter tops, and black cabinetry, I selected a walnut end as the inspiration for the brand new design. The hotter materials introduced a totally completely different look to the residence from the second the primary cupboards have been put in.
The structure additionally modified considerably. Relatively than recreating the earlier kitchen, I used the renovation as a possibility to rethink how the island, tall storage, home equipment, and work zones interacted with the remainder of the room.
What had began as an empty area with uncovered connections and naked partitions was starting to appear to be a kitchen once more, however one constructed round a totally completely different imaginative and prescient.
The distinction between the outdated and new kitchens went far past colour. The walnut cabinetry launched texture and grain that have been absent from the earlier flat grey surfaces, whereas the revised structure created a really completely different visible presence contained in the residence.
For the primary time since demolition, it grew to become clear that this wasn’t an replace. It was an entire transformation.
The Marble-Clad Island Grew to become the Centerpiece
The arrival of the island marked one of many greatest milestones of the renovation. After months of planning, demolition, and set up, the kitchen lastly began to resemble the imaginative and prescient I had in thoughts when the undertaking started.
Wrapped in black marble-look stone with refined white veining, the island launched a powerful distinction in opposition to the walnut cabinetry whereas turning into the visible anchor of the complete room. The waterfall edges gave it a sculptural presence from each angle, and its scale instantly shifted consideration towards the middle of the area. Along with the walnut cabinetry and the Foscarini pendants that remained from the unique kitchen, the island confirmed simply how completely different this new kitchen could be from the darkish grey design that got here with the residence.
Pull-Out Pantry Storage Was Constructed Beside the Home equipment
Relatively than filling this part with fastened cabinets, we added a full-height pull-out pantry unit subsequent to the Siemens oven and microwave. The system makes use of sliding cabinets that transfer ahead with the cupboard door, bringing every thing into view without delay.
Built-in LED lighting was put in contained in the tower to light up the cabinets when opened. The pantry supplies devoted storage for dry items, bottles, and on a regular basis kitchen objects whereas preserving the primary cabinetry wall clear and uninterrupted when closed.
The Similar Stone Was Prolonged Throughout A number of Surfaces
Relatively than limiting the stone to the island, I used the identical black marble-look materials for the countertop, backsplash, and aspect panels. Persevering with the floor throughout a number of planes lowered visible breaks and gave the kitchen a extra cohesive look.
The stone additionally extends up the aspect of the cabinetry and into the recessed part beside the espresso station. Utilizing one materials throughout the horizontal and vertical surfaces created a stronger architectural impact than a normal countertop-and-backsplash mixture. The refined white veining stays seen all through, connecting the island, work space, and surrounding cabinetry right into a single composition.
Ground-to-Ceiling Cupboard Fronts Accomplished the Design
The ultimate cupboard fronts remodeled the kitchen wall into one steady floor from countertop to ceiling. The added peak elevated storage whereas giving the walnut cabinetry a stronger architectural presence.
With the waterfall island, black stone surfaces, built-in home equipment, and retained Foscarini pendants in place, the kitchen renovation was lastly full.
Hidden Equipment Storage Was Built-in Into the Cupboard Wall
Push-to-open doorways completed in the identical walnut materials conceal a devoted storage part for small home equipment. Maintaining espresso machines, blenders, toasters, and different countertop objects behind closed doorways helps preserve a cleaner look throughout the primary work space.
When closed, the storage blends into the encircling cabinetry and reads as a part of the continual cupboard wall slightly than a separate function.
The Completed Kitchen Seems to be Nothing Just like the One That Got here With the Condominium
The ultimate design combines walnut cabinetry, black stone surfaces, and lightweight oak flooring all through the open residing space. Ground-to-ceiling cupboard fronts conceal storage, home equipment, and pantry area behind steady walnut panels, permitting the kitchen to learn as a part of the structure slightly than a group of separate cupboards.
On the heart of the room, the island was redesigned round a big walnut eating extension linked to a raised black stone preparation floor. The built-in eating part creates seating for 4 with Igloo chairs from Calligaris, whereas the retained Liebherr wine fridge stays constructed into the island. The unique Foscarini Aplomb pendants have been additionally stored and included into the brand new design.
Wanting again on the darkish grey kitchen that got here with the residence, the distinction extends far past colour. The structure, supplies, storage options, and general composition have been reimagined from the bottom up. Throughout the day, the walnut cabinetry turns into the dominant function. At evening, hid LED lighting beneath the cupboards and alongside the toe-kick creates a floating impact that modifications the looks of the complete kitchen.
Whereas a number of premium components have been preserved and reused, the completed kitchen displays a totally completely different imaginative and prescient and the design path I wished for the residence from the start.
From Darkish Grey to Walnut: Which Design Do You Desire?
Wanting on the before-and-after photographs aspect by aspect, the transformation goes far past a colour change. The unique kitchen mixed darkish grey cabinetry, black surfaces, and a lighter wooden island extension. The brand new model introduces walnut cabinetry, floor-to-ceiling panels, built-in storage, a redesigned island, hid equipment zones, and LED lighting that modifications the looks of the kitchen after darkish.
Each kitchens provided premium home equipment, high quality supplies, and powerful performance. The distinction comes right down to design path. One embraced a darker, extra minimalist palette, whereas the opposite makes use of walnut, black stone, and built-in lighting to create a totally completely different environment.
What do you assume? Did changing the unique kitchen enhance the area, or would you might have stored the darkish grey design that got here with the residence? Let me know which model you like within the feedback.
