Kitchen Remodel Before and After : The Refined Farmhouse
To say that I’m proud of the outcome of this kitchen and dining room renovation project would be the understatement of the century. I’m so honored and proud to finally be revealing this amazing kitchen remodel project to the world. The whole kitchen is gorgeous, so make sure to keep scrolling and reading about all the details and see the before and after transformation.
This kitchen renovation has been a long time coming. We began in May of 2019, finished in October 2019 and we photographed earlier this year. And I have to say, I love it just as much as when I saw it all come together last year. As an interior designer, this was a dream project from start to finish. I was able to design and create a beautiful space in a client's home that was something they never imagined and something that will serve their family now and in the future. The clients didn’t know where to start or how to renovate a kitchen, but I was able to usher them through the entire process and they trusted my design vision completely. The remodel project went super smooth and I ended up meeting a great family that I am happy to now call friends.
The project was a complete kitchen, laundry and bathroom renovation in an old farmhouse in a historic suburb of Philadelphia, PA dating back to the late 1800’s. The home has a great original charm to it and the kitchen, dining, laundry and bath space was large, but the layout didn’t maximize the space. It had been changed sometime in the ’80s with a mishmash of materials that ended up being cramped, hard to work and live in, and honestly beginning to fall apart.
Kitchen Renovation
Today we are going to tour the renovated kitchen and attached eating space complete with white shaker cabinetry, a bold blue island, handmade terra cotta tiles, and refined old-world accents throughout to create a beautiful classic kitchen with a nod to the original farmhouse architecture of the home. When we began, the clients had differing opinions on what they wanted in the space, one wanted a completely white kitchen and one wanted color. The rest of the home is decorated with a bit of a bohemian feel and the family was drawn toward jewel tones that they had used in other spaces in their home.
When working on any project, I always spend as much time upfront as possible to really get to know the clients' needs, style, and how they want the space to feel and function. If I’m just renovating or decorating one part of the home, I always think about how to incorporate a newly designed space into the rest of a home so it flows and works with their current style and furnishings.
Before
As I said, the kitchen was really difficult to use, especially for a family of 4. There was a peninsula that cut the space off from the rest of the room and kept the kitchen footprint small. There was almost zero storage and the cabinets were starting to fall off the hinges. The linoleum flooring was peeling and the blue and white wallpaper and blue painted trim needed to GO.
After
The first thing that was done was to completely reimagine the space, the kitchen was extended as far as possible into the dining space and gain more usable kitchen space. Instead of a peninsula that cuts off the kitchen from the dining area, a large island was added to allow for traffic flow throughout the space. The window above the stove was closed up to create a space for a striking backdrop of tile and a usable and beautiful custom range hood. The windows above the sink were enlarged and the sink was centered allowing for balanced design and to let the light in. The existing pantry was removed and the refrigerator was relocated in its spot.
The addition of a large island gives space for a new beverage center, prep space, tons of organizational storage, and includes enough space for the two kids to sit. The contrasting navy blue color and subtly different cabinet profile as well as the additional leg detail on the corners of the island gives this white kitchen some color and interest and makes the island feel like more like it’s own freestanding piece. The clients love to bake, so beautiful quartzite countertops were used to bring in natural stone, that’s less maintenance than marble but creates that coolness perfect for baking.
The perimeter shaker cabinetry was brought to the ceiling to accentuate the high ceilings, with glass cabinets at the top to showcase pretty dishes. Open bookshelves give storage space to store an extensive cookbook collection and an appliance garage below hides baking appliances. The wood floors were extended into the kitchen area and stained to match the original floors throughout the house. A long striped blue and white indoor/outdoor runner adds to the color palette, provides warmth underfoot, and is easy to clean.
Now let’s talk about the range hood moment in this kitchen. If I had to pick a favorite spot in the whole room…. well, I couldn’t… but this situation would be right at the top of the list. Behind the range, I wanted to bring in the blue color into the tile and create a striking moment in the space. This amazing handmade, handpainted terra cotta tile was brought all the way to the ceiling behind the beautiful custom range hood and gives it that wow factor, while the imperfections and the handmade nature of the tile give it soul. The perimeter tile is a subtle warm crackled subway tile that pairs perfectly with the stunning quartzite countertops and the blue patterned tile and wraps all the way around the large window on the other side.
The window and sink combo moment also a favorite spot. Enlarging the window behind the sink was a at the top of the clients’ wish list and allowed for another beautiful focal point and brings a ton of natural light. A large farmhouse sink was also a must for this kitchen remodel and this classic polished nickel bridge faucet adds more of that old-world character to the kitchen. And I maintained throughout the project that the faucet was one of my favorite things in the whole room and I still love it. It’s all about the details, right?!?!
Throughout the kitchen, I wanted to keep the design interesting by mixing the metal tones throughout. The polished nickel of the faucet is paired with a trio of brass library lights above the window, that tie in with the refined and classic glass globes above the island and the whole thing is topped off with brass hardware throughout. And the massive linen roman shade is the perfect way to soften the window and allow filtered light to stream through.
Now, it’s hard to even imagine anything was in this space except this bright, beautiful kitchen.
Dining Nook Renovation
Before
This large dining room off the kitchen is great additional space in the area, but it had the same worn-out feel as the rest of the kitchen. The first time I went into the kitchen, I knew that the valuable real estate was being eaten up by the dining room and there had to be a better way to utilize the overall space. There was also what we thought was a closed up fireplace, but ended up being the back of the fireplace from the living room that butts itself into the room. My goal was to make the entire space feel more intentional and aligned with the kitchen as well as camouflage the fireplace wall that butted into the room. I wanted to add flow and more function, even though we were taking away square footage from the dining area.
After
Now the dining nook is a functional and welcome extension of the kitchen space that is just the right size. With thoughtful design, the footprint is now more usable and it doesn’t even feel like any space was lost with the extension of the kitchen into the eating space. The family likes to entertain, cook, and bake and they wanted a space that was livable with their two young children and enough space to allow them to entertain and enjoy guests company while cooking. A 10ft long dining built-in bench was added to create the perfect dining nook, complete with a custom dining bench cushion and bolster made with stain resistant performance fabric that can withstand life with kids.
The same linen windows treatments are brought into the eating space and the addition of a linear brass chandelier, a custom farmhouse table, modern Windsor chairs, and a wood and glass cabinet create a perfect space for quiet family dinners or entertaining a crowd. Much needed open storage space with baskets below the banquette give the family additional toy and art supply storage for the two young kids.
Stay tuned for the reveal of the laundry and bathroom space in this stunning makeover. It was a real transformation in a small space and you won’t want to miss it!
Well…. what do you think?…. let me know in the comments!
And as always, if you are looking for some help with your kitchen or home renovation, I would love to talk. Reach out here. Or find out more about how we work and how we can help you with your kitchen remodel.
Real Life. Well Designed.
Sharp + Grey Interiors is a full service interior design studio specializing in creating beautiful yet highly livable spaces that feel as curated to how our clients live, as they are to their personal tastes and style. Sharp + Grey offers a wide variety of flexible design options, from full-service interior design where we do it all, to consultations and custom E-design services that give you the ideas or design plans to install your design project yourself. With a focus on creativity and collaboration, Sharp + Grey Interiors can help you create a home you love with fresh and inspired design made for real life.