With inexpensive oak cabinets, 40-year-old appliances and limited counter and storage space, the Williamses knew they had their work cut out for them if they were going to turn an outdated kitchen into the culinary space of their dreams. They turned to interior designer Myra Jean Lewis to help them create a functional kitchen. “We weren’t going to knock down walls, so we had to find a way to accommodate all their needs and desires in a relatively small space,” Lewis says.
They worked with Paul Kemna, of The Requarth Co./Supply One to help them find the perfect cabinets. “Since Diane is short, we chose to lower the wall cabinets a bit to make it easier for her to access things,” Kemna says.
In addition, they installed 15-inch deep cabinets rather than the standard 12-inch cabinet. And, unlike the old cabinets, which stopped beneath a soffit, the new cabinets are flush to the ceiling. “This is probably the number one recommendation for anyone remodeling a small kitchen,” Kemna says.
The color scheme came to fruition when Diane stumbled upon the glass tile featured on the backsplash. The blue hue in the backsplash brings out the flecks of color in the Verde Peacock granite countertops. “After the kitchen came together I started going through my glass and pottery collection, never realizing I had so much blue and green pottery,” Diane says. “I received a lot of it for gifts in the 70s! When I put it in the cabinets and on the shelves it was a big surprise.”
Ralph and Diane chose to compromise when it came to the cabinet colors. Diane loved the look of sleek white cabinetry, while Ralph was drawn to the rich textures of wood. To please both palettes, Lewis suggested the Arctic White painted cabinets for the walls and oak with an espresso stain for the base cabinetry. “The white cabinets really add to the illusion that the kitchen is larger than it is in reality,” Lewis says.
The inclusion of the clear glass-front cabinets along the sink wall and above the pass-through, along with the open shelves and oversized sink and faucet all help to enhance the scale of the kitchen. “By taking the cabinets to the ceiling and using other large components we gave the impression that we added square footage to the kitchen,” she adds.
Lewis also points to the lighting—another important element to making a small space function properly. While the skylight, which was original to the house, provided wonderful natural light during the day, Lewis made sure to include extra recessed lights and cabinet lighting. “Lighting is the best luxury in which one can invest. Both task and mood lighting are essential to any successful space,” she says.