The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it deserves to look its best. These five kitchen makeovers add both style and functionality that would make any home chef swoon.
Modern Makeover
Sometimes size matters. When design firm Two Navy Lane first undertook this extensive kitchen renovation in Purcellville, designer Stacey Dobrovolny knocked down a wall to create more space in what was once a 144-square-foot builder-grade kitchen that was closed off from the dining and living areas.
“These days, many people don’t even use their formal dining room, so taking that over to make a space that gets used more than any room in the house was just the natural thing to do,” she says.
The homeowners share a love of cooking and of midcentury-modern design, so once the wall was down, the design direction was clear. Perimeter cabinets in a cool-toned wood stain sport flat panel doors and sleek chrome pulls, with a pop of green in the island base and hexagonal tile backsplash; floors repeat the pattern in a larger scale.
“The clients wanted that vintage feel, so the hexagons play off that, as does the flooring [which] also has a Terrazzo feel popular at that time,” says Dobrovolny.
By more than doubling the square footage, the new kitchen also has a large working island. Storage is organized for a family that loves to cook, with a built-in pantry, among other amenities.
“Before, the homeowners felt closed off and cramped when cooking. Now they get to be part of the action, whether cooking for the family or entertaining a crowd,” says Dobrovolny.
Classic Cottage
Every renovation has to start somewhere. This Falls Church kitchen’s story began with removing one of two superfluous patio doors to create a bank of sunlit windows and a thoughtfully crafted sink wall crowned with an apron-front farmhouse sink.
The project for a family of five was undertaken by interior designer Amy Fischer of Rosehill Design Studio, who collaborated on the complete redesign with Keystone Design & Build and St. Clair Kitchens.
“We took a dark, disconnected kitchen layout and transformed it into a beautiful one designed to not just look good, but to support real life, with smart storage, seamless flow, and space for everyone at the island,” says Fischer.
The rectangular island, with white quartz counters and furniture-style legs, has become a favorite gathering place for the family. The peripheral custom cabinetry in full overlay Shaker style sports a dual palette of creamy white upper cabinets and soft blue lower cabinets, while handmade subway tiles travel up the walls.
“In addition to an adjacent scullery kitchen for storage, we kept all cooking appliances — large and small — to the perimeter, leaving the island free for food prep, entertaining, and everyday meals,” adds Fischer.
The kitchen’s elegant cottage style is supported by other elements, such as brushed gold hardware and plumbing, a mix of library-style wall sconces and an island pendant, and a custom-designed painted wood hood.
“The kitchen has become a true reflection of the family who lives here — classic, warm, and welcoming,” says Fischer.
Storage Solutions
When Anne Marie Hauer of Choux Designs took on this kitchen remodel in Old Town Alexandria — which had a massive redbrick fireplace and a dated L-shape layout — she had her work cut out for her. “My clients wanted to honor the heritage of the 1852 house while making the kitchen function for them — with modern appliances and thoughtful storage,” says Hauer.
Everything had to go, including the orange wood cabinets and ochre yellow wall paint. With freshly reclaimed pine flooring underfoot, and new custom white cabinetry on both sides of a central island, the kitchen redesign was on its way. Hauer collaborated on the renovation with William Cromley Construction.
“Because the home is only 16 feet wide, we set to carve out every inch of storage space possible,” Hauer says. “Even the cabinets above the cooking cove not only conceal the range hood insert but also push open to use every bit of available storage.”
Two side windows opposite the range wall sandwich tall mesh-fronted cabinets with bifold doors, efficiently housing large appliances. All the upper cabinets run up to the ceiling line to maximize storage. “We also created a landing area at the back of the kitchen with a small bench and a glass door and windows to bring in more natural light,” she adds.
Bold Balance
There is something undeniably polished about a crisp, high-contrast kitchen, and Pamela Harvey of Pamela Harvey Interiors has mastered that look in this Oakton kitchen.
“The old kitchen had an odd, angled wall that created an outdated, inefficient layout, with dead space behind it,” recalls Harvey. “We removed the angled wall and squared off the rooms, creating both a main kitchen and a scullery, which incorporates pantry storage, an additional dishwasher, double oven, and prep sink.”
The kitchen’s custom cabinetry is a mix of quarter sawn white oak cabinets that run up to the ceiling and incorporate upper brass mesh doors for display and solid maple lower cabinetry painted in sleek black.
“For a clean, modern, contiguous finish, we went with the same white Cambria Luxe Quartz in Everleigh (no fuss, minimal maintenance) for the counters and backsplash,” says Harvey.
The new custom hood has brushed brass straps that blend well with the brushed brass used in the hardware and fixtures, and an oversized window was added above the main sink, bringing in natural light and opening onto the screened porch outside.
“Above all, the homeowner really wanted a highly organized space where everything had a home. Now, the main kitchen is a showcase when entertaining, while the mess is kept in the scullery in the back,” adds Harvey.
Improved Layout
Having an experienced eye makes a world of difference when it comes to kitchen redesign. When Jennifer Gilmer and Nancy McCarren of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath took on the extensive renovation of an outdated kitchen in Vienna, they found a simple solution to fix its impractical layout.
“The old, smaller, U-shaped kitchen created an unnecessary obstacle to both the breakfast area and the family room,” says Gilmer, referencing a peninsula that once separated the kitchen area from the rest of the room. “This problem was solved by removing the peninsula and turning the new larger island to run parallel to the bay window (where the eat-in nook is) and the sink wall.”
With an instantly improved layout, Gilmer and McCarren selected warm white and rift oak cabinetry to complement the new wide-plank oak flooring installed throughout the house. The custom hood also sports a white oak apron.
“Our clients not only wished to open up the space to the adjacent family room, but also to create a more efficient kitchen for cooking and entertaining family and friends,” adds Gilmer.
The new island sports a combination of durable white quartz countertop and a cantilevered white oak wood top in a pigmented Nero oil finish.
“This unique counter is the perfect place to pull up a stool and enjoy this beautiful new kitchen,” adds Gilmer.
Feature photo by Frazier Springfield
This story originally ran in our October issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
