Kitchen Design
Empty Nesters Get the Classic White Kitchen They Always Wanted
Custom white cabinets, sculptural lights and a larger island transform a couple’s kitchen into the room of their dreams
Before. The original kitchen had stained wood cabinets, a hoodless gas range and a small island with no light fixtures above it.
After. Designer Liz Schupanitz added a longer island that extends out into the open area of the kitchen, with seating for three, extra storage and a bookshelf on the side facing the range. The new cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Capitol White.
The designer saved the homeowners money by painting the new range hood a warm metallic shade that looks like zinc, and by choosing black granite countertops that look like soapstone.
Hardware: bronze, Ashley Norton
The designer saved the homeowners money by painting the new range hood a warm metallic shade that looks like zinc, and by choosing black granite countertops that look like soapstone.
Hardware: bronze, Ashley Norton
Schupanitz brought the new cabinets all the way up to the ceiling for more storage. Some of the cabinets have glass doors to show off the homeowners’ collection of serveware. The Ethan Allen stools have seats covered in a buffalo check plaid. The designer chose a rounded island top and table-like legs to soften the space and add a furniture-like element. The sculptural light fixtures are Darlana lanterns from Circa Lighting.
Browse cage pendants
Browse cage pendants
“The original kitchen had a range with a microwave above, so adding another oven was a challenge with limited wall space,” Schupanitz says. She solved the problem by adding dual ovens on the refrigerator wall. This still left room for a small built-in buffet between the refrigerator and ovens, creating one of the homeowners’ favorite areas in the kitchen.
Backsplash tiles: Café, Walker Zanger
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Backsplash tiles: Café, Walker Zanger
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of recent empty nesters
Location: Maple Grove, Minnesota
Designer: Liz Schupanitz Designs
After their last child graduated from college, these homeowners thought about downsizing and moving into a new home, but since they loved their neighborhood so much, they couldn’t bring themselves to leave. Instead, they decided to remodel. The biggest renovation project on their list was to create a classic white kitchen with a large island that would stay within the room’s existing footprint.