In This Kitchen Remodel, the Old Backsplash Stays
A North Carolina couple keep their cheerful handmade Italian tile as they upgrade practically everything else
Camille LeFevre
March 7, 2018
Houzz Contributor. Arts journalist specializing in design and architecture. Former editor of Architecture Minnesota, editor of Innovative Design Quarterly, contributor to Midwest Home and HomeDish blog, contributor to Architect's Newspaper and author of the monograph Charles R. Stinson: Compositions in Nature. Have also written for Architect, ICON and Architectural Record. On my bucket list: Modernism Week in Palm Springs; happy to have done Modernism Week in Phoenix in 2017!! More at camillelefevre.org
Houzz Contributor. Arts journalist specializing in design and architecture. Former... More
Photos by Nick King Photography
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A pair of empty nesters
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Size: About 350 square feet (33 square meters)
Designer: Kathryn Long of Ambiance Interiors
In the 1980s, when their house in North Carolina was being built, these homeowners walked into the small back room of a local tile warehouse and found a cardboard box filled with handmade Italian tile featuring a striking apricot pattern. The couple quickly bought the tile, which would go on to become the dominant feature in both their original kitchen and their recently updated one.
For their kitchen’s renovation, the homeowners were ready for new cabinets, lighting and stainless steel appliances, but the one thing that had to remain was the aforementioned handmade Italian tile. The couple brought in designer Kathryn Long, who was happy to fulfill the homeowners’ request. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Long says.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A pair of empty nesters
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Size: About 350 square feet (33 square meters)
Designer: Kathryn Long of Ambiance Interiors
In the 1980s, when their house in North Carolina was being built, these homeowners walked into the small back room of a local tile warehouse and found a cardboard box filled with handmade Italian tile featuring a striking apricot pattern. The couple quickly bought the tile, which would go on to become the dominant feature in both their original kitchen and their recently updated one.
For their kitchen’s renovation, the homeowners were ready for new cabinets, lighting and stainless steel appliances, but the one thing that had to remain was the aforementioned handmade Italian tile. The couple brought in designer Kathryn Long, who was happy to fulfill the homeowners’ request. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Long says.
Before. The previous kitchen featured dark wood cabinets, white laminate perimeter countertops, a ceramic tile-topped island and handmade Italian tile covering the backsplash.
The kitchen’s original layout and cabinetry remain, but the cabinets got new Shaker-style doors. Long also added new square pulls made of blackened steel. “The cool square knobs take the kitchen to a higher level,” she says.
The homeowners asked Long to lighten up the dark kitchen, but when she suggested painting the cabinets, they were hesitant. After doing some online research about painted cabinets, however, the couple warmed up to the idea. The paint color, Benjamin Moore’s Quincy Tan, “is very rich and complex but also reflects light better than stained cabinets,” Long says. The couple already owned the counter stools with orange vinyl tops.
Long had a center island built out of alder and stained in a beautiful rich tone. The new island is larger than the previous one and features a leathered granite countertop.
New LED track lighting brightens the kitchen and makes prep work easier. The original teak floors stayed.
Island countertop: Mountain Marble; find granite countertops
New LED track lighting brightens the kitchen and makes prep work easier. The original teak floors stayed.
Island countertop: Mountain Marble; find granite countertops
Long kept the storage alcove but swapped out the old ill-fitting baskets with new ones. A new drawer below the baskets stores dish towels and other kitchen accessories.
Above the baskets, the tongue-and-groove paneling is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Sienna Clay to complement the Italian tile. The couple use the refreshed nook to display their pottery collection.
Construction: Everett & Brownlee
Cabinet door construction: Chris Perryman of Goldsplinter Woodworking Studio
More
Kitchen Confidential: Painted vs. Stained Cabinets
8 Top Tile Types for Your Kitchen Backsplash
Find a kitchen designer
Above the baskets, the tongue-and-groove paneling is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Sienna Clay to complement the Italian tile. The couple use the refreshed nook to display their pottery collection.
Construction: Everett & Brownlee
Cabinet door construction: Chris Perryman of Goldsplinter Woodworking Studio
More
Kitchen Confidential: Painted vs. Stained Cabinets
8 Top Tile Types for Your Kitchen Backsplash
Find a kitchen designer
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Oh my goodness this kitchen sings and I love the song! Great job on designer's part. Kudos to the homeowners for staying true to their style and perhaps giving life to a "new" trend. #orange
Thank you! Yes, the clients are So happy with the results. I appreciate your kind words and recognition.
How did you switch out the countertop without damaging the backsplash tile?