Before and Afters
Kitchen Design
Before and After: New Paint, Counter and Tile Refresh a Kitchen
A former restaurant owner chooses a new palette inspired by her beloved Lake Michigan
Before: The existing cabinets were of good quality, but the color of those surrounding the range hood wasn’t to the homeowners’ liking. “That dark maroon cabinet color was oppressive,” Sherman says. The homeowners also wanted to replace the shiny black granite on the perimeter counter and the St. Cecilia granite on the island, as well as the tumbled travertine backsplash mosaic that had hints of burgundy.
Before: “Her kitchen is her pride and joy and where she feels the most comfortable,” Sherman says of the wife. “She wants to feel energized and full of life and be excited to be in there and not have this dark, oppressive color palette around her.”
The homeowners donated their old countertop to Habitat for Humanity, and the local arm of the nonprofit group came to pick it up. “Except for the sink area, they were able to take all the other pieces and hopefully reuse those,” Sherman says.
The homeowners donated their old countertop to Habitat for Humanity, and the local arm of the nonprofit group came to pick it up. “Except for the sink area, they were able to take all the other pieces and hopefully reuse those,” Sherman says.
After: Light green-blue paint on the burgundy cabinets, a new backsplash, new countertops and new wall paint totally changed the look and feel of the room.
The new cabinet color brings the tones of Lake Michigan into the space. “It was inspired by the cloudy colors of the water, sometimes more blue, sometimes more green, depending on the day and the weather,” Sherman says. “Comfort Gray does that too — it looks more green, more blue, more gray depending on where/how I use it.”
The paint job was tricky since it involved covering a deep color with a light one, and even after applying two coats, some spots needed to be touched up. Also, “the paint has to cure for quite some time before it’s hardened,” Sherman says. Fortunately, the makeover was done over the summer, while the family spent much of its time at its lake cottage.
The new counters are a Taj Mahal quartzite with a “really lovely honey amber vein that runs through them,” Sherman says. The designer chose countertop and backsplash materials (see close-up in next photo) infused with warm colors that would relate to the warmth in the cherry cabinets and hickory floor. She kept the cherry wood strip on the range hood as another way to tie this part of the room to the rest.
The wall, previously a sage gray, was repainted in a warm sand color (Naturel by Sherwin-Williams). The new trim paint is White Dove by Benjamin Moore. The existing pendants fit right in with the room’s updated look.
Find pendant lights in the Houzz Shop
The new cabinet color brings the tones of Lake Michigan into the space. “It was inspired by the cloudy colors of the water, sometimes more blue, sometimes more green, depending on the day and the weather,” Sherman says. “Comfort Gray does that too — it looks more green, more blue, more gray depending on where/how I use it.”
The paint job was tricky since it involved covering a deep color with a light one, and even after applying two coats, some spots needed to be touched up. Also, “the paint has to cure for quite some time before it’s hardened,” Sherman says. Fortunately, the makeover was done over the summer, while the family spent much of its time at its lake cottage.
The new counters are a Taj Mahal quartzite with a “really lovely honey amber vein that runs through them,” Sherman says. The designer chose countertop and backsplash materials (see close-up in next photo) infused with warm colors that would relate to the warmth in the cherry cabinets and hickory floor. She kept the cherry wood strip on the range hood as another way to tie this part of the room to the rest.
The wall, previously a sage gray, was repainted in a warm sand color (Naturel by Sherwin-Williams). The new trim paint is White Dove by Benjamin Moore. The existing pendants fit right in with the room’s updated look.
Find pendant lights in the Houzz Shop
The backsplash is a porcelain mosaic in soft white with hints of sand tones. “Every tile looks just a little bit different,” Sherman says. The warm sandy colors echo the veining in the countertop and the warmth of the cabinets and floors.
Keeping the appliances, cabinets, light fixtures and bar stools really helped the budget of the makeover. The entire renovation, including designer fees, professional painter and all materials, cost just under $10,000, Sherman says.
Pro tip: Sherman says the best way to tell if a designer is the right one for you is by paying attention to whether he or she really listens. Design can be intimidating, so you want your designer to make the process feel more approachable. Sherman considers it high praise when clients tell her they got the sense that rather than focusing on creating a star piece for her portfolio, she was working to benefit the clients and their home.
Find mosaic tile in the Houzz Shop
More
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Interior Designer?
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Keeping the appliances, cabinets, light fixtures and bar stools really helped the budget of the makeover. The entire renovation, including designer fees, professional painter and all materials, cost just under $10,000, Sherman says.
Pro tip: Sherman says the best way to tell if a designer is the right one for you is by paying attention to whether he or she really listens. Design can be intimidating, so you want your designer to make the process feel more approachable. Sherman considers it high praise when clients tell her they got the sense that rather than focusing on creating a star piece for her portfolio, she was working to benefit the clients and their home.
Find mosaic tile in the Houzz Shop
More
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Interior Designer?
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with one child in college and one in high school
Size: About 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Location: Ada, Michigan
Designer: Amanda Sherman of Copper Acorn Interior Design Studio
The owners of this kitchen used to own a restaurant, and they enjoy cooking. Over the 11 years they’ve lived in their home in a suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan, just east of Lake Michigan, they’ve gradually improved it. First they upgraded the kitchen appliances. Next, after saving up for it, they updated the look of the kitchen and improved the appearance of the entire home with new paint and carpet.
Designer Amanda Sherman of Copper Acorn Interior Design Studio had previously helped the homeowners update their summer cottage in Frankfort, Michigan, about five blocks from the shores of the lake. Sherman knew that the wife loved the cloudy blue-green color of the water. “Lake Michigan was the inspiration,” Sherman says of this kitchen’s new cabinet color, Comfort Gray by Sherwin-Williams.
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