Kitchen of the Week: Creamy Cabinets and Elegant Farmhouse Style
A designer transforms a dated Minnesota kitchen into a sunny space with lots of smart custom storage
Physicians Mark Larson and Amy Williams wanted their kitchen to take better advantage of views of giant oak trees and an apple orchard. They were also seeking a more user-friendly layout and a lighter but warm color scheme, so the empty-nest couple asked designer Kate Roos to help them transform the Elgin, Minnesota, kitchen into a more attractive and functional space made for cooking and entertaining.
After: To bring the outdoors in, Roos added six new energy-efficient bay windows that sit close to the floor. Comfortable chairs that each seat two flank a round pedestal table. An iron and brass chandelier hangs above. “We have some of the banquette features, but the chairs are movable and don’t obstruct the views,” Mark says.
Custom cabinets and walls in creamy white (a custom paint color by Sherwin-Williams) create a brighter kitchen color scheme with a touch of warmth. Roos removed the soffit and centered a new custom island with the range top. Moving the location of the sink from one side of the island to the other improved function. “We wanted to create a dedicated work aisle, and have the other side of the island now be a place where people could hang out and not get in the way of the cook,” Roos says.
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Custom cabinets and walls in creamy white (a custom paint color by Sherwin-Williams) create a brighter kitchen color scheme with a touch of warmth. Roos removed the soffit and centered a new custom island with the range top. Moving the location of the sink from one side of the island to the other improved function. “We wanted to create a dedicated work aisle, and have the other side of the island now be a place where people could hang out and not get in the way of the cook,” Roos says.
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After: Moving the locations of the ovens and the refrigerator improved traffic flow and created a cohesive work area. Three attractive pendants now hang above the island. “Amy felt the pendants, which include glass shades with an iridescence to them, help tie them into the color and movement of the island top,” Roos says.
Mark and Amy were able to save money on the project by keeping the same footprint, refinishing the existing 3-inch-wide plank oak flooring and using their existing refrigerator with new panel fronts, which help the appliance blend in with the rest of the cabinetry for an elegant look.
Elba crackled glass pendant: Uttermost
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Mark and Amy were able to save money on the project by keeping the same footprint, refinishing the existing 3-inch-wide plank oak flooring and using their existing refrigerator with new panel fronts, which help the appliance blend in with the rest of the cabinetry for an elegant look.
Elba crackled glass pendant: Uttermost
Shop for kitchen island lighting on Houzz
After: The new 48-inch range top with griddle includes a hood that blends in with the cabinetry. Under the range top sits two-tier spice storage, surrounded by long and wide drawers for pots and pans. The backsplash features larger-format (3-by-9-inch) glazed ceramic tiles, which create a soothing backdrop with clean lines.
This photo also highlights the island’s quartzite top, a dramatic focal point of the kitchen. “We initially thought about a different look, but I saw this Fusion quartzite and knew that’s what we wanted,” Amy says. “It’s the main piece of art in the kitchen. It looks like a flow of lava, and there are so many colors in it.”
This same quartzite was used for the perimeter counters. Roos says it was a good choice because it works well with the simplicity of the rest of the kitchen.
This photo also highlights the island’s quartzite top, a dramatic focal point of the kitchen. “We initially thought about a different look, but I saw this Fusion quartzite and knew that’s what we wanted,” Amy says. “It’s the main piece of art in the kitchen. It looks like a flow of lava, and there are so many colors in it.”
This same quartzite was used for the perimeter counters. Roos says it was a good choice because it works well with the simplicity of the rest of the kitchen.
This view shows the renovated kitchen’s new, extensive storage. The cabinets, designed by Roos, are paint-grade poplar and have an inset door style with a classic look that fits the elegant farmhouse-inspired style. The cabinets go almost all the way to the ceiling, where a structural steel beam was concealed and finished with crown molding.
Glass-front upper cabinets keep things light and offer display storage for everyday cups, dishes and glasses. The upper closed cabinet to the right holds a microwave and a spacious coffee center with outlets inside; it includes a grinder, espresso maker, cups, coffee and tea. The upper cabinet on the other side is the baking center, with mixer, toaster and more outlets.
A combination of soft-close drawers and cabinets offers pantry storage and lots of space for serving pieces. “We really wanted a clean look and liked the idea of putting as much as we could behind cabinetry,” Mark says.
The island features turned legs and pullout baskets for easy-access storage of bread, onions and potatoes.
Glass-front upper cabinets keep things light and offer display storage for everyday cups, dishes and glasses. The upper closed cabinet to the right holds a microwave and a spacious coffee center with outlets inside; it includes a grinder, espresso maker, cups, coffee and tea. The upper cabinet on the other side is the baking center, with mixer, toaster and more outlets.
A combination of soft-close drawers and cabinets offers pantry storage and lots of space for serving pieces. “We really wanted a clean look and liked the idea of putting as much as we could behind cabinetry,” Mark says.
The island features turned legs and pullout baskets for easy-access storage of bread, onions and potatoes.
After: Roos designed a new hutch in walnut with the same style as the cabinets and a Taj Mahal quartzite counter. The taller design eliminates the dust problem on top, and the mirror backsplash bounces light back into the kitchen from the large bay windows.
A darker finish with polished nickel knobs for contrast gives the storage unit a nice stand-alone look. “We used the darker finish to offer a focal point, or something different,” Roos says. “I feel it anchors this side of the kitchen and offers a nice balance for the space.”
Amy and Mark — who now cooks, thanks to the renovation — love spending time in their updated kitchen. “This kitchen is much more functional and beautiful,” Amy says. “To watch the snow fall outside is just lovely. And we love to entertain, and now have the storage space we need.”
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A darker finish with polished nickel knobs for contrast gives the storage unit a nice stand-alone look. “We used the darker finish to offer a focal point, or something different,” Roos says. “I feel it anchors this side of the kitchen and offers a nice balance for the space.”
Amy and Mark — who now cooks, thanks to the renovation — love spending time in their updated kitchen. “This kitchen is much more functional and beautiful,” Amy says. “To watch the snow fall outside is just lovely. And we love to entertain, and now have the storage space we need.”
More on Houzz
Your New Kitchen: 7 Tricky Questions You Didn’t Know You’d Ask
See more Kitchens of the Week
Get kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Physicians Mark Larson and Amy Williams
Location: Elgin, Minnesota
Size: 432 square feet (40 square meters)
Designer: Kate Roos Design
Before: Prior to the renovation, the dated kitchen had red oak cabinets with a honey color and green walls with a yellow glaze. “It was just worn,” says Amy, who used Houzz to find ideas for their project. “The cabinets were falling apart.”
The rectangular kitchen also included a dropped decorative soffit above the island with lighting and hooks for pots and pans — the feature created a visual barrier and made the space feel dark and heavy. Meanwhile, banquette seating under casement windows limited the views to the outside.