Before and After: 5 Open Kitchens That Work With Adjacent Spaces
Repeating colors, finishes and shapes helps these open-plan kitchens blend stylistically with the spaces nearby
The open-plan kitchen remains popular, with nearly half of remodeling homeowners making their kitchens more open to adjacent spaces, according to the 2020 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. Choosing an open plan does require some thought regarding how the finishes and materials for the various zones will work together.
The following makeovers of five kitchens are stylistically distinct, but all show how open kitchens can have cohesive style with adjacent spaces. Which before-and-after photos do you find most inspiring?
The following makeovers of five kitchens are stylistically distinct, but all show how open kitchens can have cohesive style with adjacent spaces. Which before-and-after photos do you find most inspiring?
After: Designer Mia Rao brought more light into the kitchen by enlarging the window above the sink and selecting white walls and countertops. The countertops, backsplash and waterfall island feature the same material, a marble-look porcelain.
The cabinetry is rift-cut oak with an ashy brown stain but doesn’t make the room feel heavy or dark, thanks to the white finishes and natural light.
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The cabinetry is rift-cut oak with an ashy brown stain but doesn’t make the room feel heavy or dark, thanks to the white finishes and natural light.
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The adjacent family room has a lively feel, courtesy of contrasting colors and textures. The fireplace surround is black porcelain herringbone-pattern tile with a sheen. Brass details carry over from the kitchen, and a custom art piece above the fireplace also has glints of gold.
Read more about this open kitchen
Read more about this open kitchen
Project “after” photos by Nicole Dianne Photography
2. 1990s to Modern Farmhouse
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Ronnie and Jenn Mafrici and their two young daughters
Location: Woodland, California
Size: 450 square feet (42 square meters)
Designer: Lori Brazier of House of Brazier
Before: The old kitchen had 1990s finishes, including wood veneer cabinets and laminate countertops. The angled kitchen island with a raised bar wrapped around a second island, creating an awkward layout. And there was too much recessed lighting.
2. 1990s to Modern Farmhouse
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Ronnie and Jenn Mafrici and their two young daughters
Location: Woodland, California
Size: 450 square feet (42 square meters)
Designer: Lori Brazier of House of Brazier
Before: The old kitchen had 1990s finishes, including wood veneer cabinets and laminate countertops. The angled kitchen island with a raised bar wrapped around a second island, creating an awkward layout. And there was too much recessed lighting.
After: Designer Lori Brazier created two new rectangular islands — one island for dining, the other for food prep — that use the space more efficiently. Both are painted black (Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams) in contrast to the white walls and cabinets (Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams). The cabinets have matte black hardware.
Reducing the former walk-in pantry to the space behind the frosted-glass door seen on the left and extending the kitchen into the former breakfast nook on the right added 75 square feet as well as needed storage.
Cabinet hardware: Top Knobs; Loom bar stools: Essentials for Living
Reducing the former walk-in pantry to the space behind the frosted-glass door seen on the left and extending the kitchen into the former breakfast nook on the right added 75 square feet as well as needed storage.
Cabinet hardware: Top Knobs; Loom bar stools: Essentials for Living
The kitchen is now gracefully open to the adjacent great room, which has a similar black-and-white palette and a vaulted ceiling.
Read more about this open kitchen
Read more about this open kitchen
Project “after” photos by Ryan Garvin
3. Wood and Beige to Upscale Beachy
Great Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a child
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Size: 880 square feet (82 square meters)
Designer: Wendy Word Design
Before: When the homeowners purchased this place, the kitchen had dark cabinets and beige counters. They didn’t like those colors or the location of the range hood in the island.
3. Wood and Beige to Upscale Beachy
Great Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a child
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Size: 880 square feet (82 square meters)
Designer: Wendy Word Design
Before: When the homeowners purchased this place, the kitchen had dark cabinets and beige counters. They didn’t like those colors or the location of the range hood in the island.
After: Designer Wendy Word selected cabinetry and an island with a furniture-like feel, helping integrate the kitchen area with the living zone.
The cabinetry is a modified Shaker style with a step (an extra indent on the inner edge of the stiles and rails) in gray (Oh Deer by Portola Paints & Glazes). The countertops are Calacatta marble. Word had the walnut flooring refinished and treated with oil.
The cabinetry is a modified Shaker style with a step (an extra indent on the inner edge of the stiles and rails) in gray (Oh Deer by Portola Paints & Glazes). The countertops are Calacatta marble. Word had the walnut flooring refinished and treated with oil.
Here’s a look at how the family lounge area connects to the kitchen. The finishes of the wall cabinetry in the kitchen and lounge area are different, but the lounge area’s entertainment center and the kitchen island feature the same wire-brushed white oak. The color blue — in the rugs, sofas, range backsplash and island bar stools — also helps unite the different zones within the great room.
Read more about this open kitchen
Read more about this open kitchen
Project photos by Jesse Jarrett
4. 1970s Finishes to Clean Traditional Style
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: John and Mafalda Callahan
Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Size: 210 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Dana Bacher of Jarrett Design
Before: The homeowners disliked the kitchen from the time they bought this house, but lived with it while raising a family. Once they became empty nesters, they decided to remodel. The couple wasn’t happy with the kitchen’s small footprint and lack of light, and wanted an open floor plan.
4. 1970s Finishes to Clean Traditional Style
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: John and Mafalda Callahan
Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Size: 210 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Dana Bacher of Jarrett Design
Before: The homeowners disliked the kitchen from the time they bought this house, but lived with it while raising a family. Once they became empty nesters, they decided to remodel. The couple wasn’t happy with the kitchen’s small footprint and lack of light, and wanted an open floor plan.
After: This photo is taken from about the same angle as the previous one. The sink stayed in the same place under the window at left. Walls came down between the kitchen, den (through the door past the fridge in the previous photo) and dining room to create this open plan.
One pleasant surprise in taking down the walls was a vaulted ceiling that had been hidden above the existing low ceiling. The den space now benefits from this raised ceiling. The post and beam seen at the right in this photo are wrapped in reclaimed white oak; the project involved removing a load-bearing wall, and the post and beam were needed for structural support.
One pleasant surprise in taking down the walls was a vaulted ceiling that had been hidden above the existing low ceiling. The den space now benefits from this raised ceiling. The post and beam seen at the right in this photo are wrapped in reclaimed white oak; the project involved removing a load-bearing wall, and the post and beam were needed for structural support.
Designer Dana Bacher made the sink in the new kitchen the focal point (the original kitchen did not have a focal point). This photo shows how the kitchen and dining space adjoin — you can just see the gray tops of the dining chairs at the kitchen counter bar. The counters are quartz, and the backsplash is gray subway tile.
The dining room, den and kitchen have a cohesive color palette.
Read more about this open kitchen
The dining room, den and kitchen have a cohesive color palette.
Read more about this open kitchen
Project photos by Juliet Murphy
5. Falling Apart to Living in Style
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An opera singer, a conductor and their three young children
Location: North London
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters); 16 by 25 feet
Designer: Yaniv Peer of Iguana Architects
Before: This chaotic sunroom wasn’t working for the homeowners, who wanted to see their kids while they were cooking.
5. Falling Apart to Living in Style
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An opera singer, a conductor and their three young children
Location: North London
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters); 16 by 25 feet
Designer: Yaniv Peer of Iguana Architects
Before: This chaotic sunroom wasn’t working for the homeowners, who wanted to see their kids while they were cooking.
After: The open kitchen and dining space are adjacent to a seating area.
The kitchen cabinetry is birch plywood spray-painted in colors the homeowners love (Proud Peacock by Dulux and Victorian Eclectic 4 by Crown Trade) and covered with a water-resistant oil stain. The flooring is engineered wood. The panels above the backsplash window behind the sink slide to cover clutter as needed.
The kitchen cabinetry is birch plywood spray-painted in colors the homeowners love (Proud Peacock by Dulux and Victorian Eclectic 4 by Crown Trade) and covered with a water-resistant oil stain. The flooring is engineered wood. The panels above the backsplash window behind the sink slide to cover clutter as needed.
This photo shows how the kitchen and dining area connect to the adjacent living space, where the dark sofa is.
Rectangular and square cutout shelves in the wall echo the shapes of the kitchen cabinet panels, pulling the room together stylistically.
Read more about this kitchen
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Read more about this kitchen
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their young sons and their dog
Location: La Grange, Illinois
Size of first floor: About 1,500 square feet (139 square meters)
Designer: Mia Rao
Before: The homeowners’ traditional-style kitchen featured dark wood and had little natural light.