Fresh White Palette Brings Joy to Designer’s Kitchen and Bedroom
In Florida, Krista Watterworth Alterman ditches dark faux-Mediterranean style for bright, glossy whites
Designer Krista Watterworth Alterman loves bright, white, neutral interiors. “They give me great joy and pleasure,” she says. So the dark cabinets, heavy draperies and muted yellow walls with a sponged-on effect inside her 2002 basic model home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, weren’t exactly delivering much delight.
Alterman and her husband, Eric, lived with the existing style for about eight years until they decided in 2019 it was time to renovate. “We deleted all that dark with a light, bright color palette,” Alterman says. In the kitchen, which was a major focus of the renovation, the high-gloss white cabinets and shiplap ceiling join the Calacatta Gold marble countertops and slab backsplash to create a breezy, inviting coastal style. Large-format travertine tile floors and brass cabinet hardware and island pendants add warmth to the space.
In the master bedroom, Alterman continued the fresh style with white for the bedspread, walls, nightstands and lampshades. Large photographs of beaches and a custom wallpaper featuring lyrics from the couple’s wedding song infuse the space with personality and charm.
Alterman and her husband, Eric, lived with the existing style for about eight years until they decided in 2019 it was time to renovate. “We deleted all that dark with a light, bright color palette,” Alterman says. In the kitchen, which was a major focus of the renovation, the high-gloss white cabinets and shiplap ceiling join the Calacatta Gold marble countertops and slab backsplash to create a breezy, inviting coastal style. Large-format travertine tile floors and brass cabinet hardware and island pendants add warmth to the space.
In the master bedroom, Alterman continued the fresh style with white for the bedspread, walls, nightstands and lampshades. Large photographs of beaches and a custom wallpaper featuring lyrics from the couple’s wedding song infuse the space with personality and charm.
After: Alterman kept the major components in about the same location. She also kept the perimeter cabinets but added a few new cabinets and painted everything a high-gloss white (Pure White by Benjamin Moore).
She removed the curved island and replaced it with a rectangular one in a blue-gray color (Dover Cliffs from Wood-Mode). The island color coordinates with the grays in the marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Brass egg-shaped pendants and brass cabinet hardware complement the gold tones in the travertine flooring.
“This is a family home, a well-loved home full of people all the time,” Alterman says. “The kitchen was all about functionality. We also wanted it to have a certain elegance but with more warmth.”
Alterman jackhammered up part of the floor to make way for the new island and to slightly move some plumbing, so she spent a lot of time searching for travertine floor tiles that would match the tones in the existing tile. “There’s a lot of variation with natural materials, so I went every place that I know of to find a similar hue so it looks like it’s been there all along,” she says.
Rather than spend the time and money to scrape and update the previous popcorn ceiling finish, Alterman installed shiplap — painted in the same high-gloss white as the cabinets — directly over it. This also gave her the freedom to reposition existing recessed lights and add new ones to create a more efficient grid pattern. All the lights are connected to a Lutron control system that allows the family to create various dimmed or brightened lighting schemes.
Cabinets: Rachel Eve Design
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She removed the curved island and replaced it with a rectangular one in a blue-gray color (Dover Cliffs from Wood-Mode). The island color coordinates with the grays in the marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Brass egg-shaped pendants and brass cabinet hardware complement the gold tones in the travertine flooring.
“This is a family home, a well-loved home full of people all the time,” Alterman says. “The kitchen was all about functionality. We also wanted it to have a certain elegance but with more warmth.”
Alterman jackhammered up part of the floor to make way for the new island and to slightly move some plumbing, so she spent a lot of time searching for travertine floor tiles that would match the tones in the existing tile. “There’s a lot of variation with natural materials, so I went every place that I know of to find a similar hue so it looks like it’s been there all along,” she says.
Rather than spend the time and money to scrape and update the previous popcorn ceiling finish, Alterman installed shiplap — painted in the same high-gloss white as the cabinets — directly over it. This also gave her the freedom to reposition existing recessed lights and add new ones to create a more efficient grid pattern. All the lights are connected to a Lutron control system that allows the family to create various dimmed or brightened lighting schemes.
Cabinets: Rachel Eve Design
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The countertops and backsplash are Calacatta Gold marble in an extra polished finish. Alterman says she had to have real marble despite the upkeep involved. “I love marble and am a die-hard purist when it comes to stone,” she says. “It adds something really special to a space. It feels alive. And it’s one of a kind because no slab is the same.”
But it’s a pain to maintain, she says. “I have water stains all over it right now, but it’s a personal choice. I have someone come in and seal it for me every two months. They scrub it with a light sandpaper and put a liquid sealant over it. The whole process takes about 30 minutes.”
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But it’s a pain to maintain, she says. “I have water stains all over it right now, but it’s a personal choice. I have someone come in and seal it for me every two months. They scrub it with a light sandpaper and put a liquid sealant over it. The whole process takes about 30 minutes.”
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Alterman says the stainless steel refrigerator and freezer also require extra cleaning because of how the finish attracts and highlights fingerprints. “I would have paneled them, but it’s harder to do when you are working with existing cabinets, and we wanted to save a little money,” she says.
The high-gloss cabinet paint, however, is easy to wipe down.
Watch now: See more of this kitchen on Houzz TV
The high-gloss cabinet paint, however, is easy to wipe down.
Watch now: See more of this kitchen on Houzz TV
Alterman bought the handmade walnut stools a dozen years ago in Brooklyn, New York. They were originally bar-height, so Alterman cut them down to countertop-height to fit the new island. “You can’t even tell,” she says.
An undermount stainless steel sink features beveled edges that hold a cutting board and other accessories.
Alterman likes to mix metal finishes in kitchens. For the faucet, she wanted a finish that would coordinate with the stainless steel appliances but also work well with the brass hardware and light fixtures. Polished nickel was the solution. “It has a little bit of gold cast to it,” she says. “Chrome is very gray, colder. When I mix brass with silver, it’s polished nickel.”
Alterman likes to mix metal finishes in kitchens. For the faucet, she wanted a finish that would coordinate with the stainless steel appliances but also work well with the brass hardware and light fixtures. Polished nickel was the solution. “It has a little bit of gold cast to it,” she says. “Chrome is very gray, colder. When I mix brass with silver, it’s polished nickel.”
After: Alterman created a breezy style similar to the kitchen by painting three of the bedroom walls the same color as the kitchen cabinets (Pure White by Benjamin Moore). The molding is Decorator’s White, also by Benjamin Moore. “It looks more off-white in pictures than in real life,” Alterman says.
Before the couple moved in, Alterman surprised her husband with a custom wallpaper behind the bed featuring lyrics from their wedding song, Valentine’s Day by Bruce Springsteen. The script is in Springsteen’s handwriting, taken from one of his published notebooks.
The furniture pieces came together over time. A bed with a linen headboard adds a natural touch. Alterman fell in love with the painted nightstands with Lucite handles after using them in a client’s home. The lamp bases are solid crystal. “They are crazy heavy,” she says. “I saved up for those.”
Alterman loves photography prints, especially images of the ocean. Two large pieces hang on opposite walls. She says she recognizes that displaying photos of the ocean while living so close to the ocean might be perceived as a bit too on the nose, but she doesn’t care. “I love them,” she says. “And I don’t get to the beach as much as I should.”
While the white color scheme enhances abundant Florida sunshine and brings joy to Alterman, she prefers white’s opposite when she sleeps. “We have some serious blackout drapes,” she says.
Watch now: Tour this designer’s bright and breezy kitchen and master bedroom
More on Houzz
Before and After: 5 Kitchen Makeovers in 200 to 245 Square Feet
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Find a kitchen designer in your neighborhood
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Before the couple moved in, Alterman surprised her husband with a custom wallpaper behind the bed featuring lyrics from their wedding song, Valentine’s Day by Bruce Springsteen. The script is in Springsteen’s handwriting, taken from one of his published notebooks.
The furniture pieces came together over time. A bed with a linen headboard adds a natural touch. Alterman fell in love with the painted nightstands with Lucite handles after using them in a client’s home. The lamp bases are solid crystal. “They are crazy heavy,” she says. “I saved up for those.”
Alterman loves photography prints, especially images of the ocean. Two large pieces hang on opposite walls. She says she recognizes that displaying photos of the ocean while living so close to the ocean might be perceived as a bit too on the nose, but she doesn’t care. “I love them,” she says. “And I don’t get to the beach as much as I should.”
While the white color scheme enhances abundant Florida sunshine and brings joy to Alterman, she prefers white’s opposite when she sleeps. “We have some serious blackout drapes,” she says.
Watch now: Tour this designer’s bright and breezy kitchen and master bedroom
More on Houzz
Before and After: 5 Kitchen Makeovers in 200 to 245 Square Feet
Get kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer in your neighborhood
Shop for beds, dressers and other home furniture
Watch now: Tour this designer’s bright and breezy kitchen and master bedroom
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Krista Watterworth Alterman; her husband, Eric; their daughter, Skylar, 10; and their son, Griffon, 12
Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Size: The kitchen is 288 square feet (27 square meters), 16 by 18 feet; the bedroom is 270 square feet (25 square meters), 15 by 18 feet
Designer: Krista Watterworth Alterman of Krista + Home
Before: This photo was taken when the floor had just been taped off in preparation for the renovations. The cabinets were in good shape, but the dark appearance didn’t jibe with Alterman’s need for a bright interior. “The style of the house was old-school faux Mediterranean with dark finishes and heavy drapery,” she says.
She knew the yellow wall treatment, Mediterranean-style light fixtures, dark countertops and popcorn ceiling had to go. So did an odd, curved island that didn’t function well for the space. “It was like a rainbow shape — very weird,” Alterman says.