Kitchen of the Week: Green-Gray Cabinets and a Pass-Through
A designer updates a closed-off kitchen with more openness, improved storage and subtle French country details
After 30 years of living with their closed-off kitchen, poor appliance layout and checkerboard flooring, this empty-nest couple decided it was time for a new phase in life. One with a brighter, more open kitchen where they could gather with family and friends.
They turned to designer Raquel Swartz for help. Swartz, who used Houzz Pro to manage the project, removed a wall to open the floor plan and relocated the appliances for improved function and flow. A clever pass-through over a butcher block cutting board allows the cook in the kitchen to stay connected with guests in the family room. For the style, Swartz drew inspiration from the couple’s romantic memories of vacations to France. She took the green-gray cabinet color from photos of window shutters in the French countryside. French country counter stools also nod to the bucolic region.
They turned to designer Raquel Swartz for help. Swartz, who used Houzz Pro to manage the project, removed a wall to open the floor plan and relocated the appliances for improved function and flow. A clever pass-through over a butcher block cutting board allows the cook in the kitchen to stay connected with guests in the family room. For the style, Swartz drew inspiration from the couple’s romantic memories of vacations to France. She took the green-gray cabinet color from photos of window shutters in the French countryside. French country counter stools also nod to the bucolic region.
After: Swartz eliminated the former appliances, backsplash tile, countertops, flooring and some of the cabinets. “We used a recycling service, so anything that could be donated or recycled was,” she says.
She also took down a wall dividing the kitchen and dining room to create a more open floor plan. (See before-and-after floor plans below.) The new G-shaped layout gave the couple more cabinet storage, counter space and a peninsula with seating.
Counter stools found on Houzz introduce a subtle French country detail with creamy upholstery, nailhead trim and turned legs in a driftwood finish. “We definitely wanted something that would be upholstered, just for comfort,” Swartz says. “We also wanted to do three stools. If the stools had arms or backs, we could only do two.”
Swartz repurposed some of the old cabinets and added new ones, all with Shaker-style fronts and painted a relaxed green-gray (Ash Grey by Farrow & Ball). The color was inspired by photos of green window shutters found in the French countryside, and it was also chosen to complement the lush backyard and nearby nature preserve.
Creamy white walls with yellow undertones (Marble White by Benjamin Moore) add a touch of warmth. Reclaimed white oak flooring replaces the checkerboard, coordinating with the wood floors in adjacent rooms.
Stools: Ernie Fabric counter stool in French Cream, New Pacific Direct
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She also took down a wall dividing the kitchen and dining room to create a more open floor plan. (See before-and-after floor plans below.) The new G-shaped layout gave the couple more cabinet storage, counter space and a peninsula with seating.
Counter stools found on Houzz introduce a subtle French country detail with creamy upholstery, nailhead trim and turned legs in a driftwood finish. “We definitely wanted something that would be upholstered, just for comfort,” Swartz says. “We also wanted to do three stools. If the stools had arms or backs, we could only do two.”
Swartz repurposed some of the old cabinets and added new ones, all with Shaker-style fronts and painted a relaxed green-gray (Ash Grey by Farrow & Ball). The color was inspired by photos of green window shutters found in the French countryside, and it was also chosen to complement the lush backyard and nearby nature preserve.
Creamy white walls with yellow undertones (Marble White by Benjamin Moore) add a touch of warmth. Reclaimed white oak flooring replaces the checkerboard, coordinating with the wood floors in adjacent rooms.
Stools: Ernie Fabric counter stool in French Cream, New Pacific Direct
Find a kitchen designer
Two small pendants of glass and hand-rubbed antique brass hang over the peninsula. “Because it was a peninsula and not a full-on island, it was important to do something a bit delicate and not overwhelming,” Swartz says. “With that antique finish, they’re the antique accent for an otherwise transitional kitchen.”
Pendants: Robinson in hand-rubbed antique brass and clear glass by Thomas O’Brien, Visual Comfort
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Pendants: Robinson in hand-rubbed antique brass and clear glass by Thomas O’Brien, Visual Comfort
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Swartz relocated the range to this side wall and placed the fridge opposite the end of the peninsula, creating an efficient work triangle with the sink.
A new slide-in 30-inch Euro-style electric range includes a true convection oven and baking drawer. The 30-inch over-the-range luxury microwave has a powerful blower. “It’s like a built-in hood,” Swartz says. “The contractor had it vent to the outside.”
Pearl white quartz countertops with soft warm greige veining give the homeowners a durable work surface. “Something the client said from the very start was that she didn’t want something solid white,” Swartz says. “This has a slightly warmer tone.”
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A new slide-in 30-inch Euro-style electric range includes a true convection oven and baking drawer. The 30-inch over-the-range luxury microwave has a powerful blower. “It’s like a built-in hood,” Swartz says. “The contractor had it vent to the outside.”
Pearl white quartz countertops with soft warm greige veining give the homeowners a durable work surface. “Something the client said from the very start was that she didn’t want something solid white,” Swartz says. “This has a slightly warmer tone.”
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Greenish beige recycled ceramic backsplash tiles feature intricately crackled detailing. “I presented these to the clients when we were looking at a bunch of materials one day and they automatically gravitated towards these tiles,” Swartz says. “They loved that they have this textured appearance and felt unique.”
Backsplash tiles: Magnolia, Fireclay Tile
Backsplash tiles: Magnolia, Fireclay Tile
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A pullout to the right of the range keeps baking sheets within easy reach. “We wanted to make use of every inch of this kitchen,” Swartz says. “It’s a good opportunity to store tall and thin things that otherwise would not fit in a cabinet.”
Matte black round knobs and 3-inch cup pulls offer contrast on the painted cabinetry. “We really wanted to do the cup pulls because they felt a bit more rustic,” Swartz says. “We complemented them with the knobs. I like to mix hardware in a kitchen. It’s an opportunity for some subtle contrast.”
Matte black round knobs and 3-inch cup pulls offer contrast on the painted cabinetry. “We really wanted to do the cup pulls because they felt a bit more rustic,” Swartz says. “We complemented them with the knobs. I like to mix hardware in a kitchen. It’s an opportunity for some subtle contrast.”
Swartz centered the new white single-bowl apron-front kitchen sink on the bank of three windows. A traditional-style brushed nickel faucet offers a contrasting finish to the appliances, lighting and cabinet hardware.
Swartz intentionally skipped window treatments. “So much of the kitchen is illuminated by natural light, and they’re situated in this beautiful location by a nature reserve,” she says.
Reclaimed white oak floating shelves offer storage for everyday dishes and accessories.
Sink: Whitehaven, Kohler; faucet: Americana, Pioneer Industries
Swartz intentionally skipped window treatments. “So much of the kitchen is illuminated by natural light, and they’re situated in this beautiful location by a nature reserve,” she says.
Reclaimed white oak floating shelves offer storage for everyday dishes and accessories.
Sink: Whitehaven, Kohler; faucet: Americana, Pioneer Industries
Swartz filled in a former doorway to the family room to add more storage and support the fridge. But she created this clever pass-through above a butcher block cutting station to keep the cook feeling connected to the space. “When she cooks, her family are often in the den and she wanted that communication opportunity,” Swartz says. A new opening between the rooms is to the left of the fridge.
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New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before: In the former kitchen, a wall separated the kitchen from the dining room, seen through the opening on the right here. A tall cabinet was in decent shape, so the homeowners wanted to have it refinished and relocated to the dining room to replace the dark-stained cabinet seen in this photo.
After: The refinished piece, which matches the kitchen cabinetry, now stands next to a small desk in the dining room. “It connects the dining room space with the architecture and design of the kitchen,” Swartz says.
She also took down the wall to combine the two rooms into one open plan.
She also took down the wall to combine the two rooms into one open plan.
Before: This floor plan of the former kitchen shows the tight layout of the range, sink and dishwasher (top center). A doorway on the left connected the kitchen to the family room but interrupted traffic flow. A wall and doorway in the center closed off the kitchen from the dining room.
After: The rejiggered floor plan resulted in a G-shaped kitchen (top) with a more efficient work triangle. With the wall removed, the kitchen and dining room enjoy more openness and connection.
“The renovation really opened up and brightened this space,” Swartz says. “It also gave them a place to gather. It’s definitely a communal space now.”
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“The renovation really opened up and brightened this space,” Swartz says. “It also gave them a place to gather. It’s definitely a communal space now.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Norwell, Massachusetts
Size: 144 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Raquel Swartz of Seviva Design
Before: For this photo of the former kitchen, Swartz used the panorama setting on her camera to show the full space, which created a slight visual bow to the cabinets. But the image shows the cramped nature of the appliances on the main wall. The range sat right next to the sink, leaving virtually no countertop space. “That was one thing that the client really was focused on, the ergonomics of the kitchen and flow,” Swartz says. “She really hated that the range was right next to their sink.”
The fridge stuck into the space, and worn laminate countertops, off-white walls, basic white backsplash tile and midtone cabinets gave the room a low-energy feel. The checkerboard flooring clashed with wood flooring used elsewhere in the home.
Some of the existing cherry cabinets, which were built by a local carpenter the couple previously hired, were in good shape, and the couple wanted to repurpose as many of them as possible during the remodel.