Kitchen of the Week: Two-Tone Style With a Butcher Block Island
An empty-nest couple work with a designer to create more openness, better flow and improved storage and surface space
After 19 years of living with their closed-off kitchen, this newly empty-nest couple decided it was time for a fresh start. They wanted a more open connection to the nearby dining and living rooms, as well as upgraded appliances, more countertop surface and better style.
To achieve their goals, they hired designer Jennie Korsbon. She worked within the same footprint but removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room and replaced it with a peninsula that adds seating, increases connection and allows light to be shared between the rooms. New appliances and a compact center island with a butcher block top improve function. And two-tone flat panel cabinets with charcoal lowers and white uppers join dark quartzite countertops and bright yellow stools for a bit of dramatic contemporary style.
To achieve their goals, they hired designer Jennie Korsbon. She worked within the same footprint but removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room and replaced it with a peninsula that adds seating, increases connection and allows light to be shared between the rooms. New appliances and a compact center island with a butcher block top improve function. And two-tone flat panel cabinets with charcoal lowers and white uppers join dark quartzite countertops and bright yellow stools for a bit of dramatic contemporary style.
After: Korsbon stripped the kitchen back and filled in the window that once sat over the dining table. She used the extra wall space to extend the kitchen, add storage and countertop space and relocate the refrigerator, which now stands where the window used to be. This helped loosen up the appliance layout, create better flow to the back door and allow room for a compact island with a walnut butcher block top.
“The island is about 2 inches higher than regular counter height so it would be more comfortable for when they’re prepping their meals,” Korsbon says.
Refinished 2-inch solid red oak plank flooring adds warmth.
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“The island is about 2 inches higher than regular counter height so it would be more comfortable for when they’re prepping their meals,” Korsbon says.
Refinished 2-inch solid red oak plank flooring adds warmth.
Find a kitchen designer
Before: This photo shows how an electric cooktop sat cramped below the microwave and between the refrigerator and oven, leaving no countertop surface.
The wall of dark green cabinets on the right separated the kitchen from the dining room, which can be partially seen through the doorway. “It was just so confining,” Korsbon says. “That was the major problem for everything they wanted to do.”
The wall of dark green cabinets on the right separated the kitchen from the dining room, which can be partially seen through the doorway. “It was just so confining,” Korsbon says. “That was the major problem for everything they wanted to do.”
After: This photo was taken from a slightly different angle than the previous one. The new dual-fuel range sits in the same spot as the former electric cooktop. A range hood now takes the spot of the microwave, and cabinetry and countertops flank the range. As mentioned above, the new refrigerator now sits where the old window was. “We tried to spread out their work triangle a little bit so it wasn’t so lopsided,” Korsbon says.
She took down the wall of green cabinets and replaced it with the peninsula on the right, opening up the kitchen to the dining room and living room beyond.
The upper cabinets, ceiling, walls and trim are a radiant, slightly cool shade of white (Super White by Benjamin Moore). White ceramic elongated hexagon tiles complement the white cabinets and add visual texture and interest. Undercabinet lighting keeps the backsplash free of outlets.
Lower cabinets in a dark charcoal color (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams) and honed Marquina quartzite countertops anchor the space. “Quartzite added a lot of durability,” Korsbon says. “The movement in this stone also helps it be very forgiving for cooking messes.”
Range: 36-inch dual-fuel with griddle, Dacor
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She took down the wall of green cabinets and replaced it with the peninsula on the right, opening up the kitchen to the dining room and living room beyond.
The upper cabinets, ceiling, walls and trim are a radiant, slightly cool shade of white (Super White by Benjamin Moore). White ceramic elongated hexagon tiles complement the white cabinets and add visual texture and interest. Undercabinet lighting keeps the backsplash free of outlets.
Lower cabinets in a dark charcoal color (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams) and honed Marquina quartzite countertops anchor the space. “Quartzite added a lot of durability,” Korsbon says. “The movement in this stone also helps it be very forgiving for cooking messes.”
Range: 36-inch dual-fuel with griddle, Dacor
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With the wall gone and the peninsula in place, the kitchen is able to share more light with the dining room.
A microwave drawer and multiple storage drawers pack a lot of function into the peninsula.
Satin nickel cabinet hardware — pulls for the drawers, flat knobs for the doors — coordinate with cylindrical pendant lights in antique nickel and bronze finishes.
A 29-inch undermount stainless steel sink joins stainless steel appliances for a cohesive look.
Sink: Strive, Kohler; microwave drawer: Sharp
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A microwave drawer and multiple storage drawers pack a lot of function into the peninsula.
Satin nickel cabinet hardware — pulls for the drawers, flat knobs for the doors — coordinate with cylindrical pendant lights in antique nickel and bronze finishes.
A 29-inch undermount stainless steel sink joins stainless steel appliances for a cohesive look.
Sink: Strive, Kohler; microwave drawer: Sharp
Shop for kitchen lights
Matte white rectangular tile covers the refrigerator wall, adding a different visual pattern to the room while blending in with the cabinet, wall and ceiling color. “We wanted it to be this monochromatic white color so the space would seem bigger than it actually is,” Korsbon says.
Bright yellow polyester fabric stools at the peninsula add a punch of color that’s picked up in a utensil holder by the range, a vase of flowers and a bowl of lemons. “The palette is fairly neutral, so we wanted some sparks of color, but not have them be in the more permanent parts of the kitchen,” Korsbon says. “This was a way for the homeowners to have a little bit of fun with color.”
The same elongated hex tile used for the backsplash covers the back of the peninsula. “This let the peninsula be special,” Korsbon says.
A large pendant light in an antique nickel finish hangs over the butcher block island.
Peninsula pendant lights: Anders in antique nickel and bronze, Visual Comfort; island pendant: Goodman in antique nickel, Visual Comfort; custom cabinets: Engstrom Wood Products
Bright yellow polyester fabric stools at the peninsula add a punch of color that’s picked up in a utensil holder by the range, a vase of flowers and a bowl of lemons. “The palette is fairly neutral, so we wanted some sparks of color, but not have them be in the more permanent parts of the kitchen,” Korsbon says. “This was a way for the homeowners to have a little bit of fun with color.”
The same elongated hex tile used for the backsplash covers the back of the peninsula. “This let the peninsula be special,” Korsbon says.
A large pendant light in an antique nickel finish hangs over the butcher block island.
Peninsula pendant lights: Anders in antique nickel and bronze, Visual Comfort; island pendant: Goodman in antique nickel, Visual Comfort; custom cabinets: Engstrom Wood Products
A new message center includes an upper cabinet for paperwork and overflow storage for serving dishes, a paneled pullout trash and recycling center on the bottom and a tower of curved open shelves for collectibles and cookbooks.
The doorway to the right leads to a hallway that connects to bedrooms and the home’s front entry.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The doorway to the right leads to a hallway that connects to bedrooms and the home’s front entry.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
This photo shows a view of the kitchen from the living room and how the peninsula creates openness between the spaces. “The homeowner talked about feeling lonely in the kitchen when they were trying to cook and entertain,” Korsbon says. “Or there were so many people in the kitchen and they couldn’t get around efficiently.”
Before: This floor plan of the original kitchen (bottom right) shows how a wall of cabinets (center right) cut the kitchen off from the dining room (top right) and living room (left).
The cooktop, fridge and oven sat crammed into one wall (center) and a dining table (bottom right) took up vital square footage.
The cooktop, fridge and oven sat crammed into one wall (center) and a dining table (bottom right) took up vital square footage.
After: Korsbon removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room and replaced it with a peninsula (center right) to open things up and create seating, storage and countertop surface.
The new range sits in the place of the former cooktop (center) and a compact island adds work surface. The fridge now stands in about the same location as the former dining table (bottom right).
“They said before it felt like one square room, but now it feels like the whole main level is part of the kitchen,” Korsbon says.
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The new range sits in the place of the former cooktop (center) and a compact island adds work surface. The fridge now stands in about the same location as the former dining table (bottom right).
“They said before it felt like one square room, but now it feels like the whole main level is part of the kitchen,” Korsbon says.
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: Minneapolis
Size: 170 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Jennie Korsbon of J Korsbon Designs
Before: In the former kitchen, a round dining table sat near a window and took up a good amount of available square footage that the owners felt could be put to better use. The arrangement also blocked traffic to a door that leads to a backyard patio.