Kitchen of the Week: Warm Desert Refresh in 100 Square Feet
A designer updates a retired couple’s condo kitchen with wood details, improved storage and dramatic slabs of quartzite
A retired couple from Boston were looking to escape harsh East Coast winters when they purchased a hacienda-style condo in a Cathedral City, California, desert community where they now live part time. Wanting to fully embrace a modern desert style, they hired designer Sydney Holliday to help give their new home a good refresh. A major focus became updating the 100-square-foot kitchen with its lime green walls, blue backsplash tile and basic tile flooring.
Instead of starting from scratch, the couple decided to keep the layout and some of the existing components while making key changes to improve function and style. They enlarged the peninsula to gain seating, storage and work surface. A bold quartzite countertop with a waterfall edge adds a dramatic touch to the peninsula. Meanwhile, fresh white cabinets, new wood-look vinyl flooring, fluted wood veneer on the island back and handmade zellige backsplash tile elevate the look and feel of the updated space.
Instead of starting from scratch, the couple decided to keep the layout and some of the existing components while making key changes to improve function and style. They enlarged the peninsula to gain seating, storage and work surface. A bold quartzite countertop with a waterfall edge adds a dramatic touch to the peninsula. Meanwhile, fresh white cabinets, new wood-look vinyl flooring, fluted wood veneer on the island back and handmade zellige backsplash tile elevate the look and feel of the updated space.
After: Holliday and the homeowners kept the white perimeter cabinets and white quartz perimeter countertops, as well as the stainless steel appliances. “We were working with a tight budget and wanted to keep as many of the existing elements as we could,” Holliday says. She updated the look of the cabinets with new champagne bronze pulls and refreshed the walls and ceiling with white paint (Simply White by Benjamin Moore).
The backsplash is authentic 4-by-4-inch white handmade zellige tiles with white grout. “I really like the look of handmade zellige because it adds a lot of variation and interest,” Holliday says. “I think it goes really well with the modern desert aesthetic.”
Holliday kept the general layout with one significant exception. She removed the former peninsula and an inefficient storage area (see below) and created an enlarged peninsula with seating for three and increased storage on the interior side. A push-to-open cabinet is in front of the stool on the far right. Fluted wood veneer on the island back adds texture and visual interest. New white oak wood-look luxury vinyl flooring and other wood details add warmth.
Backsplash: Casablanca white square zellige, 4 by 4 inches, Zia Tile; flooring: rigid core luxury vinyl plank in Butter Toast, NuCore Performance, Floor & Decor
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The backsplash is authentic 4-by-4-inch white handmade zellige tiles with white grout. “I really like the look of handmade zellige because it adds a lot of variation and interest,” Holliday says. “I think it goes really well with the modern desert aesthetic.”
Holliday kept the general layout with one significant exception. She removed the former peninsula and an inefficient storage area (see below) and created an enlarged peninsula with seating for three and increased storage on the interior side. A push-to-open cabinet is in front of the stool on the far right. Fluted wood veneer on the island back adds texture and visual interest. New white oak wood-look luxury vinyl flooring and other wood details add warmth.
Backsplash: Casablanca white square zellige, 4 by 4 inches, Zia Tile; flooring: rigid core luxury vinyl plank in Butter Toast, NuCore Performance, Floor & Decor
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A Namib Fantasy quartzite countertop with a waterfall edge brings a striking visual element to the kitchen. “The homeowners didn’t want to do a super standard white quartz,” Holliday says. “I went to a stone yard to look at natural stone options and found this quartzite. It adds depth and has some deeper, darker colors.”
The same zellige tile used for the backsplash covers a portion of the wall at the end of the peninsula, complementing the countertop colors and creating continuity with the kitchen. A large piece of art covers the wall near the refrigerator and coordinates with the backsplash tile and fluted texture on the island back. Holliday added a cabinet over the refrigerator to increase storage.
Two 11-inch saucer-style solid wood pendant lights nod to the three teak stools and other wood details. The kitchen also has recessed ceiling lights.
Stools: Stool No. 2 in Natural, Hati Home; wall art: “Bamboo Passing II” by Tom Reeves, Great Big Canvas
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The same zellige tile used for the backsplash covers a portion of the wall at the end of the peninsula, complementing the countertop colors and creating continuity with the kitchen. A large piece of art covers the wall near the refrigerator and coordinates with the backsplash tile and fluted texture on the island back. Holliday added a cabinet over the refrigerator to increase storage.
Two 11-inch saucer-style solid wood pendant lights nod to the three teak stools and other wood details. The kitchen also has recessed ceiling lights.
Stools: Stool No. 2 in Natural, Hati Home; wall art: “Bamboo Passing II” by Tom Reeves, Great Big Canvas
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Before: Here’s a look at the former kitchen just outside the peninsula. White saloon-style doors concealed open shelves. “The homeowners hated that,” Holliday says. “It just wasn’t functional, was awkward and didn’t match the rest of the kitchen. It also cut into the peninsula space.”
After: With the former storage components gone, Holliday lengthened and widened the peninsula countertop. Floating wood shelves with antique brass shelf railings against a white oak panel add storage, style and warmth to the peninsula area. “We wanted to make it a coffee bar area where they could store mugs and coffee syrup dispensers,” Holliday says.
The updated kitchen and the rest of this revamped condo give the retired couple a soothing escape from harsh Boston winters. “We were able to brighten and modernize it a lot with the budget we had and make it feel larger and more modern,” Holliday says.
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The updated kitchen and the rest of this revamped condo give the retired couple a soothing escape from harsh Boston winters. “We were able to brighten and modernize it a lot with the budget we had and make it feel larger and more modern,” Holliday says.
28 Home Design Trends That Will Define 2024
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: A retired Boston couple
Location: Cathedral City, California
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Sydney Holliday Interiors
Before: The couple thought the layout, appliances and perimeter cabinets and quartz countertops were in good shape. What they disliked was the blue backsplash tile, lime green walls and ceiling and yellow-brown limestone tile flooring. The short peninsula was also an issue. “It was cramped with only room for one or two small counter stools,” Holliday says.