“After” photos by Elizabeth Patton Photography

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: San Diego
Size: 125 square feet (11.6 square meters)
Designer: Lori Ramsay Design

Before: The nearly all-white kitchen included a short peninsula, white appliances, white solid-surface counters and basic cabinetry without hardware. A cove ceiling added to the dated look. “The cove ceiling was something I wanted to remove, but the budget wouldn’t allow it,” Ramsay says.

While the layout created an efficient work triangle between the sink, range and refrigerator, a small microwave above the range lacked proper ventilation, and the bulky refrigerator jutted into the walkway. “The kitchen functioned very well,” Ramsay says. “The primary concern was that the whole thing was dated and didn’t have style. This homeowner has great taste and the dated kitchen didn’t reflect her personality.” The wood-look laminate floor offered a visual break from all the white but was worn and ready for replacement.

After: Ramsay mostly retained the original footprint. “Every time you move something like plumbing and gas lines, it adds to the expense,” she says. She also kept the cove ceiling but had the rest of the kitchen completely gutted and rebuilt. The upper cabinets and trim are painted a warm white (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams), which contrasts beautifully with the stained rift-cut white oak lower cabinets. The two-tone combination adds depth and warmth, while rich brass pulls tie the look together. “They didn’t have adequate storage before,” Ramsay says. “We increased storage capacity and accessibility by converting lower cabinets to all drawers.”

A soft white wall and ceiling color with warm khaki undertones (Neutral Ground by Sherwin-Williams) creates a cozy backdrop that helps the cabinetry stand out. Polished Alpine granite, with bold ebony, graphite and gray veining and forest green crystals, forms the countertops and slab backsplash, adding color, movement and drama. “That was the kickoff for the kitchen,” Ramsay says. “She found that slab and fell in love with it, and that informed all the other decisions.”

Cabinetry hardware: Erika pull in warm brass, Atlas Homewares

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Before: Previously, the large side-by-side refrigerator in a corner of the kitchen stuck out past the cabinetry. The bulky appliance sat by a doorway that opens to the family room. “I thought that needed to be cabinet-depth or built-in,” Ramsay says.

A pantry cabinet next to the refrigerator had fixed shelves inside. “It was only 12 inches deep,” Ramsay says. “That’s why you see such a disparity between the full-depth refrigerator and the pantry.”

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An appliance garage added in the corner by the fridge helps keep the counters free of clutter. “My concern with shifting the refrigerator was that there would be a deep hole in the corner of the kitchen,” Ramsay says. “So we did two things: We dropped the upper cabinetry to the countertop and added the appliance garage. And for the lower cabinet, we did a magic corner [organizer] on the range side and added a spice pullout by the refrigerator.”

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After: Removing the cluttered pots and pans gave Ramsay the opportunity to install elegant brass-and-glass pendant lights, which now illuminate the counter seating area. She replaced the table and chairs with a glamorous bar setup, creating a more functional space for entertaining. A beverage fridge in the peninsula keeps cold drinks nearby and allows guests to grab what they like without entering the kitchen. Medium brown luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring extends through the kitchen and bar area, offering the look of warm wood but with improved durability and water resistance.

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