Kitchen of the Week: Bright and Balanced Modern Farmhouse Style
A Texas couple works with a design team to turn a dark and dated kitchen into a light and fresh family space
Ryan and Elizabeth Karonka wanted a bright kitchen. What they had was the opposite. Brown cabinets, black-and-brown granite countertops, tan backsplash tile, beige floor tile and taupe walls gave their Prosper, Texas, kitchen a drab look even on the sunniest days.
Working with designers Pamela Milogradov and Casey Gatterson, they ditched the dark features and created an uplifting color scheme with white cabinets, a white backsplash, white marble-look countertops and light gray floor tile. A black island base and other black details add a touch of drama and contrast, while a slightly retooled layout gives the couple and their two young sons a more functional family kitchen.
Working with designers Pamela Milogradov and Casey Gatterson, they ditched the dark features and created an uplifting color scheme with white cabinets, a white backsplash, white marble-look countertops and light gray floor tile. A black island base and other black details add a touch of drama and contrast, while a slightly retooled layout gives the couple and their two young sons a more functional family kitchen.
After: The design team eliminated the existing cabinets, island, sink, faucet and flooring. They relocated the fridge to the other side of the room, to the left of the range, which created a more open pathway to the pantry so family members don’t get in the way of the cook if they need to grab a snack. The move “opened up that tight corner,” Milogradov says. “It also made more sense to have the refrigerator by the breakfast area.”
The breakfast area now includes a built-in banquette with drawers. “The old table just stuck out in the middle of the space,” Milogradov says. “We added the banquette with storage for seasonal items and things for the kids. This helped replace the tall cabinets that were lost when the refrigerator was relocated. We also shifted the chandelier, because it was off-center.”
The brighter color palette features crisp white for the cabinets and ceiling (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) and greige for the walls (Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams). The design team extended the cabinetry to the ceiling to maximize storage and make the kitchen feel taller. “Going all the way to the ceiling with the cabinets was the best solution for us,” Elizabeth Karonka says. “It makes the kitchen feel bigger than it is.”
Large-format concrete-look porcelain floor tiles help lighten the look. “It goes well with our hardwood floors,” Karonka says.
Cabinet hardware: Riverside 12-inch pull and Channing knob in flat black, Top Knobs
Shop for island seating
The breakfast area now includes a built-in banquette with drawers. “The old table just stuck out in the middle of the space,” Milogradov says. “We added the banquette with storage for seasonal items and things for the kids. This helped replace the tall cabinets that were lost when the refrigerator was relocated. We also shifted the chandelier, because it was off-center.”
The brighter color palette features crisp white for the cabinets and ceiling (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) and greige for the walls (Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams). The design team extended the cabinetry to the ceiling to maximize storage and make the kitchen feel taller. “Going all the way to the ceiling with the cabinets was the best solution for us,” Elizabeth Karonka says. “It makes the kitchen feel bigger than it is.”
Large-format concrete-look porcelain floor tiles help lighten the look. “It goes well with our hardwood floors,” Karonka says.
Cabinet hardware: Riverside 12-inch pull and Channing knob in flat black, Top Knobs
Shop for island seating
The designers shifted the island location by about a foot to create better symmetry with the existing cooktop. “We wanted the island to be intentional in the space, because that’s where they live their life,” Milogradov says.
A rich, neutral black paint (Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams) on the base of the new island coordinates with flat black cabinet hardware and matte black lantern-style pendants. “I knew I wanted a pop of color on the island, if we were going to do all the white cabinetry,” Karonka says.
Distressed-wood bistro counter stools provide seating at the island. The backs of the stools coordinate with the X design on the ends of the island. Karonka “wanted to go for a modern farmhouse feel, so instead of flat panels we went with the X design,” Milogradov says. “She also mimics this same X design in a powder room she refreshed.”
The lantern-style pendants with candle bulbs also contribute to the farmhouse look. “We wanted to go with something bright that would give a nice glow but also keep it light and airy, and something that would tie in with the farmhouse feel,” Milogradov says.
The tall cabinet to the left of the refrigerator has three pullout drawers, which hold baking items and cutting boards.
Pendants: Corona in matte black, Millennium Lighting
Your Guide to 6 Kitchen Island Styles
A rich, neutral black paint (Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams) on the base of the new island coordinates with flat black cabinet hardware and matte black lantern-style pendants. “I knew I wanted a pop of color on the island, if we were going to do all the white cabinetry,” Karonka says.
Distressed-wood bistro counter stools provide seating at the island. The backs of the stools coordinate with the X design on the ends of the island. Karonka “wanted to go for a modern farmhouse feel, so instead of flat panels we went with the X design,” Milogradov says. “She also mimics this same X design in a powder room she refreshed.”
The lantern-style pendants with candle bulbs also contribute to the farmhouse look. “We wanted to go with something bright that would give a nice glow but also keep it light and airy, and something that would tie in with the farmhouse feel,” Milogradov says.
The tall cabinet to the left of the refrigerator has three pullout drawers, which hold baking items and cutting boards.
Pendants: Corona in matte black, Millennium Lighting
Your Guide to 6 Kitchen Island Styles
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Before: This view of the former kitchen shows how the refrigerator placement crowded the corner. The shallow double-basin sink on the island was also a pain point. “My husband cleans, and I cook,” Karonka says. “He did not like that sink with the two different bowls. It was just hard to keep clean.”
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
After: With the refrigerator relocated, the family enjoys an extra run of counters and cabinets to the right of the pantry that they use as a coffee center and buffet space. “It’s so nice to have the storage and that long counter there,” Karonka says.
A large single-bowl apron-front sink now sits in the island. It has a matte black faucet that coordinates with other black details in the kitchen. To the right of the sink is a paneled trash-and-recycling pullout.
The countertops are quartz that mimic the look of Calacatta Laza marble. The island countertop features a hefty mitered edge that gives it a more prominent appearance.
Shop for single-basin apron-front sinks
A large single-bowl apron-front sink now sits in the island. It has a matte black faucet that coordinates with other black details in the kitchen. To the right of the sink is a paneled trash-and-recycling pullout.
The countertops are quartz that mimic the look of Calacatta Laza marble. The island countertop features a hefty mitered edge that gives it a more prominent appearance.
Shop for single-basin apron-front sinks
Across from the island, a bump-out in the cabinetry and countertop gives the cooktop area more prominence, and allows for deeper drawers below for pots and pans. “A lot of our cabinets before just had one shelf inside,” Karonka says. “We have so much more useful storage now. We love having all the drawers.”
The homeowners added sturdier, thicker shelves inside the walk-in pantry.
The homeowners added sturdier, thicker shelves inside the walk-in pantry.
The backsplash features 3-by-2-inch white glazed ceramic tiles with beveled edges, set in a herringbone pattern. “She wanted a very neutral kitchen,” Milogradov says. “The herringbone pattern enhances the design of the tile, which has a handcrafted look.”
Backsplash tile: Artigiano in color Italian Alps, Daltile
Backsplash tile: Artigiano in color Italian Alps, Daltile
Before: This view of the former kitchen shows how the island sat slightly off-center from the rear wall.
After: Shifting the new island over allowed the designers to create a more pleasingly symmetrical look.
Before: The garbage can originally sat at the end of the island. “That really was the only space that made sense for it,” Karonka says. “But it was always in the way.”
After: The paneled trash-and-recycling center in the island eliminates the need for a stand-alone garbage can. It’s one of many moves that contributed to creating the bright and open kitchen the couple wanted. “I think we were able to utilize the space to the best of our ability,” Karonka says.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Ryan and Elizabeth Karonka and their two young sons
Location: Prosper, Texas
Size: 350 square feet (33 square meters)
Designers: Pamela Milogradov of Huntington Remodeling and Casey Gatterson of IBB Design Fine Furnishings
Before: The Karonkas weren’t fans of the dark materials and heavy feel of the former traditional-style kitchen. And while the couple enjoyed the open layout, they didn’t like how the island wasn’t centered with the cooktop. Plus, the refrigerator stuck out into the pathway to the walk-in pantry and created a crowded corner with the wall ovens there.
“We were not trying to reconfigure the kitchen,” Milogradov says. “It was about alleviating the problem of the crowded corner with the appliances.”
The kitchen opens to a family room with hardwood flooring. A breakfast area near bay windows overlooks a backyard with pool.
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