Before & After — 168 square feet of kitchen gets even more stylish

Small space doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style. There are several ways to open up these rooms to inspiring design, timeless touches, and often more space. All you need is the right palette and materials that will give your small room the sparkle it needs. That's the story of this kitchen in Louisville, Kentucky, in a neighborhood called Deer Park.

“This area was developed as a 'streetcar suburb' of downtown Louisville in the early part of the last century,” says Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors. “Most of his homes, like this one, are bungalows built before 1920. The total area of ​​the house is only 1,100 square feet, of which 168 square feet is this kitchen.”

The heart of the house, the kitchen, needed an immediate renovation. Not only did we want a fresh aesthetic, but we also wanted more circulation areas with proper storage. Bethany remodeled this kitchen by combining both design and practicality, creating a wonderful jewel box-like space within this modern home. Check out the fascinating before/after photos.

in front

“We didn't want to disrupt the historic kitchen, but we divided it in half with a breakfast nook on one side, so the actual kitchen was only 80 square feet,” says Bethany of Bethany Adams Interiors. Mr. Adams says. She said, “My client was a single woman, and even she couldn't make it happen.''

To transform the kitchen into a modern kitchen that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing, designers had to rework the palette, flooring, kitchen island, furniture, and more.

rear

“Since the client had already painted the rest of the house in a moody palette (the house is in an older neighborhood with lots of low bungalows and lush trees), we felt a darker color would be perfect for the kitchen cabinets. '' says Bethany. “Since the space is small and the ceilings are low, we kept the upper palette light.”

For the kitchen flooring, Bethany says, “We chose hexagonal ceramic tiles to keep things modern and budget-friendly.” “Black is a very forgiving and calming color for kitchen floors. The trick to making a space feel elevated is to have all the dark colors at the bottom of the room and the lighter colors as you move up. It's almost an ombre To add an extra layered feel to the flooring, a red kitchen rug accents the scene. They not only add color to a space, but also movement and pattern.

A palette of dark to light colors gives a small space a lot of character, and windows that let in lots of natural light keep the space from feeling claustrophobic.

The small kitchen island is made of steel and Carrara marble. “Since we removed the breakfast nook, our client didn't have many places to get her morning coffee. She liked to have friends over for dinner and gather in the kitchen while she cooked.” says the designer. “I have a very small space, so I chose a prefab island from Crate & Barrel that is just the right size for my small space. It has open legs so it doesn't take up as much space visually, rather than filling it up with additional storage. ”

For the kitchen island lighting, Bethany sourced pendants from Shades of Light. “Again, the space was so small that she only needed one pendant,” she declares. “We didn't want anything that would take up too much space, but we wanted to get a lot of lumens out of a single fixture. The clear glass and wrought iron materials are very simple and complement the bungalow aesthetic of this home. It was harmonious. This piece easily lights up the entire room at night.”

The colors in the kitchen are generally muted, with neutral walls adding a refreshing feel to the room.