Search in:

Kitchen

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

By:
Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

A family kitchen undergoes an all-white transformation Author: Donna Griffith

Kitchen

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

By:

Style at Home art director Karen Paddon finally gets her very own white kitchen with an enduring style that perfectly suits her family of four.

 

Style at Home art director Karen Paddon knows a timeless white kitchen when she sees one. Unfortunately, the one in her Brooklin, Ont., house did not fit the profile. “Yes, it had all-white cabinets,” says Karen, “but they were creaky and dysfunctional.”

The cracked blue floor tiles, green laminate countertops and brown wall paint cemented the 2001 build as decidedly dated. So she and husband Eric turned to one of Karen’s colleagues, design editor Stacy Begg, to transform the 350-square-foot space. Stacy’s biggest challenge? The pristine room had to stand up to the couple’s sons, Tyler, 5, and Ryan, 2.

Photo Gallery

prev next 1 of 10

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

The floor plan

Style At Home design editor Stacy Begg transformed the 350-square-foot space.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Bright white kitchen

Homeowner and Style at Home art director Karen Paddon’s bright white kitchen is the epitome of timeless style.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Stainless steel appliances

Karen had her heart set on white appliances, but an out-of-stock microwave drove her to go for all stainless steel instead. She says it’s for the best: “All the white would have been too much of a good thing.”

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Herringbone backsplash

The herringbone backsplash was custom made with Carrara and Oriental White marble after the chevron style she coveted was discontinued.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Spacious drawers

Dividers made to fit the spacious drawers, handy lit drawers within drawers and mock drawer fronts hiding pull-out waste bins make this an organized space.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Custom details

Karen’s classic white cabinets look custom made, but they’re from IKEA’s latest collection of prefab units, Sektion. Custom details like the marble herringbone backsplash and coordinating chevron panelling on either end of the island add bespoke appeal.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Plan A vs. Plan B

When the reno gods weren't on homeowner Karen Paddon's side, she got creative. 1 Lighting Plan A: Order a pair of lights online to go over the kitchen island. Plan B: When only one arrived, Karen hung it in the eat-in area and got replacements for the island. 2 Bulkheads Plan A: Remove the bulkheads. Plan B: The option proved too pricey. Instead, she painted them white so they'd blend into the kitchen cabinetry and ceiling. 3 Backsplash Plan A: Buy a premade chevron marble mosaic blacksplash. Plan B: The style was discontinued, so the supplier custom made a similar herringbone version.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Hunter Douglas Roman shades

Overlooking the backyard, the bank of windows in the kitchen eat-in area is adorned with grasscloth-like Hunter Douglas Roman shades. They can scroll top-down or bottom-up at the touch of a button, “which is perfect for keeping an eye on Tyler when he’s playing outside,” says Karen.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Eat-in

Tyler enjoys breakfast with little brother Ryan in the eat-in area. Karen doesn’t have to worry about spills, thanks to the easy-wipe plastic chairs and hard-wearing fabric she chose for the bench cushions.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

Ersatz bar

Sitting pretty atop a bank of drawers that was made to look like a dresser, an ersatz bar is ready to serve drop-in guests. This counter also offers extra prep space.

Image by: Style at Home By: Mary Levitski Source: Donna Griffith

 

Comments

Share X
Kitchen

Kitchen design: Classic and contemporary

© 2024 TVA Group. All rights reserved.