These Bellevue, Washington, homeowners wanted a kitchen that was fun and relaxing—full of color, pattern, and personality. For 18 years, they lived in a small, dark, U-shaped kitchen with old honey oak cabinets and no island, hardly a source of joy in their 1979 transitional-style home. The eating area was very well lit but was cut off by a peninsula. With one son in college and the other in high school, the couple were ready for something brighter, more open, and designed for gatherings, with a spacious island, ample storage, and a few surprises.
To help bring their vision to life—and rethink the unused formal dining room off the kitchen—they turned to designer Erin Etchemendy of 31E Design and Houzz Photos for inspiration. Removing the peninsula and the dining room wall increased the footprint to 121 square feet, making room for a long, custom island detailed with colorful patterned porcelain tiles. The walnut and quartzite top adds a unique twist to the light blue island base, while engineered wood floors and flat-panel white oak cabinetry warm up the space. Horizontally placed rectangular tiles provide texture and dynamism, completing a bright kitchen full of character.
kitchen at a glance
who lives here: A couple with one son in college and the other in high school
Place: Bellevue, Washington
size: 231 square feet (21 square meters)
Designer: by erin etkemendi 31e design
First: This photo, taken from the doorway to the unused dining room, shows the vintage 110-square-foot kitchen with honey oak cabinets, no hardware, granite counters and cold tile floors. “They definitely wanted to get rid of it,” Etkemendi says. “They definitely wanted to heat the place up.”
Upper cabinets above the peninsula cut off the kitchen from the dining area and family room, making the already tight space even smaller and darker. A range wall separated the kitchen from the dining room, while a stainless steel refrigerator jutted out awkwardly in front of the sink. “It felt cramped, and organization — or the lack of it — was a problem,” Etkemendi says.
One bright spot: a large stationary window above the sink. The homeowners loved natural light and wanted to make it a big feature in the new design.
The massive island is 3 feet, 2 inches wide and 14 feet, 6 inches long and has light blue flat-panel cabinets and drawers — including a charging drawer — as well as open shelves for cookbooks. The top is a mix of Sealed Walnut and Blue Lava Quartzite, the latter a stunning stone with a cool blue background and deep blue and orange veins. “They wanted to incorporate wood, but I didn’t think it would be a good idea to make the entire island top walnut,” Etchemendy says. “This way they have a place to put hot pots or other items and not have to worry about it. That’s a nice feature, too. They just wanted to have something that was different and unique.”
The light blue color of the island contrasts with the perimeter flat-panel white oak cabinetry in a honey pecan finish. Engineered oak floors with seven-and-a-half-inch brushed and smoked planks add even more warmth. “They didn’t want to be sterile white or overwhelmed with too many colors,” Etchemendy says. “Adding wood gives a warm backdrop to the brightness of the colors.”
The new open kitchen flows into an updated dining area with new built-ins barPlus a refreshed family room with a new fireplace surround and built-ins. LED recessed ceiling lights provide flexible illumination. The homeowners left off the island pendant lights to keep the focus on the backsplash. “They were worried that the pendants would get in the way of it,” Etkemendi says. “But it’s wired in case they want to add pendants in the future.”
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Tiles: Tangier Decos, Surface Art
Before and after: 4 renovated kitchens from 150 to 250 square feet
Paint colors: Egret White (walls and ceiling) and Pure White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
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The upgraded double-basin stainless steel sink is paired with a touchless pull-down faucet, with a dishwasher on the right and a trash-and-recycling pullout on the left. A backsplash made of 2-by-10-inch gray-tone horizontal field tiles with a glossy finish adds subtle texture and visual height. “They really liked the idea of having a little physical texture in the tile, but not making it overwhelming,” Etchemendy says. “We found a suite of tiles with a flat glossy finish and a steep staircase pattern that adds more character to a long, continuous wall.”
An interior corner to the right of the sink has wooden floating cabinets for decorative items, with a toaster oven placed away from the main counter. “It would be interesting to figure out how to put a cabinet in there when it’s so close to the window,” Etkemendi says. “It creates a unique feature with the open shelving.”
Backsplash tile: Lighthouse in the Mist, United Tile
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Flat black hardware in a variety of shapes and sizes adds charm to the pantry, refrigerator wall and the rest of the cabinetry. “All of these customers are unique and different,” Atkemendi says. “A pantry wall can be very overwhelming, but bringing in different accents helped break it up.”
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