PNW KITCHEN
Seeing the original cabinetry in the kitchen of our 1915 craftsman home paired with grey laminate countertops, faux stone laminate flors, pvc baseboards, stark white peel and stick subway tiles, and fluorescent tube overhead lighting was nothing short of disturbing. The stove was pinned in the corner of the room by an eyesore of a fridge that left no space for utility. The countertops were extremely narrow, leaving you face to face with the stark white cabinet doors during any form of food prep. My goal with this kitchen was to take it from feeling like an outdated cafeteria kitchen and turn it into the heart of the home.
I removed the cabinet doors from above the main counter and filled the shelves with vintage and antique dishes and glassware, fresh produce, favorite cookbooks, and art made by our friends. Living in the Pacific Northwest, sunlight becomes your guide and resource. Because the kitchen had such low natural light, I decided to embrace this dark quality by painting the walls, cabinetry, and ceiling Toy Tank Green. The warm dark green embraced this dim light and reflected the warm light from strategically placed vintage lamps throughout beautifully. The overhead fluorescent light was replaced by an art deco, five arm light fixture with peach glass. The fridge was moved into a closet space in the mud room, just off the kitchen, which opened up the space next to the stove for a beautiful vintage butchers block to prepare food. The end result was a space that felt warm, inviting, and practical, a drastic contrast to the almost medical space we found upon move in.