White Kitchen Cabinets and an Open Layout
A designer helps a couple create an updated condo kitchen that takes advantage of the unit’s sunny top-floor location
Bryan and Lisa Kelly enjoy blending the styles of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School movement with modernism. So when they purchased their two-bedroom condo in Wheaton, Illinois, they wanted to update the existing kitchen and create a clean, modern space with roots in older, more traditional design that also took advantage of the unit’s sunny top-floor location.
Before: In the existing kitchen, a peninsula cut the room off from the main living areas of the condo. The upper cherry cabinets above the peninsula weighed things down visually, and the black granite countertops added to an overall dark feel. “The dark cabinets and dark counters just sucked all the light out of the space,” Bryan says.
Lisa searched Houzz for ideas on layout and finishes before she and Bryan reached out to designer Susan Klimala. After making sure the new design would work with the building’s existing mechanical and plumbing systems, they moved ahead with their plan to create a visually appealing kitchen that was more user-friendly.
Lisa searched Houzz for ideas on layout and finishes before she and Bryan reached out to designer Susan Klimala. After making sure the new design would work with the building’s existing mechanical and plumbing systems, they moved ahead with their plan to create a visually appealing kitchen that was more user-friendly.
After: This photo, taken from the same angle as the previous one, shows how removing the peninsula and relocating the sink to an island created much better flow.
The lighter color scheme, with light gray walls and white cabinets and trim, make the now-open-concept kitchen feel even more spacious.
The semicustom maple cabinets and drawers offer lots of designated storage while keeping the budget under control. Upper open shelves on one section of the cabinets take advantage of the shape of the sloped ceiling and give the couple space to display some of their collectibles.
Oak X-end caps on each end of the island do a couple of things: “I thought if we could bring in these oak end caps it was a way to add some warmth and tie in [the couple’s] existing stained white oak furniture,” Klimala says.
The upgraded lighting scheme includes dimmable can lights in the ceiling, undercabinet lighting for tasks areas and retro-style glass pendants over the island.
Pro tip: “The biggest tip I have for a condo kitchen is thinking about the logistics,” Klimala says. “Think about blueprints and what’s under the floor. You can also be limited by what you can bring up in an elevator. You’re also often limited by what you can move in terms of mechanics.”
Semicustom cabinets and drawers: Dover, JSI Cabinetry; paint colors: Nebulous White (walls) and Extra White (trim), Sherwin-Williams; pendants over island: glass schoolhouse light fixture in antique brass, Olde Brick Lighting
Shop for kitchen island lighting on Houzz
The lighter color scheme, with light gray walls and white cabinets and trim, make the now-open-concept kitchen feel even more spacious.
The semicustom maple cabinets and drawers offer lots of designated storage while keeping the budget under control. Upper open shelves on one section of the cabinets take advantage of the shape of the sloped ceiling and give the couple space to display some of their collectibles.
Oak X-end caps on each end of the island do a couple of things: “I thought if we could bring in these oak end caps it was a way to add some warmth and tie in [the couple’s] existing stained white oak furniture,” Klimala says.
The upgraded lighting scheme includes dimmable can lights in the ceiling, undercabinet lighting for tasks areas and retro-style glass pendants over the island.
Pro tip: “The biggest tip I have for a condo kitchen is thinking about the logistics,” Klimala says. “Think about blueprints and what’s under the floor. You can also be limited by what you can bring up in an elevator. You’re also often limited by what you can move in terms of mechanics.”
Semicustom cabinets and drawers: Dover, JSI Cabinetry; paint colors: Nebulous White (walls) and Extra White (trim), Sherwin-Williams; pendants over island: glass schoolhouse light fixture in antique brass, Olde Brick Lighting
Shop for kitchen island lighting on Houzz
This sink side of the island includes a thin cabinet for storing trays, a stainless steel dishwasher, pullout trash and recycling bins and a base cabinet for small appliances. “They’re easily accessible but out of the way,” Bryan says.
Custom panels on the side of the refrigerator mimic the style of the cabinet doors and give the space a finished look. Weathered oak flooring provides a nice neutral backdrop for the condo’s updated finishes. A window seat with drawer storage replaced what was once empty space under the kitchen window.
Floor: Shaw Floors
Custom panels on the side of the refrigerator mimic the style of the cabinet doors and give the space a finished look. Weathered oak flooring provides a nice neutral backdrop for the condo’s updated finishes. A window seat with drawer storage replaced what was once empty space under the kitchen window.
Floor: Shaw Floors
Before: The awkwardly placed dark cherry cabinets made the kitchen feel heavy, and the cooking, prep and cleaning zones felt squished together. The difficult layout included a tiny cabinet between the dishwasher and oven that wasn’t large enough to store much. And having the dishwasher and oven open at the same time was impossible.
After: By moving the refrigerator to a different location, the cooking area, with a stainless 30-inch five-burner gas range, now feels comfortable and spacious. Above the range is a custom shiplap hood with white oak detail that plays off the end caps on the island.
Bryan and Lisa’s collection of black pottery inspired the color palette for the herringbone backsplash, made of handmade black tiles with a light gray grout. “We wanted both the tiles and herringbone pattern to pop,” Klimala says. “I like the texture of the pattern, and I love the drama of it. It’s definitely a ‘wow’ kind of tile.”
Bryan and Lisa’s collection of black pottery inspired the color palette for the herringbone backsplash, made of handmade black tiles with a light gray grout. “We wanted both the tiles and herringbone pattern to pop,” Klimala says. “I like the texture of the pattern, and I love the drama of it. It’s definitely a ‘wow’ kind of tile.”
A single-handle faucet in a champagne bronze finish coordinates with the satin brass pulls on the cabinets and drawers. “They’re very simple but have a little round detail at the base that looked sort of cool with the round base of the faucet,” Klimala says.
White quartz for the island top and perimeter counters provides an attractive and durable work surface that coordinates with the room’s black, white and gold accents. “For a while we thought about going with marble, but we wanted things to be as low-maintenance as possible,” Bryan says.
Faucet: Trinsic single-handle in champagne bronze: Delta; undermount sink: Blanco
White quartz for the island top and perimeter counters provides an attractive and durable work surface that coordinates with the room’s black, white and gold accents. “For a while we thought about going with marble, but we wanted things to be as low-maintenance as possible,” Bryan says.
Faucet: Trinsic single-handle in champagne bronze: Delta; undermount sink: Blanco
To create a cohesive feel between the kitchen and living room, Klimala used the same backsplash tiles on the new fireplace surround. New built-ins on each side offer easy-access storage, while a flush-mount 65-inch Samsung Frame TV gives the couple a chance to show off artwork and Lisa’s photos when the TV isn’t on.
“Lisa and I both work from home and spend a lot of time here, and the kitchen gave us a springboard to reimagine the rest of our environment so it all fits together,” Bryan says.
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“Lisa and I both work from home and spend a lot of time here, and the kitchen gave us a springboard to reimagine the rest of our environment so it all fits together,” Bryan says.
More on Houzz
See other Kitchens of the Week
Get design ideas
Find a designer, architect or general contractor
Shop for products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Bryan and Lisa Kelly, co-founders of online retailer PrairieMod
Location: Wheaton, Illinois
Size: About 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn
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