Light and Bright
One of the downsides of a trendy design is that it quickly becomes outdated. For this Charlotte, North Carolina, home built in 1996, the kitchen breakfast nook and keeping room were stuck in the 1990s and in desperate need of an update. The homeowners reached out to Lauren Clement of Lauren Nicole Designs for help renovating both the functional and aesthetic design of the space. Using a neutral palette, farmhouse textures and elegant finishing touches, Lauren created a cohesive, functional and beautifully timeless space perfect for hosting.
Functionality, a classic white palette and touches of timeless elegance come together in this North Carolina kitchen renovation.
GETTING STARTED
Rather than gutting the whole space, Lauren utilized the features that were already present, breathing new life and vision into it through a classic white palette and touches of farmhouse warmth and functionality. First, she replaced the dated granite countertops with quartz and ditched the original two-tiered setup of the curved island for one uniform height. Next, she updated the cabinets with curved mullions, glass doors and a fresh coat of her own paint color, Sugar Cube from Benjamin Moore, which is a soft, warm white. The abundance of windows lining the breakfast nook and pantry brings in lots of natural light, further brightening the space.
CREATING COHESION
After dealing with these functional design elements, Lauren next worked on creating a good flow between the three areas. She began with the background elements, giving the backsplash a facelift, and replacing the ’90s wallpaper with another of her paint colors, Makloud, a cool-toned white. “Having one color unified this space, and it is the perfect amount of interesting color without overwhelming such a light-filled area,” Lauren says. She also switched out and updated the appliances and fixtures to meet the functional needs of the homeowners. Using finishing touches like lighting, furnishings and other décor, Lauren added definition to each area while unifying the space. “Now the open spaces all talk to each other, and they are all fit to function for the homeowners on a daily basis, as well as ready to host family and friends,” Lauren says.