This Kitchen Goes From Depressing to Delightful With Blue Cabinets and Yellow Walls

Jun 06, 2023

By Marni Elyse Katz

Photography by Lynne Graves

Lured east for a dream job at a college in Western Massachusetts, this homeowner and her husband were intent on bringing some California sunniness with them. "They wanted a bold, bright, colorful home," says Hannah Ray of Workroom Design Studio. "They’re happy, outgoing people with big smiles and friendly personalities."

Starting with the husband's fond memories of a brilliant blue kitchen in a former home, Hannah and her design partner, Sally Staub, worked with the couple to find just the right shade of blue for the cabinetry. After much negotiation and sampling, they landed on a lively mid-tone hue, then paired it with seriously saturated yellow shelves pulled from the lollipop-like wallpaper. "They were very keen to keep the saturation of that yellow and not tone it down," Sally says.

BEFORE: The dated brown kitchen felt very dark, especially on the sink wall, where uppers crowded the small window that looks onto the wooded backyard.

When it came to the layout, the main objective was pulling the stove out of the corner. The range is now on its very own wall. Although said wall is not particularly lengthy, there are counters on either side of the range and a striking backsplash that climbs to the ceiling behind it. In order to make such a design decision happen and still preserve enough square footage for the must-have banquette, the designers closed up the window next to the sink so the fridge could live there. There was no loss of light, however, as they significantly enlarged the window over the sink.

To maintain the impact of the peppy blue-and-yellow color combination, Sally and Hannah went with black countertops that pop against the cabinetry along the perimeter. "It took some time to hunt down soapstone with enough green to speak to cabinetry," Hannah says. "This green veining sings."

The family loves their new space, which flows into a cozy, deep blue library. "We had a completely white kitchen in our old house," the homeowner says. "We were definitely ready for color!"

AFTER: Sleek upper cabinets offer storage in the corner where the stove was before. A new coffee station provides not only a hiding place for small appliances, display shelves, and drawers, but also extra countertop space. The designers sheathed the wall leading into the library with a magnetic panel, turning it into command central.

Location: Florence, a village in Northampton, Massachusetts

The before: The kitchen had not been touched since the house was built in 1986. The appliances were beginning to fail and the ugly brown cabinets were falling apart. "We lost some dishes to one particular collapse," the owner says.

The inspiration: The clients were inspired by the "colorful and happy" rooms they saw on the designers’ website, which they discovered through the realtor they worked with to find the house. "Color blocking with surprises of bright colors" is how they describe it.

Square footage: Approximately 260 square feet

Budget: The clients came to the designers with a hard number, but when it was time to pick the pretty stuff—wallpaper and upholstery—they went with the selections they most adored.

BEFORE: The location of the stove in a corner was the room's biggest pain point.

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AFTER: Giving the range a dedicated wall with an interesting backsplash and floating shelves turned the tableau into a focal point.

Accessories: An edge-grain cutting board, an Osborne & Little pillow cover, and a stoneware pitcher with a black-and-white grid pattern dress up the space with restraint.

Appliances: "Stainless steel speaks to the husband's taste for an industrial vibe, and we liked the look of the metal with the quartzite on the island," Hannah says of the decision to use an industrial-style hood and not panelize the fridge. That said, the designers hid the dishwasher so as not to disrupt the base cabinetry.

Backsplash: Black grout accentuates the elongated shape of the midcentury-modern-style picket hex ceramic tile from Tile Bar.

Banquette: The custom banquette has a hard-wearing, faux leather cushion made with Designers Guild Matara in Petrol.

Cabinetry: The Brighton Cabinetry is painted Farrow & Ball Stone Blue.

Countertops: Soapstone was used on the perimeter and Super White quartzite for the island, which the designers characterize as "not too finicky."

Hardware: The nearly black, oil-rubbed bronze edge pulls from Rejuvenation offer a minimalist look while tying to the black grout and dark counters.

Lighting: The Dutton Brown chandelier and pendants mimic the circular graphic design of the simple stick-and-ball-patterned wallpaper, while the semi-flush mount fixture carries color to the other side of the room.

Open shelves: The coffee station shelving is painted in Benjamin Moore's Sunflower, a bright yellow with a hint of an orange undertone.

Plumbing fixtures: The Moen Align pull down kitchen faucet in matte black has industrial flair that appeals to the husband.

AFTER: The team swapped casement windows in the empty corner for smaller double-hung ones that don't interfere with the back of the custom banquette. The sight line is better too. "You can't see the garage now, just the treetops. And the room feels cozier," Hannah says.

By Erika Owen

By Rachel Davies

By Eva Morell

Table: At 30-inches in diameter, the Rejuvenation white-oak café table offers just enough room for quick meals without causing congestion.

Wallpaper: Schumacher Topiary wallpaper in Marigold has a small-scale mod motif that packs a punch without overwhelming.

Most insane splurge and sneakiest save: The natural stone countertops were on the costly side, while the backsplash tile was budget-friendly. The LED light strips that the contractor installed under the counters and open shelving were a fairly inexpensive solution too.

The best part: "If I had to pick one element it would be the built-in banquette," the homeowner says. "It's a great place to sit and have coffee, or watch another family member cook."

BEFORE: The refrigerator overpowered the short wall next to the library. Thick soffits weighed down the space.

AFTER: "The clients were drawn to mod, Eames-inspired color blocking," Sally says. "Yellow-and-blue dishware from Heath Ceramics helped inspire the palette.

By Erika Owen

By Rachel Davies

By Eva Morell

What I’d never do again: "Not wait so long to redo our kitchen," the homeowner says. "It brings us so much joy."

Final bill: The final cost was about 50% over budget, primarily due to pandemic supply chain issues. For example, the price of drywall doubled. Other costs incurred included adding floating shelves above the range.

Decreasing the window size also ensured that there was enough wall to showcase the playful wallpaper.