Before and After, Kitchen

Transforming a Classic Craftsman Kitchen: Before and After

Laura Medicus Interiors

I grew up in the South where it can rain for days and days at a time. I sometimes think I miss the idea and feeling of a good rainstorm, but after experiencing two days (JUST TWO) of some fall gloom and battling my very good idea to abandon all hope and live in pajamas and have chocolate delivered straight to my door for the rest of my life, I realize how much I love the sun. We get soo much sunshine here in the Denver area and it’s absurd to me that I’m not a solar panel and am not able to just live off my solar charge during the gray days. One day like this is fine but TWO?! It’s asking too much of me.

Here’s a project that I recently had photographed in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood. It’s next door to another client’s home that is it’s literal twin. The same builder back in 1925 built the same house next door. I wonder if people back then thought, Oh, how tacky and if they’d be surprised to learn that both homes have aged beautifully with mature trees and you really can’t tell that they’re replicas anymore. Although, my photographer did walk back into the house next door to get something she’d forgotten, which was unlocked, and MARCHED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE KITCHEN before she realized it was the wrong house.

A bright and modern kitchen featuring a large window with a view of greenery, a black countertop with fresh vegetables and fruit, and a vase of sunflowers on the counter under pendant lighting.
The stairs are in the foreground of this photo. Look at those beautiful new windows! (Photo by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors).
Modern kitchen featuring wooden cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a countertop with a sink and a window that offers a view of the outdoors.
BEFORE: We put in new windows, cabinetry, trim, lighting and flooring and also pushed the stove wall back a bit to give the kitchen a little more space.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets, black countertops, and stainless steel appliances including a Wolf stove. A wooden cutting board with vegetables is on the counter, alongside a small display of Coca-Cola bottles and a green pot.
Soapstone counters, inset cabinets and a beadboard backsplash. The cabinets are Natural Cream by Benjamin Moore. (Photo by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors)
A modern kitchen featuring a stainless steel refrigerator, white cabinets with gold handles, and a dark countertop. Two wooden bar stools are visible in the foreground.
(Photo by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors).
BEFORE: The refrigerator was in the center of the kitchen and the back stairs wrapped around it. We moved it to the perimeter and opened up the stairs to the rest of the home.
Modern kitchen featuring a farmhouse sink, stainless steel dishwasher, and a black countertop, illuminated by a decorative wall sconce and large windows providing natural light.
We added a bookshelf and turned it to get more space. Note the drainboard cutouts in the soapstone countertop. (Photo by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors).
Bright and modern kitchen featuring a large window with greenery outside, a central island with a black countertop, wooden bar stools, and a vase of sunflowers on the countertop.
The stairs are in the center of the home, you can see the new stair railing in the foreground here.
(Photo by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors).
A modern kitchen pantry showcasing mint green cabinetry, featuring a built-in microwave and multiple storage drawers. Wooden shelves hold a bowl of apples and woven storage baskets, with a white tote bag visible on the lower shelf.
We were able to add a small pantry and, because the kitchen is on the smaller side, added a steam oven here! (Photo by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors)
Modern kitchen with a black countertop, white cabinetry, a wooden island, and a view of greenery through large windows.
The island is a natural walnut. We matched the new red oak floors to the original flooring in the rest of the home. (Photo by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors)

Books I’ve Loved Recently:

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. So dark, so tragic. Yet it’s funny and heartwarming. If you’ve ever read a John Irving book, this is for you. I read it on my Kindle, but I think this is probably an amazing audiobook.

Watching:

The Great British Baking Show. I know it’s been around for a million years but I’d never seen it until this year. It’s great escapism and I’ve thought more about sponge cake and puddings than I ever have in my entire life.

Listening to:

This Unruly Mess I’ve Made by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. We’re seeing Macklemore at Red Rocks next week and I’m just re-listening to some of my favorites.

You know I feel good about this place
You know I feel good about this steak
You know I feel good about this shake
You know I feel good about these plates
You know I feel good about these crepes
You know I feel good about this cake” Let’s Eat by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

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Published by Laura Medicus Interiors

Laura is a Denver Interior Designer who runs an Interior Design Studio based in sunny Colorado with a strong commitment to livable and interesting interiors. She also runs The Colorado Nest, a Denver blog about Design, Art and Life in the Mountain West and co-hosts the book podcast "The Inside Flap" on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play.

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