Print edition: 
Emily and Martin are newlyweds who just bought their first house. They were excited to start their lives together, but once they moved into their new digs, all they seemed to do was work on the 80-year-old house. They were tired and frustrated.
On top of that, for all of their toil and trouble, the couple put only a small dent in the much-needed renovations. They wanted to turn their drab open-concept kitchen and dining room into a bright, inviting room for informal entertaining, but they didn't know where to start. And, like many newlyweds, they were low on money. So they asked me to help them with a budget-conscious kitchen/dining-room face-lift that would reflect their casual, contemporary style.
The kitchen had stainless-steel and black appliances and grayish-blue walls, so I chose a design scheme to complement them: a color palette of bold black and clean white, with accents in blue and silver.
Paint goes a long way in making old look like new. I started off in the kitchen by giving the existing cabinets a fresh coat of paint — white for the upper cabinets and black for the lower cabinets. I then added jewel-like hardware to provide a bit of sparkle. To tie the area together, I put up a stunning linear backsplash in a cool blue glass tile.
I kept the kitchen's appliances but replaced the single-basin sink with a beautiful, modern under-mount sink with a stunning faucet that is sure to be a conversation piece. I then replaced the pink countertop with beautiful taupe quartz flecked with silver and blue. I put the same type of quartz on the kitchen island, which separates the kitchen from the dining room, and added a few funky stools around it.
Emily and Martin wanted the dining room and kitchen to flow into each other. So in the dining room, I incorporated store-bought cabinetry that has a similar style to the kitchen cabinets. I stacked up white base and glass-fronted cabinetry into two columns and placed a black leather and chrome bench between them. Above the bench, which also functions as a banquette, I put up a chalkboard wall for messages.
To warm up the dining room, I put in a new walnut table and a few wood and black leather chairs, and added a heap of blue, brown and geometrical black-and-white pillows on the bench.
To brighten things up, I put in a host of new lighting: task lighting over the sink, two pendants over the island and an elegant chandelier in the dining room. I also added ultramodern blinds to the dining-room window and framed these with crisp white cotton linen drapes that are banded with black fabric.
After a few final accents and accessories — an area rug, a modern mirror, some lamps and a cool wine rack — the redesign was complete.
This dated, dysfunctional space needed an infusion of style and substance. So I united contemporary colors, cheerful lighting and lots of function, and turned Emily and Martin's first house into a comfortable and classic home sweet home. Now that's divine!
