Allen TX before and after kitchen renovation with blonde maple Bellmont cabinetry with two tone maple spice and Dekton Laurent leathered porcelain counters

It all began with a vision…

As a designer, I live for those moments when a client’s eyes light up — when they see their dream space come to life after dormant years trying to reimagine the possibilities. My latest renovation unveiled those opportunities as a young empty nester couple reinvested in their forever home kitchen to build a next chapter of memories in a modernized setting in Allen, TX.

The Transformation Journey

The Space:

We began with a consultation to bring clarity to their goals and visions of their new kitchen.

As I entered the home, I sensed the history and life journey of the occupants by how they lived in their space. Family memories were evident by their many heirloom furnishings, and their wine bottle collection celebrated life’s special events as their family grew and flourished.

Aesthetically though, the kitchen and adjacent family room lacked functionality, workflow, and storage in lieu of a builder grade floor plan and an angled corner fireplace that limited cohesive furniture placement. While this home had been well preserved and steadily upgraded through the years, this couple’s builder-basic kitchen felt disjointed, and the overflow of heirloom furnishings plus limited storage options robbed their space of any real warmth and adequate functionality for their lifestyle and family gatherings.

The Goal:

With intentions to modernize their 20+ year old forever-home, these lovely family-focused professionals saved their largest remodel for last. Their desire was to transform their kitchen into a sophisticated yet welcoming, practical daily space with an open concept floor plan with better workflow, storage, and space efficiency that inspired family enjoyment and occasional gatherings.

The key starting point toward this goal zeroed in on the lifestyle of this family and their optimal use of space including cooking routines, traffic flow, entertainment, and leisurely gatherings. We defined what worked and what didn’t, and then mapped out optional zones for meal prep, casual dining, pet needs, pantry needs, and entertaining. Lastly, we visited unused adjacent spaces such as the formal dining room and downsizing options to the many important keepsake furnishings that presented personal value and memories that remained important to their family.

Upon completion of our follow up design plan meeting, we aligned our redesign goals resulting in a modernized traditional Parisienne style kitchen and family room combo space that embraced versatility while optimizing workflow, lighting, and functionality, all within a color palette that felt fresh and timeless reflecting their mutual tastes and passion for wine.

After presenting three design options, this Allen TX couple chose to maximize their remodel’s impact with a basic footprint makeover that involved relocating their sink, range, and kitchen access to create a new and more dramatic focal point alongside a more practical traffic flow into the kitchen.

The Redesign Strategy

The Dining Room:

We first repurposed the unused formal dining room into an office with french doors accented by a beautiful glass header. This space offered more practical square footage, a secluded space for pets, ready kitchen access from the home’s entry, and ultimately provided a dedicated wall for a dramatic and beautiful chef focal point.

The Family Room:

The open concept family room transformed into a modern Parisienne café with a fireside heirloom farm table for gatherings and leisurely enjoyment of wine, meals at home, or entertainment with family and friends. The new farmhouse wood mantle further complimented the style accented by beautiful handmade Soci patterned tile with board and baton accents in a terra cotta tone that complimented the texture and mood. The couple further downsized treasured furnishings while relocating their 200-bottle wine chest into the family room space to join their new wine bar.

The Kitchen:

While keeping with the original u-shaped kitchen, the new design maximized storage while improving workflow within the entire open concept space.

The cooking wall:

A beautiful focal cooking wall was created while relocating access to the kitchen from the hall. Draping the range, 15” depth ceiling height wall cabinets optimized storage for larger plates and serve ware while base cabinet pullouts and a lazy susan leveraged hidden accessibility to utensils and knives, vinegar bottles, and cooking items. And a finale chimney hood stood tall and proud over their existing 30” range backed by beautiful Dekton black leathered porcelain creating an “Ahh…” moment for all who entered the room.
The fridge wall:
The four door Samsung fridge remained in its original space, now surrounded by beautiful dark maple spice pantry cabinets adorned with multiple rollout trays for easy access to both food and pet needs.
The sink wall:
The sink wall now housed a chef-style 42” sink base relocated and centered amid the large kitchen bay window to maximize countertop space. Specialty base cabinets optimized workflows and access to a microwave, cleaning aids, trash and recyclables, and a pullout mixer, each leveraging additional space and storage within, versus on top of the cabinets.

Textures & Touches:

Significant personal touches were then layered to combine functionality with style mixing blonde maple glaze perimeter cabinets with a darker spiced maple bar and pantry to create a two-tone compliment that added visual interest and depth to the overall aesthetic.

And the final touch — recessed lighting, a copper pendant light, and a custom wine bar with backlit frosted bronze glass doors, ambient cabinet lighting, appliance garages, and large cutlery drawer inserts contributing to a signature space filled with their purpose and personality for their next chapter in their custom Parisienne café.

A Renewed Heart of the Home

The new kitchen boasts quality made transitional styled frameless Bellmont cabinetry in contrasting wood tones for visual interest and texture. The color combination with contrasting dark veined Dekton porcelain visualizes mood with durability while remaining light and approachable.
Now with one cohesive family living space presenting a consistent theme and color palette, this couple’s new kitchen/family room combo offers an inviting and open signature area that’s reflects their personalities and their journey.
Zone optimizations for functionality and storage improve workflows while inviting conversation.
The homeowners now feel the space reflects spaciousness and luxury within an intimate setting that inspires family togetherness. Mission accomplished.

Ready to Transform Your Heart of the Home Space?

If you’re dreaming of a kitchen or home that feels warm, intentional, and beautifully designed, I’d love to guide you through the process.
Schedule your design consultation today and let’s reimagine the heart of your home — together. We’ll explore your needs, share our design-to-completion process, and show how we transform homes with intention, style, and heart.