We live for renovating homes that haven’t been touched in years! This 1950’s gem in East Grand Rapids, Michigan had great bones and so much potential when we first walked through. We love that we were able to modernize the residence while still staying true to the home’s classic styling. You won’t believe the before and after shots!

In the foyer, we knew that we wanted to include a welcoming wallpaper to catch your eye as you entered. The wallpaper also needed to be understated so as not to overwhelm the small foyer. We chose something light, but with texture and botanical interest.

We went with a rich, three inch hexagon tile to ground the foyer and contrast with the wallpaper. We added new doors to the coat closet and painted the front door a deep green. A new ceiling light was added to cast a welcoming glow on all who enter.

The main floor bathroom, as you’ll see, was extremely pink! We carried the dark green paint color from the foyer to the bathroom cabinetry and sourced a leathered granite countertop that added depth to the whole room. We specified frosted glass in the upper cabinet so that the dark green didn’t feel heavy and ominous in the space.

In the shower, we used an elongated subway tile to introduce texture that was classic and simple, and added marble shampoo niches for visual interest and to give plenty of storage.

We finished the space with chrome features throughout and added vintage artwork that our clients purchased over the toilet. We also used the same hexagon tile from the foyer in the bathroom, but went with a lighter marbled color to keep the space nice and bright.

Before the renovation, there was only a tiny doorway between kitchen and dining room. We completely opened the wall so the kitchen could have more of a relationship with the living room and dining room.

Kitchen before we opened the doorway to the dining room

The counters are a beautiful natural soapstone, while the peninsula top is solid walnut. On the walls, we chose a marble subway tile and wrapped it all the way around the opening to the dining room. We added walnut shelves next to the range to match the peninsula top and for extra display space.

This project holds a first time feature for us at Kristie Koning Design! We specified a flush mount recessed vent hood into the ceiling above the oven. Because it was a ranch style home, we could access the attic space above the kitchen to recess the vent hood to be flush with the ceiling so the view of the dining room wouldn’t be impeded.

We grounded the space with a dark porcelain tile that mimics natural slate and continued the chrome fixtures throughout the kitchen and on the cabinet knobs. The frosted glass mullion doors enhance the overall look of the space to make it feel light and open. Because we wanted to utilize every inch of space in this small kitchen, we used a wall mount microwave that sits flush with the upper cabinets as opposed to protruding out into the space.

Before - View from the dining room into the kitchen

Above the basement steps, we created a message center with the dog dishes below. It’s a convenient and out-of-the-way space to keep mail and other items the client may need on a daily basis.

Love this roman shade detail with the marble and wall sconce!

We hope you love this renovated space as much as we do! Until the next project reveal!