Kitchen Transformation: Historic Chapel Hill Home Renovation
YES, y’all, we are sharing the most epic kitchen transformation from our sweet little blue door historic home renovation. This Chapel Hill gem came to us by way of some amazing long-time clients of ours, who fell in love with it at first sight. Long overdue for a modern renovation, it took lots of love to turn this 1920s cottage into a beautiful family home fit for modern living.
CFD lead designer Rebecca created the color story for this home, starting by adding a happy blue to the original curved-top front door. As home to a family with a long legacy as Tarheels, the proximity to the University was a key, and the tasteful homage to Carolina blue feels just right.
If you’re just catching up with us on this project, we’ve shared lots from this charming renovation and restoration. Our post on the living room is a great place to start if you’d like to see more of the backstory on this special home, and you can read that here!
The kitchen and breakfast nook were spaces that needed a lot of attention, but were filled with SO much potential. We love any complete renovation, but there’s something special about really transforming a kitchen and giving it new life. Often the hub of the home, this room is such a huge part of daily life, and it’s one of those areas where strategic design truly makes such a difference. We knew this was going to be a complete gut renovation, while also maintaining the overall footprint of the existing kitchen, which was a functional layout that worked for this family.
A before image of the kitchen as it was when the home was purchased. This home came with many furnishings, which spanned a variety of decades! The kitchen was ready for a full renovation.
New floors, cabinetry, tile, and cabinets, and appliances- as well as the addition of this large freestanding island for workspace and storage.
The classic warm white tones and classic lines of the cabinets and backsplash, paired with black hardware, echo the historic features of the house and align with the original molding throughout. Large-format charcoal tile grounds the room. A large free-standing island becomes the hub, providing ample workspace and extra storage, with the open shelving below keeping the room feeling light, airy, and spacious. In a historic home, the footprint of the rooms may be tighter than what we would typically see today, and making the most of the space with strategic design and maximizing natural light can transform the entire feel of the room.
Photography by Michael Blevins. Styling by Heidi Donohue.
This view is taken from French doors that open out onto the deck of the house, looking back through the breakfast nook and into the kitchen. The look-through is gorgeous- a simple silhouette pedestal table with contrasting black chairs keeps the lines clean but still visually interesting. Tall-backed chairs give a traditional, elegant feel that aligns with the home's history, while still keeping the space casual for family breakfasts. Opening the doors to dine al fresco is also a wonderful way to enjoy this space.
This before image of the kitchen looking out into the breakfast nook gives a look at how dark the space felt originally.
The breakfast nook looking out through the french doors onto the back deck.
This sunny view is possibly one of our favorites from the house. We can’t help but imagine Saturday morning pancakes and coffee while enjoying all that morning light. Carrying through the warm whites and neutrals lets all that beautiful natural light shine. The deep charcoal floor adds depth, making the space feel even more spacious. Clean, elegant, and the perfect blend of historic charm and modern comfort.
We’re so glad you came over to hang out with us on the CFD blog today. We love what we do, and we love sharing it with you. Curious about our process? Check out more about our full-home design here. Learn about our decades of design experience and how we make your home one-of-a-kind here.
Have questions about designing your own dream space? We’d love to help. Start here at our contact page. Or, feel free to just give us a holler anytime at hello@catfrenchdesign.com.
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