Ask A Designer™
Ask A Designer™: Gillian Atkins’ Best Advice for a Kitchen Refresh
Published on July 2, 2025
In this edition of Ask A Designer™, Gillian Atkins, senior designer at Lynda Reeves Design Studio, LRDS, shares advice for refreshing a kitchen.
The kitchen, before.
Q: We’re thinking about renovating our kitchen. Should we replace the cabinets? I’d love to take the uppers right to the ceiling. Counter and backsplash recommendations? I’d also like to swap out the microwave over the stove for a vent hood. Our slate tile floors look dated, and they butt up against cherry hardwood in other rooms. Do you have any suggestions? — S.M., London, Ont.
The inspiration.
A: Yes, replace those cabinets; they don’t owe you anything. Consider blond wood cabinets with an off-white Caesarstone counter and backsplash that has some veining. Extend the counter to create an overhang for stools, and then “waterfall” the stone down the end of the counter to the floor. I love the look of open shelving (see above), but if you need the storage, take the new cabinets up to the ceiling (see below).
Related: Gillian Atkins answers three common kitchen design questions
The inspiration.
A: Line up the uppers with the new extended counter and remove your corner shelves. Keep your stove location but centre it, and add a custom, tapered vent hood to create a focal point. Then, put a microwave drawer in the lower cabinets next to the fridge. Consider swapping out your big standard-depth fridge with a more streamlined, panelled, counter-depth model. Replace your light fixture with minimalist pendants and add accessories. Now, about the floors… that slate tile should go. Install a large-scale porcelain tile in a neutral, creamy tone, which will work well with the cherry hardwood in the rest of the house.
Read More: 14 smart moves for your next kitchen or bathroom reno
1. 36″ Integrated French Door refrigerator-freezer by Fisher & Paykel, $7,699. Tasco Appliances. 2. Odin Pull-down faucet in Brilliance Polished Gold by Brizo, $921. Robinson Lighting & Bath. 3. 24″ microwave drawer in Black Stainless Steel by Sharp, pricing upon request. Tasco Appliances.
4. Small Magma pendant in Clear by Matteo Lighting, $202. Light House Co. 5. Haddon counter stool in Natural Nettlewood by Four Hands, $999. Arcadia Modern Home. 6. Quartz surface in 5116 Calacatta Nectar, from $70/sq.ft. Caesarstone.
Alex Lukey (Gillian’s portrait)
House & Home