Before & After
Before & After: A Dysfunctional Kitchen Is Redesigned With Warm Transitional Style
Published on February 10, 2025
Designer Karin Kolb had three main goals when tackling this Toronto kitchen: increased functionality, ample storage and timeless style. The 180-square-foot kitchen hadn’t been touched by the previous owners since the 2000s, so her clients, two retired lawyers, were ready for the long overdue renovation.
Along with associate designer Caroline Mason, Karin worked to update the kitchen and breakfast area with new cabinets, hits of wood and an overall warmer feel. “My clients were a dream to work with,” says Karin. “They were very detail-oriented, but always trusting and gracious.”
Scroll down for a look inside this transitional kitchen makeover!
Associate designer Caroline Mason (left) and Karin Kolb.
House & Home: What did the clients ask for?
Karin Kolb: They mainly wanted better function and warm white cabinetry, but nothing too modern or stark. It had to blend seamlessly into the home’s aesthetic. They also really needed storage in the breakfast area and new chairs.
H&H: How would you describe the original kitchen?
Karin: It was dysfunctional. The range was under the window with a pop-up exhaust fan, and there were two corner sinks. They didn’t have an island or enough workspace. Also, the kitchen was about 25 years old and the cabinets had seen better years.
The honey-hued flooring was replaced with a darker hardwood and the cabinets were painted in Benjamin Moore’s Dove Wing.
H&H: Was anything kept from the old kitchen?
Karin: The breakfast table is a vintage piece handed down from family. Their existing fridge was fairly new, so we made it work in the new design. I would have preferred a panel-ready model, but the clients are very environmentally conscious and didn’t want to replace the fridge.
Before: The awkward layout and sunken kitchen area restricted the placement of an island.
The matching backsplash and counters from Caesarstone give the kitchen a clean and linear look.
H&H: What’s the most unique thing about this kitchen?
Karin: The baker’s table! It really fills the space and brings in functionality, storage and a much-needed work surface. We were also able to introduce some warm wood tones into the kitchen.
Before: The kitchen had Shaker-style cabinets and a sink tucked into the corner.
The new sink was placed in front of the window. The KitchenAid range in stainless steel blends well with the silver hardware on the cabinets.
H&H: How would you describe the kitchen’s new style?
Karin: Traditional with a slant towards transitional. I always let the home and clients’ personal style speak to me when designing, and this home has a real traditional vibe to it. For color, we drew inspiration from furniture the clients already had to pick out dining chair fabric.
Before: The breakfast area lacked storage and a distinct style.
H&H: How did you approach the breakfast area design?
Karin: The chairs are upholstered in high performance fabrics and the color is inspired by the palette in adjacent spaces. We centered the light fixture to place the table in a more central location and enable proper flow. The gorgeous breakfast table was an inherited piece.
H&H: Tell us about the new full height shelves!
Karin: They were built to enable more storage in this area and to provide a radiator cover. Inside, there are charging drawers and general storage for cookbooks and display items.
Karin Kolb and Caroline Mason