Hillside Kitchen Remodel Reveal
08/02 Room Inspiration

Hillside Kitchen Remodel Reveal

Tour our Hillside Kitchen Remodel! 

If you caught our webisode, you saw our kitchen transformation in partnership with  Semihandmade! We used contrasting black and white cabinets, beautiful cement tile, floating wood shelves, lighting, and accessories to update this kitchen to be bright and inviting. 

BEFORE 

It wasn't just that this kitchen was a bit outdated, but the cabinets were literally falling off! At first, our client considered opening up the kitchen, but in the end she didn't want that to be the first thing you see as you walk through the door. 

The kitchen didn't have a lot of lighting — just a couple flushmounts! We loved the idea of adding pendants to add visual interest and another level of lighting. 

Progress

A small kitchen reno

After the tile was installed, ikea came out and installed the cabinets! It was the fasted process of the entire renovation. After the boxes were put in, we had the Semihandmade fronts installed with Rejuvenation hardware. 

A small kitchen reno

AFTER

Originally, our client wanted an all-white kitchen, but we talked her into taking the design to the next level with black cabinet lowers. 

We used gray to bridge the high-contrast look of the black and white cabinet fronts. The subway tile is grouted with gray to match the gray in the pattern in the cement tile.

We elevated the kitchen by mixing metals with the appliances, lighting, and hardware. Two flush mounts give the space an old-school character.

One small change to the layout that we love is the addition of a hood! Rather than a microwave and more cabinets, the hood breaks up the cabinets — making the space feel a little more open. 

To make the space feel open, we put in open shelving above the sink. It really helps to break up the space visually, while making it feel warm and organic. We added accessories like cutting boards, a linen towel, and of course —  a lot of fresh touches and greenery. 

Not a bad view when you're doing dishes!

Going dark in a small kitchen is a risk worth taking. With the tile, backsplash, and white uppers, we made sure that it still felt light and airy. Warm stools tie in with the rest of the kitchen perfectly. 

This greige vase  looks so darling paired with berry baskets and cool minimalistic soap

SHOP THE LOOK: 

Show Comments
43 Comments
Studio McGee
  1. Do the installers at Ikea know how to install the SemiHandmade cabinet fronts? I have installed several kitchens from them (SemiHandmade) and had to use a separate installer because I was afraid it was too "custom" for them. The install looks great!

  2. Love this whole look! It appears as though you installed encaustic cement tiles on the floor? I recently used some in a similar pattern and colorway in my bathroom but they are etching despite being sealed, just like marble. Have you had this experience and if so, any tips? Thanks!

  3. LOVE the tile + exposed shelves + bar stools. Everything works together so well and brightens up this beautiful kitchen.

  4. I love this transformation. I’m wondering, are the lower cabinet fronts full overlay and uppers are inset?

  5. What color of white paint did you use? I am searching through millions of swatches of white for my kitchen and this color looks perfect!!

  6. How did you get the Ikea cabinets to mount flush to the ceiling?? With the track wall mount, you have to drop them down onto the track, so just curious how you got that look?

  7. Beautiful as always! I love the ceiling light fixtures, and I found them at McGee & Co Shop, but could you tell me are these the small or the large in this remodel? I want to be sure and order the right size, and like the size in the pics! Thank you in advance!

  8. I don’t see an explanation for the small cut out in the cupboard underneath the stools. Would really like to know the purpose of this for a cupboard under the counter as such–always hard to make use of that space, so the door on that side is great.

  9. Sooooo much encouragement and inspiration for those of us with small and/or narrow kitchens! Thank you for featuring a smaller scale project. Just what I needed. It an amazing and thrilling transformation.

  10. Just beautiful! I’m loving the harmony of the black faucet and white undermount sink… can you share sources for those? I also appreciate how you explain the deliberate styling of the accessories in several of the vignettes – great design lesson!

  11. Does McGee & Co. Shop also sale the pendant light fixtures? I don’t see them, but wanted to double check. Amazing kitchen!

  12. Question! Black cabinets- hard to keep clean like a black car? I love the style but worried about upkeep. We had grey tiles on a kitchen floor in remodel we did and they showed EVERYTHING including water spots. Do you have this problem with dark surfaces in general? ps LOVE all of your stuff

  13. I love this look! We are just starting our remodel and I am curious the size and style of your range. Also is that a regular pull door microwave you put instead of a drawer? We are considering doing this but wonder, how do you like that being so low?

    1. I’m curious to know the same thing. We are considering a drawer microwave, but the price is much higher than a regular pull door microwave. Is it difficult to operate the microwave at such a low level?

  14. Beautiful kitchen! Would you be able to share what shade of gray grout you used? I love that it defines the subway tile without being too harsh. Thanks! says:

    Beautiful kitchen! Would you be able to share what shade of gray grout you used? I love that it defines the pattern of the subway tile without being too harsh. Thanks!

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