Kitchen Facelift

But in order to give this space a family-friendly facelift, we had to rip out and rebuild from the ground up.

We started by replacing one of the existing windows with full sliding doors that will open onto a future deck. I chose a traditional English country theme for Linda's new kitchen, in keeping with her beautiful Georgian-style home.

Durable porcelain tiles in shades of cream, putty and tan were installed on the floor and repeated in the kitchen backsplash. A classic farmer-style sink with an exposed apron and a gooseneck faucet was framed by solid-surface countertop, and the stove was moved into a corner of the room and surrounded by counters and cabinets to make it more functional.

To brighten up this space, I selected traditional raised-panel cabinets covered in an antique-white wash and finished with pewter hardware. Together with the light countertop and floor tiles, the white cabinets pick up light and reflect it back into the room.

To highlight these beautiful new fixtures and finishes, we ripped out the old globe lights and replaced them with a veritable labyrinth of new lighting--under-cabinet lights shine down on work surfaces, recessed lights provide overall lighting from the ceiling, and a wrought-iron pendant fixture is suspended over the dining table.

To create more seating around the table and to save space, I designed some comfortable banquet-style seating along the wall, and two sconces are positioned above the bench.

There wasn't much wall space in this kitchen, but we painted it a rich chocolate brown to provide some contrast and to help break up the white cabinetry.

The fabrics we used pick up on the colors in the tile. An elegant, eye-catching toile drapes the sliding door and is repeated in a valance over the kitchen sink. This traditional fabric is the perfect accompaniment to the room's new English country theme. The other fabrics, including the upholstery on the bench seating and the coordinating throw cushions, all accentuate our color scheme of cream, putty and tan.

Although Linda wanted a traditional kitchen, I did work in a few modern elements. New stainless-steel appliances shine in this space, and an open plate rail above the dishwasher is a visual break in a wall full of cabinetry.

I selected an elegant wooden dining table and surrounded it with simple wooden chairs. The built-in bench along the wall solves the problem of extra seating while taking up less room than chairs.

The kitchen is definitely the hardest-working room in every home, so efficiency is a key concept to remember when planning any kitchen renovation.

Linda's new space is designed to work hard, with durable floor coverings, countertops and lots of carefully planned storage. Serene colors and fabrics, updated fixtures and finishes and sparkling new appliances complete the recipe for success in this kitchen.

Best of all, this traditional tune-up accommodates the whole family at mealtime and brings everyone together at the table. Now this kitchen is really cooking.

(Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of Home & Garden Television's Divine Design.)