A Kitchen with Recycled Design

When Gayle Christopher bought her Leeds, Alabama, home, she had a sneaking suspicion that there was a stunning space lurking somewhere within her homely kitchen.

Figuring out how to release the kitchen's hidden beauty was another story. "The space was trapped in the ’70s with fake butcher-block plastic, dark wood, and years of accumulated schmutz," says Gayle.

With a little imagination and a lot of elbow grease, Gayle turned her dreary 1970s kitchen into a bright, inviting space. From painting the cabinetry to installing floors and fixtures, she handled every bit of the labor herself.

Recycled-paper countertops and a simple tile backsplash anchor the classic palette, and are among the many green materials Gayle selected for the kitchen.