Casual and Contemporary Kitchen

The Rockey family kitchen has been on rocky ground ever since they moved into their house. The large room is falling apart at the seams, and the abundance of space is plagued with problems, including worn-out blue cabinets, limited counter space and outdated appliances.

This kitchen does not match Karen and Tom Rockey's down-to-earth casual style. The bleak blue cabinets are just for starters. There's also the oven, which is original to the house, a very old stove with a hood that doesn't work and an in-wall fan that's rusty and full of dirt and grime. The refrigerator also came with the house. It is too large for the space and sticks out beyond the doorway. The countertop is not even connected to the wall, and the fake butcher-block backsplash looks horrendous. Rounding out the problems are the kitchen table, which is the wrong shape for the room, old vinyl flooring that it is so dated it never looks clean and poor lighting.

Host and designer Lauren Lake and carpenters Jeff Devlin and Mark McGraw set their sights on bringing this space into the 21st century and banishing all that blue for good.

After a budget of $25,000 to $35,000 is determined, Lauren lays out the first option, which has most of the budget going toward new maple cabinetry. The remainder would be spent on putting in all new black appliances, installing laminate countertops and replacing the vinyl floors with a contemporary laminate wood floor. Option 2 has the bulk of the budget going to new stainless-steel appliances, with the rest going toward refinishing the cabinets with new paint and hardware and installing quartz countertops and an island in the middle of the room for additional cabinetry and workspace. The Rockeys select Option 2. See the results below.

For specific product information, click on the After photo of the room.