Tour a Bright Missouri Kitchen That's Full of Cheer All Year Long

There was no joy of cooking in Beth and Jason Snyder’s old kitchen in their Fulton, Missouri, home. “It was standing room only, and anyone there with you would be blocking the very thing you needed — making dinner and baking solitary activities,” says Beth, founder of the stationery company 1canoe2. So the couple made the space her art studio. Then they reinvented their dining room as an open, welcoming kitchen with a burst of color (that island!) and little touches that bring the bliss, like the display shelf below the windowsill, where Beth sets up her bottlebrush tree collection for the holidays. As she says, “Now this is the room where we always want to hang out.”

Create a Centerpiece

“I was looking for a sunshiny but not-neon color for our island,” says Beth. “This shade (Green Papaya by Behr) is a few clicks down from too loud.” The legs make it as roomy as a table.

Lighten Things Up

Beth and Jason wanted to keep the original walnut trim on the room’s window and door frames, so they did white cabinets and white backsplash tiles to offset it.

Show Off Your Dishes

The upper cabinet doors have seeded glass for extra charm. “Seeing pretty dishes and bowls, especially the pastel ones, is more exciting than solid doors,” says Beth.

Add Pops of Fun

The plates above the doorway, by Donna Wilson, were a gift from Beth’s sister. “The faces reminded her of our family,” says Beth. “I smile every time I glance at them.”