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Tour a Classic-Cool Kitchen With Vintage Touches
A family hub blends classic details and vintage flair for a look that’s oh-so-now. HGTV Magazine shows you around.
As a real estate agent, Courtney Madden has seen her share of ultramodern kitchens (white on white on white!) and painfully dated ones (pea-soup green counters!). So when she and her husband, Sean, decided to renovate the overly beige, poorly laid-out kitchen in their 1960s ranch in Greenville, South Carolina, Courtney was determined to get one with a fresh, distinctive look that wouldn’t soon go out of style. Or, as she puts it, “I didn’t want people to come into our kitchen 10 years from now and think it was frozen in time.” After opening up the flow, designer Amanda Louise Campbell went for a balance of traditional elements and retro-fab ones (that floor tile!), creating an irresistibly cheerful dining nook in the process. Altogether the Maddens got a kitchen perfect for today — and tomorrow.
The Details
DANE TASHIMA
Blue Subway Tile
In navy blue, slightly larger-than-standard 4-inch by 8-inch rectangles, this tile (from The Tile Shop) is both unexpected and timeless. Its rich color has even more impact next to the natural woven Roman shades from SelectBlinds.
Hex-Tile Floor
“Sean has always had a thing for black-and-white floors,” says Courtney. “I love that this kind brings to mind an old diner. It may be small scale, but it’s made a big impression on visitors.” Matte black cabinet hardware by Goldenwarm coordinates with the black tiles.
Marbled Quartz Countertops
It’s the eternal good looks of marble in an easy-to-maintain Cambria quartz look-alike. Gray veining adds a bit of pattern to a room filled with solid finishes; the swirls offset the straight lines of the Shaker-style cabinets and the subway tile.
Wood Cabinets
DANE TASHIMA
When the countertops and cabinets were reconfigured, this sweet little spot was created. In the morning it’s a coffee and breakfast center. Come evening it morphs into a wine and cheese hub. The art is by local artist Glory Day Loflin.
Agreeing to Amanda Louise’s suggestion to stain the new lower cabinets brown (Special Walnut by Minwax) was a leap of faith, says Courtney: “Our instinct was they should match the white uppers.” But, as promised, it brought warmth and made the white elements seem whiter.
Mod Nook
DANE TASHIMA
This cozy spot, known as Grand Central to the family that lives here, is as versatile as it is vibrant. A chic table from LexMod, with funky orange chairs by Armen Living, doubles as a Zoom-call zone. The bright custom bench, painted Jargon Jade by Sherwin-Williams, offers storage for small appliances (hola, tortilla maker).
