Desperate Kitchen Makeover: French-Country Inspired Kitchen

Kitchen designers Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri head to Covington, Louisiana where they transform a couple's tight, dated kitchen and dining room into this grand, open space with loads of natural light and a contemporary take on French country style.

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August 17, 2016

By: David L. Haynes

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French-Country Inspired Kitchen

Highlights in the updated kitchen include granite countertops, new recessed lighting, a trio of industrial style chrome pendants above the prep space and a ceiling-height armoire to house the new refrigerator.

French-Country Inspired Kitchen

New cabinetry features single raised panels, crown molding, a bright white finish and simple hardware for a clean, traditional look.

French-Country Inspired Kitchen

The new open floor plan includes a peninsula with bar seating at one end of the kitchen and a more formal dining table at the opposite end.

Meet the Homeowners

Greg and Natalie DeCuir pose for a pic with John and Anthony in the newly remodeled kitchen. Greg is an airline pilot, Natalie is a flight attendant and the couple lives in Covington, LA, about 45 minutes north of New Orleans. Their renovation wish list included an open-concept kitchen, additional storage and a pantry.

BEFORE

Prior to the renovation the kitchen had green laminate countertops, green and white floor tiles, an antiquated double oven and tube flourescent lighting.

BEFORE

The existing dining room, adjacent to one end of the kitchen, was a separate space at the front of the house but felt isolated and closed off.

Kitchen, BEFORE

The kitchen, prior to renovation, was spacious but outdated. Anthony and John's design plan called for opening it up even further, removing the wall at the far end and the existing peninsula.

Kitchen, AFTER

The redesigned kitchen is pure open-concept with the space now expanding into the former dining room and essentially spanning the full length of the house.

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

The deep soffits in the kitchen were removed, raising the ceiling height, creating a more open feel and making room for taller, more dramatic cabinetry.

Dining Area, BEFORE

The breakfast area at the end of the kitchen, overlooking the backyard, was plain and underutilized, but its trio of large windows did offer a source for bringing lots of natural light into the overall space.

Dining Area, AFTER

New window treatments, a new dining room table, coffered ceilings and updated lighting transform this space which now serves as the formal dining area.

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

With the old peninsula removed, the runs of cabinets on either side now span the entire length of the kitchen. The old green and white tiles have been removed and the gray tile flooring throughout helps unify the space visually.

Dining Room, BEFORE

AFTER

Removing the wall partition, and integrating the former dining room into the kitchen's ex[amded footprint, makes room for this informal eating area with bar seating.

BEFORE

AFTER

The new peninsula, with granite countertops and pendant lighting, now serves as a breakfast bar. The new layout essentially flips the positions of the former dining and breakfast rooms while creating one contiguous, open space. In the breakfast area, John and Anthony wall-mounted a flat screen TV and surrounded it with a living wall planter.

AFTER

A dramatic visual focal point in the new kitchen, and a key feature in the French country motif, is the custom armoire enclosure for the refrigerator. The cabinet is ceiling height, topped with arched molding and painted in muted blue.

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

A neutral gray and white color palette, subway tile in a crackle finish a and granite countertops with lots of veining and contrast all help create a simple yet elegant look. With the exception of the new range, all appliances are paneled as part of the overall aesthetic of clean lines and traditional appeal.

Kitchen Details

Open glass shelving provide additional storage and display space above the large undermount sink.

Kitchen Details

Another custom addition is this decorative bar cart that's actually an authentic FAA-approved airline beverage cart, repurposed and upcycled by local New Orleans artist John Marc Anderson. Marc adds a polished aluminum diamond-plate exterior, solid wood cutting-board top and adjustable glass shelving inside. The original flight-safety lock and FAA metal placards are left intact. This piece was an especially appropriate gift for homeowners Greg and Natalie since both work in the airline industry.

Kitchen Details

French-Country Inspired Kitchen

The keynote feature in the new dining space is the coffered ceiling which helps visually delineate the space, offering a subtle transition that sets the two spaces apart.

French-Country Inspired Kitchen

"What we really wanted to do is create a formal dining space in an informal way," said Anthony. "We gave you a big formal dining table, and we delineated the space [with] the ceiling. We brought the ceiling height down just enough for the eye to say, 'That's a separate space.'"

BEFORE

"By getting rid of the soffits in Natalie and Greg's kitchen, we've really created a huge open feel," said John. "We're adding the coffers to create a visually pleasing division of space."

AFTER

"To create that formal dining space, the eye needs some kind of dividing line, so we decided [on] the coffers. " Anthony said. "The coffers drop the height of the ceiling and the pattern creates a space within a space."

Kitchen Cowboys

And yet another kitchen is now freed of the descriptor, "America's Most Desperate..."

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Behind the Scenes

Anthony and John construct the wooden ceiling coffers to go in the remodeled dining area.

Behind the Scenes

John puts a coat of paint on the newly installed coffered ceiling in the new dining room.

Behind the Scenes

Anthony follows up with some detail work during the latter stages of the renovation — and brandishes a loaded paintbrush when approached by our photographer.

More From America's Most Desperate Kitchens

If you liked this Desperate Kitchen makeover, we'll bet you'll also enjoy this one: Jersey Farmhouse Kitchen — wherein our intrepid kitchen reno experts John and Anthony restore a kitchen and dining room in a 100-year-old farmhouse, creating a stunning design that combines both modern and rustic elements.

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Desperate Kitchen Makeover: French-Country Inspired Kitchen

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French-Country Inspired Kitchen

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French-Country Inspired Kitchen

Meet the Homeowners

BEFORE

BEFORE

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

Dining Area, BEFORE

Dining Area, AFTER

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

Dining Room, BEFORE

AFTER

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AFTER

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

Kitchen Details

Kitchen Details

Kitchen Details

Kitchen Details

Kitchen Details

Kitchen Details

French-Country Inspired Kitchen

French-Country Inspired Kitchen

BEFORE

AFTER

Kitchen Cowboys

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Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

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