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A Coastal Kitchen Inspired by the Shore

November 25, 2014

See how Design Star season seven winner and Shop This Room host Danielle Colding took one family's kitchen from beige to beachy — it all started with an inspiring shopping find.

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A Brand New Star

When Danielle Colding designs a space, she likes to start with the finishing touches and build from there. Here's how she used two one-of-a-kind accessories to inspire a coastal-chic kitchen.

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Before: Too Much Beige

David and Rebecca Levitsky of Huntington, New York, have a problem: There's too much beige and not enough personality in their outdated kitchen. Plus, there's no place for a table large enough to house their growing family. It needs a major overhaul — and Danielle's here to help.

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Searching for Inspiration

Danielle's first order of business? Find a piece that will set the mood for the kitchen design. While shopping with her aunt, she finds this vintage painting of the nearby Long Island Sound. She'll infuse the painting's watery gray hues into the new kitchen.

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The Perfect Piece

If the painting inspired the room's palette, this ginger jar inspired its patterns. Danielle decides to use a Moroccan tile that repeats the lattice pattern on the jar.

Danielle Colding and Homeowners David and Rebecca Levitsky

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Design Consultation

Danielle meets with the Levitskys in her Brooklyn studio, sharing her inspiration and design direction. Then, it's time to get started on the renovation!

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Help From the Carpenter

Danielle's carpenter, Justin, gets to work demolishing the family's existing beige cabinets.

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Raw Wood, Blank Canvas

Danielle bought these inexpensive unfinished chairs online, then worked with her design assistant Barry to customize them with a buttery yellow hue.

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The Finishing Touches

Danielle adds the final accessories just in time for the big kitchen reveal.

Homeowners David and Rebecca Levitsky and Danielle Colding

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The Moment of Truth

Will the Levitsky family (and their newest addition) like their new-and-improved kitchen? Here's how it turned out.

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Before: Dark and Closed-Off

The living room has a vaulted ceiling, but the kitchen ceiling drops down, making the small space seem even smaller.

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After: Soaring Ceiling

Danielle and Justin were able to tear down the drop ceiling, creating an airy, loft-style kitchen.

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Before: No Kitchen Flow

Before the makeover, the kitchen workspace jutted into the room, blocking the room's flow. And then, there's the beige situation: beige floors, beige countertops, beige cabinets, beige appliances. Enough!

Kitchen With Brown Cabinets, White Island and White Backsplash

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After: Island Style

A kitchen island creates extra work and storage area, while still allowing the family to move through the space. Best of all, there's no more beige — the kitchen's walnut cabinetry, white backsplash and gray cork flooring add layers of neutrals.

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After: Appliance Updates

Danielle traded the family's outdated appliances for sleek stainless steel models.

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After: Vintage-Inspired Pendant

Vintage, industrial-style pendant lighting adds a feeling of history.

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After: Ocean-Inspired Accessories

Beautiful blue glassware in cobalt and aqua adds a splash of water-inspired color in front of the white tile backsplash.

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After: More Space to Work

The brand new kitchen island features ample cabinet space and a stain-resistant white quartz countertop.

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Before: Useless Utility Cabinets

An entire wall of the kitchen was devoted to utility cabinets — but they didn't provide any utility for the Levitskys.

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After: Brand New Built-Ins

A built-in cabinet with a tile backsplash adds color to the room and even more storage space.

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After: Colorful Backsplash

The lattice pattern on the concrete tile echoes the one featured on the white porcelain ginger jar.

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After: Room Inspiration

The new shelving unit provides room to display serving dishes and favorite accessories, like the vintage painting that inspired the room's palette.

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After: Come Sail Away

A bright white sailboat and the ginger jar that helped inspire the space pop against the blue tile background.

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After: A Place to Draw

Danielle painted the bottom cabinets with chalkboard paint. Now the family's three-year-old son (and a coming-soon new baby) can draw while Mom and Dad cook.

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Before: Dining for Two

Before, the family had only two chairs at their tiny table — not enough to seat everyone.

White Coastal Kitchen With Gray Table and Yellow Chairs

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After: Seating for the Family

Now, the Levitskys have a place to sit and enjoy dinner together. A gray-and-white striped rug defines the dining space.

gray Tables With Yellow Chairs, Open Wood Shelves and Walnut Cabinets

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After: Driftwood-Inspired Table

Danielle bought this table with an espresso finish, then sanded it down, added a coat of white paint and quickly removed it. This created a whitewashed effect that evokes the look of driftwood.

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After: Final Touches

Pale blue dishes add another shade of azure to the room.

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After: Vintage Postcards

Danielle found these vintage postcards that depict scenes from Long Island's history. They even include real messages on the back.

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After: Tile-Inspired Screen

Danielle had carpenter Justin create window shutters inspired by the room's tile that act as both art and a privacy screen. He programmed his router to made the precise, intricate cuts.