Meg Ryan makes a brave color choice in her Montecito, CA kitchen – and experts love it

Meg Ryan proves that Fortune favors the bold with her latest kitchen renovation. The When Harry Met Sally actress unveiled an impressive remodel in her California home featuring a brave contrasting black and white kitchen color palette.

The remodel, completed with Becker Studios yielded impressive results. Meg’s mid-century modern decor is brave, elegant, and original. It offers a refreshing combination of contemporary and retro details with both organic and linear elements. Exposed white beams on the ceiling highlight the sloping shape of the kitchen, allowing maximum brightness in the space. The chrome hardware on the stove and cabinets highlights the silver notes in the marble backsplash. The curved shapes of the doorway, the oven, and the sink keep a relaxed feel against the clean lines of the room. 

Cream and gray marble tiles in various shades cover Meg's floor and a leaning fiddle leaf fig filters light in the background. Luxe details like the pedestal sink and the La Cornue Cornufe 110 oven elevate the space, while framed photographs and plants keep it grounded.

The most show-stopping detail that sets Meg Ryan's modern kitchen apart is the brave contrasting colors. Designers love the use of black in a kitchen, but caution that it can be a difficult color to pull off. 

Interior designer Peg Hemzacek says: ‘Black is a timeless and versatile color that can be used in the foreground or the background to set the mood and provide contrast.’ She offers tips for decorating with black in your own kitchen, recommending a focus on texture and lighting. Peg state: ‘The key to an all-black kitchen is to add texture with the tile material choices and installation patterns.’ Furthermore, she says ‘Lighting is key for a black kitchen. Natural light is always the most desirable if you can incorporate that into your design. Soft glowing lights are better than harsh white light bulbs. Think about where you can add lighting in addition to overhead fixtures like sconces or under cabinet lights.’ 

Meg Ryan’s kitchen accomplishes these goals by mixing textures of marble, wood, and metal, and by filling the room with natural light through large windows, and reflective white ceilings. 

Peg Hemzacek

Peg Hemazacek has a professional background in Hospitality Design and Interior Decorative Painting. She has found what she loves most about practicing interior design is the positive impact on people's everyday lives. She gravitates toward looks that are timeless, rustic, and evoke comfortable luxury. 

The New York-based designer Artem Kropovinsky of Arsight says that black works well because it is ‘a dramatic color with the ability to give depth to a space and add an element of surprise, making the kitchen visually intriguing.’ However, this drama can make the kitchen appear harsh if not handled properly. Kropovinsky recommends pairing black with neutral tones to offset this effect. He states ‘To prevent your kitchen from becoming a black hole, balance the black with neutrals like white or grey. For instance, a white ceiling or floor can keep the design grounded.’ By pairing black appliances, counters, and accents with a bright white ceiling, Meg Ryan creates a room that is timeless and bold without looking too dark. 

Artem Kropovinsky

Founder of NYC-based interior design firm, Arsight, Artem Kropovinsky has a decade of extensive global design experience, connecting a cohesive, collaborative team of passionate professionals, who work on interior projects in the U.S. and worldwide. 

In interior design as in life, Meg Ryan’s bold Montecito kitchen shows us that a well-considered risk can pay off.

Shop the black and white kitchen edit below to recreate the look in your own kitchen.