Before and after: this once dated dark pine kitchen has been transformed into a characterful, cozy space that embraces the lack of natural light

When you're trying to make a dark kitchen look brighter, introducing neutral hues and light tones feels like the obvious choice. But what if we told you embracing a moodier palette can be just as, if not more, effective?

The kitchen in this Craftsman-style house has been transformed from dark and uninviting to a moody, traditional kitchen, yet it feels brighter than ever before. And it's a careful approach to color and materials that makes it work so beautifully.

From the reconfigured footprint and layout to the palette and unexpected approach to making a kitchen feel lighter, here's how the designer reimagined this kitchen into a space that honors the home's history while feeling unique and personalized.

Before

Dated, dark, and dysfunctional perfectly describe how this kitchen looked pre-remodel. Shiny dark floors paired with orange pine cabinets, black countertops, and mismatched appliances left the scheme feeling lackluster and left in the past.

The small footprint needed to be opened up to create a space required for the way the homeowners used the space, and merging rooms was the perfect way to not only make the kitchen larger, but also bring in more natural light.

'We completely transformed the space by opening up the wall between the kitchen and the sunroom, dramatically increasing the natural light. We also removed a hall bathroom and expanded the kitchen in both directions,' says interior designer Amanda Jacobs.

'By converting the sunroom into an all-seasons space, we extended the footprint and created a kitchen that truly feels like the heart of the home, anchored at the end of the house and seamlessly connected to its surroundings.'

The kitchen layout was a real area of contention, and one that Amanda was keen to focus on fixing in the redesign. The aim was to maximize storage space while maintaining a really natural and functional flow around the room.

After

But the result is a kitchen that is spacious, functional, and feels right at home in the Craftsman-style home. 'The style blends traditional English influences with craftsman details,' says Amanda.

The overall scheme is the perfect blend of traditional and moody, with rich tones and timeless design features seen throughout the design. There's a beautiful balance of light and dark, which makes this scheme a success.

The kitchen island, which became a huge focus throughout the remodel, really is the heart of the room, and she chose to introduce a dark wood finish here to add contrast and nod back to the heritage style.

'The island size shifted a bit during the process because we found a one-of-a-kind stone slab at the yard – it was the only one in that size, and it was so special we couldn’t pass it up. It was also quite delicate, so we knew that if anything happened to it, we’d have to start the search all over again,' she explains.

'The goal was to create something that felt as though it had always belonged, like it could have been part of the original Craftsman design. The walnut brought a rich, warm tone that complemented the existing woodwork and even echoed the walnut inlay found in some of the original floors. It was a timeless choice that grounded the kitchen and gave it a sense of permanence and authenticity.'

The dark wood pairs seamlessly with the green and white color combination introduced throughout the rest of the kitchen. And the inspiration for the palette came from the beautiful landscape that the home sits in.

'The house is nestled among mature trees and beautifully overgrown vegetation, so when we opened up the sunroom to the kitchen, it created a lush, green backdrop,' she explains.

'It quickly became clear that the interiors needed to reflect that natural beauty, which led us to design a cohesive, organic color palette that feels like an extension of the landscape,' she notes, referencing the classic Shaker cabinetry painted in Vintage Vogue by Benjamin Moore, contrasting with the lighter ceiling and walls painted in Aganthus Green by Benjamin Moore.

But what really makes this kitchen feel personalized and lived in is the decorative pieces that have been added. While the built-in elements of the space focused on honoring the home's history and location, the decor was all bout personalizing the kitchen.

'The decorative accents were where we introduced personality and a touch of folk-inspired charm. Drawing from our clients’ cultural backgrounds and their love of color and pattern, we took a more playful, layered approach to the styling to create a space that felt both rooted and expressive,' says Amanda.

The island is the main countertop space in this kitchen, so decorative elements have been kept simple with a wooden board topped with elevated kitchenware and a ceramic vase filled with seasonal branches.

A similar theme has been carried onto the kitchen counters on either side of the range cooker: pretty bottles, a vintage crock for wooden utensils, and a small kitchen counter lamp have been used to accessorize the area without feeling cluttered.

Various features have been added to introduce a softer finish to the kitchen, too, like the curved counter stools and the sheer cafe curtains over the windows. Every element feels considered yet not at all too curated.

It's a space that perfectly demonstrates how to decorate with a balance of light and dark, historic yet personal. It proves that just because your home is of a certain style, honoring it doesn't mean losing a sense of personal style – combining the two is a beautiful way to create a unique and timeless design.

Shop the look

This kitchen is a lesson in balancing traditional style with personal style – and proves decorating with a moody color palette works in almost any scheme. This space is a unique take on a green kitchen that feels layered and timeless and, unlike the previous design, it's in keeping with the more traditional style of the house.