This dated 'dungeon-like' 1980s kitchen has been transformed into a bright, inviting space – it's a lesson in mixing contemporary design with original Spanish Colonial features

Designing a kitchen for a period home requires a careful balance of personal style and features that honor the roots of the space. Without elements that nod to the home's architecture, the kitchen instantly feels out of place.

But this Spanish-style kitchen proves that being sensitive to the architectural elements needn't limit your design. The original features have been honored and celebrated, but so has the owner's vibrant style and love for modern details.

With the right balance of old and new, the space has been transformed into a transitional kitchen that feels bright, inviting, and full of characterful details. And the designer even kept a few unexpected pieces from the old design.

'The kitchen was last renovated in the late 1980s and had dark green marble everywhere. It was dark and dungeon-like,' says interior designer Christine Markatos Lowe, who was tasked with transforming the space.

It wasn't just the dark atmosphere that needed to be addressed. There were several issues with the space, from the dysfunctional kitchen layout to an awkwardly placed staircase that impeded the room.

'We completely changed the layout by removing a peninsula that cut off the breakfast area from the kitchen and added a long island for prep and seating. We also added a skylight to help bring more light into the space, as well as multiple pendant lights over the island,' she explains.

And she devised a simple yet totally effective solution to the staircase issue, too. 'There is a landing for the stairs that lead up to the children’s bedrooms, which caused a dropped ceiling in the kitchen. We resolved the drop by using cabinetry to camouflage it.'

With the practical elements rectified, Christine was able to focus on the aesthetic of the space. The old kitchen jarred with the age and Spanish Colonial architecture of the property, so it was important to ensure the design of the new space felt sympathetic to its roots.

'We wanted the overall vibe of the kitchen to feel transitional, but still be in keeping with the 1920s architecture to feel original. The client also wanted it to be modernized to feel light and bright and have every bell and whistle,' she explains.

The kitchen color palette is a real talking point of the space. It's bright and colorful without feeling overwhelming or too vibrant. 'The client loves a sunshine-y yellow in a kitchen and I thought to mix it with other colors to create a softer multicolored palette,' says Christine.

'The custom-painted backsplash tile started the color story in the space, and from there we layered a range of blues and greens in the lighting, cabinetry paint colors, and upholstery. The marble slab was a fun find as it has streaks of sage green running through the creamy white.'

It's the kitchen backsplash that stands out as a star feature for Christine, in particular, the tile used. 'It is a hand-painted Tabarka tile that we custom colored in shades of yellow, blue, and green. I think it took four samples to achieve exactly the right balance.'

At the heart of the space, the kitchen island brings in a nod to a more traditional style, adding balance to some of the more contemporary features. The aim was to create a more vintage, freestanding look, which has been achieved with the reclaimed wooden countertop and the turned leg details on the seating area.

To retain the essence of Spanish style, she introduced a plaster range hood, which not only feels authentic with the existing architecture, but instantly draws the eye and creates a hearth.

What really stands out about the redesign is the retention of original features and the number of pieces that have been brought over from the old space. One feature that really stands out is the wooden plate rack behind the dining table.

'The antique pine pie rack was a favorite piece of the client’s and had lived in a different part of the kitchen previously, tucked away against the back wall. By moving it near the eating area, she could enjoy seeing all her beautiful vintage kitchen pieces on display, and it helped establish the breakfast room vibe,' says Christine.

It's a beautiful way to bring in the old among the new, and the kitchen floor tiles have a similar effect. 'Most of the house has original terracotta floor tiles in different patterns, including the kitchen, so we had to find new tiles to fill in where we had lost ones during the demo,' she adds.

'The new terracotta pavers were hand-cut to size, then antiqued, stained, waxed, and meticulously installed with an irregular grout joint so they blended with the original. It had to be seamless!'

All of these elements combined have resulted in a stylish, personality-filled space that nails transitional design. Antique pieces are balanced by contemporary features – it proves that the architecture of your home doesn't need to limit your design.

Shop the look

There are some truly stylish decor pieces in this kitchen, from the collected vintage items on display on the plate rack to the lighting and countertop decor in the main kitchen area. These details are just as important to the overall look and feel of the kitchen as the larger elements like cabinetry, countertops, and color. Here are the pieces to buy to get the look.

The kitchen of a Spanish-style home needn't conform to a specific aesthetic or color palette. This redesign proves that as long as you honor original features and architectural elements, you can have fun with your space and bring your personality in abundance. It's also a lesson in mixing old and new, with contemporary design features pairing beautifully with the vintage pieces brought into the kitchen.