Before: Cramped 80s Kitchen, After: Timeless in Cherry
A dull and dated Denver kitchen is transformed with cleaner lines, smarter design, and a classic cabinet finish.
Nestled in the storybook Denver neighborhood of Bonnie Brae, this Tudor-style home’s kitchen was in need of a fairy-tale ending. Stuck in the 1980s with clunky wall cabinetry and soffits, the space was cramped and all-white in all the wrong ways. After a handful of cosmetic improvements—upgrading the cabinetry, refinishing the floor, replacing the light fixtures, and saying goodbye to the soffits and peninsula—the final product is clean-lined, minimal, and timeless.
Take a look at the transformation below.
BEFORE:
The original kitchen did not make the most of its square footage.
Soffits, wall cabinetry, and a peninsula created the illusion of an even smaller space.
The cabinets and appliances were less than sleek.
AFTER:
The homeowner wanted a cherry kitchen, which is not as common compared to the influx of requests for walnut or white. But this cherry veneer—hand-selected and grain-matched—is truly spectacular and complements the one-centimeter-thick white quartz composite countertops, refinished oak flooring, stainless steel toe kicks, and steel exhaust hood. By eliminating the soffits and some of the wall cabinets, the new design is much more efficient with its storage—highlighting the room’s open layout and abundant natural light. The dishwasher and refrigerator were fully integrated with cherry cabinet fronts for a seamless aesthetic.
White tempered-glass wall panels create a cleanable and bright backsplash with an extra sense of texture and dimension. The panels offer accessories that clip in—perfect for holding jars, paper-towel rolls, or a cookbook. An Eames office chair accompanies a new desk space, and the original peninsula was replaced with an island, complete with Hans Wegner bar stools—all new elements that add form as well as function to this streamlined kitchen.
A tall cabinet system houses a speed oven/oven combo (pictured above, on the left), as well as wine storage and a coffee system (above, right). A pullout pantry sits between the black and stainless appliances, once again creating an uninterrupted flow of materials.
What before was a space stuck in the past is now a timeless, sophisticated kitchen with cleaner lines, smarter design, and a classic cabinet finish.
DESIGN DETAILS:
KITCHEN DESIGN bulthaup by Kitchen Distributors CABINETRY, COUNTERTOPS, WALL PANELS, EXHAUST HOOD, SINK & FAUCET bulthaup COOKTOPS Gaggenau REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER SubZero 36-inch SPEED OVEN, OVEN & COFFEE SYSTEM Miele WINE UNIT Liebherr
Jed MacKenzie, CKD and William Landeros, CKD, are the Senior Project Designer and Showroom Director/Designer, respectively, for bulthaup by Kitchen Distributors. Kitchen Distributors is based in Littleton, Colorado, and is an authorized partner for the bulthaup line, which is handmade in Bavaria and sold at the company’s Denver showroom. View their profile or contact them at 303.777.5409.
Content for this article provided by bulthaup by Kitchen Distributors.
