Space and Light in a Budget Kitchen

Designer Robin Colton's project was a kitchen that was small, dark, and dated, and that had limited counter space. Between the kitchen and the garage, a small paneled room meant to be a pantry was so dark that the homeowners never used it. Removing the peninsula, a stub wall, and a partition wall at the pantry expanded the usable kitchen space. Moving the back door to the side of the house allowed the counter to extend across the wall. The homeowners had decided on white bottom cabinets and top shelves, but they were pleasantly surprised when Colton proposed a backsplash of penny-round tiles in various shades of green, which provide a striking view from the front door.