A few things to love from the ’70s, design-wise? Macrame, rattan, funky patterns — even conversation pits. A few things that certainly aren’t missed from the decade? Orange-toned everything, florescent lighting, and bland laminate countertops.
Unfortunately, Jenessa Weaver’s 1977 kitchen had several not-so-fun-or-funky ’70s details, and she was looking for a change. So she enlisted the help of her childhood best friend, Alysha, designer and owner of Camp Interiors.
“This house is a true ’70s home with a very ’70s kitchen,” Alysha says. “From the mustard linoleum floors, laminate counter tops, a huge fluorescent troffer light, and last but not least, the ‘boob light,’ this kitchen was practically screaming for a makeover.”
Jenessa and her husband bought the home with the intention to tackle the kitchen first. “It was time go out with the old and in with the new,” Alysha says.
Although the kitchen was relatively spacious, it felt yellower and smaller thanks to the brown cabinetry, yellow floors, and low-hanging light. Alysha made a few suggestions to Jenessa for how the space could feel completely new again, and Jenessa’s contractor father helped bring the project to the finish line. The vision? “Farmhouse charm,” Alysha says — plus functionality.
New lighting helped the ceilings feel taller.
First up was removing the giant troffer light, which made the ceilings feel about a foot shorter than they actually were. Jenessa replaced that with can lighting and a pendant in the center of her kitchen. Removing the bulky light allowed room for taller cabinets that stretch all the way up to the ceiling, helping to elongate the whole space.
The cabinets up top are now glass-front, and Alysha suggested swapping the ones in the right corner for open shelving, all of which helps to make things feel lighter and airier in the room. Meanwhile, the brown hardwood floors offer a much more contemporary look underfoot.
The layout stayed mostly the same.
One of the most impressive design feats given this kitchen’s age is that much of the footprint didn’t change. The sink and dishwasher stayed in the same spot, meaning no major plumbing changes were necessary there.
The range is in the same spot, too, though it’s now a stainless steel range with a sleek hood, and not surrounded by cabinets, which certainly lends to the sleeker look.
One thing that did move was the fridge, which is tucked into a now-recessed wall. The Weavers also took down the wall between the kitchen and dining area before they moved in, which allowed for the new large island.
A new island adds practical storage.
“Removing the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room and adding the island provided much more work space and also created a gathering space for hosting friends and family,” Alysha says.
The island also makes up for any storage that was lost with the removal of the upper cabinets. “I sketched out on a small piece of paper how [Jenessa] could design the cabinetry along the walls and include the island,” Alysha recalls. (Looking to create an island yourself but don’t have the ample space Jenessa did? Here are 11 small kitchen island ideas that’ll have the same effect.)
“It is so much brighter, inviting, and now a great hosting space,” Alysha says of the kitchen and its new additions. “It’s a place where my friend and her family spend time in every day.”