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  • Contemporary Kitchen
  • Turn a cluttered kitchen into a contemporary one.
    From "DIY Decorating & Design"
    episode DID-115


    Interior designer Joan MacDowell and Joan Steffend, host of HGTV's Decorating Cents, restyle a plain white kitchen with too-cute details and too much clutter into a look that reflects the contemporary taste and Italian heritage of its owner.
    Photo

    An old-fashioned fruit-motif wallpaper border and a cute scalloped window cornice don't fit the owner's contemporary taste.

    Photo

    The owner removed the scalloped window cornice and fruit wallpaper border, adding a tailored black-and-white window shade and a border of Italian culinary terms.


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    Butter-yellow paint on the kitchen walls reflects the focal point of the room, an abstract Kandinsky print in black and yellow. An old-fashioned fruit-motif wallpaper border is replaced by a white wallpaper border embellished with Italian culinary terms. Floor-to-ceiling shelves in the eating area clean up the clutter formerly held in two mismatched storage units and free much-needed floor space. The dog dishes previously in the middle of the kitchen floor are now placed handily out of the way at the bottom of the shelving unit. Black-painted brackets and white shelves are contemporary and provide a place for storing clutter and displaying interesting accessories.

    The scalloped edge of the cornice board above the window is cut off to give it a more modern look. The straight edge gives a tailored look in keeping with the contemporary feel of the kitchen. A black-and-white-striped roller shade softens the window, and white cabinet knobs are replaced with bargain brass knobs, spray-painted flat black, which add interest without looking busy.

    This inexpensive makeover, costing less than $500, makes this kitchen contemporary and functional and reflects the owner's personality and heritage.
    Photo

    Mismatched storage units heaped with clutter waste space in the dining area.

    Photo

    Warm butter-yellow paint adds a punch of color in the dining area. White floor-to-ceiling wall shelves supported by black brackets clean up the clutter and provide a showcase for interesting accessories.


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