Sometimes a renovation project doesn't necessarily require taking down walls and expanding into new spaces. Sometimes it means taking what is existing and giving it a new 'facelift'. 

This home's character was evident in every space! The kitchen only needed a few adjustments to make it more inviting and open for entertaining and family get togethers. 

Before: The hood blocked the natural light coming in from the picture windows on either side. The hood stretched from the countertop to the ceiling, making the cooktop space fully enclosed. 

Now: A new floating hood design allows the natural light from either side to filter through the space. The entire wall was fit for marble subway tile and the new hood was painted white with a small accent to tie in with the island. 

The existing perimeter countertops remained, but only to make way for a beautiful island countertop and create the perfect contrast between the perimeter cabinets and island. 

Countertop: White Macaubus Quartzite

The island countertop continues over here to the wet bar; the backsplash features a marble mosaic. The hammered wet bar sink adds even more texture. Cabinets are painted SW Black Fox. 

In addition to a kitchen renovation, no project is complete without a new perfect laundry/mudroom space. This laundry room is complete with new custom cabinets and colors that just might make laundry a fun part of the day! 

A reason for custom cabinetry design is so that every nook and cranny can make way for every storage need. If you take a close look, the dog bowl pull-out creates the perfect space for the pup's dinner, however there's no mess or tripping over dog bowls during the day when guests are over! 

The cabinet paint is SW Halcyon Green. The cabinet knobs are from Emtek in a brass finish. 

The apron front sink adds character and a large cleaning basin for the laundry room. The countertops are butcher block. Instead of a marble pencil or bullnose at the top of the marble backsplash, remnants of the butcher block were added above the mosaic tile for a clean and well paired look. 

Most all can agree, that the kitchen is arguably the most important space of a home. Some may even say that it is the heart of a home. This is where families gather for family dinners, mid-afternoon snacks, and is one of the first and last stops to an unwinding day to grab that glass of wine and relax. 

This original kitchen was great. It had a central island, counter space, and an eat-in dining area. For many this would be an optimal kitchen, but every family is different and their needs vary depending on family size and their intent for the space. 

A classic white kitchen with touches of elegance. The island features a waterfall edge (Calcutta Vintage). 

For this family, space and storage were the most important factors in their kitchen. The size before was okay but more open space was needed for five or more to gather (without stepping on toes) for this growing family.  

A large open concept with room for a breakfast table, cozy sitting area, and island bar seating. 

The exterior wall of the kitchen grew about 12'. This allowed for longer perimeter cabinets and the orientation of the island to be turned so that when guests (and children) are sitting at the island, the circulation space behind does not hinder the opening of cabinetry or the refrigerator. 

The consistency of the gold fixtures for the faucet, lighting, and cabinet hardware creates a cohesive design. The beautiful window with black trim behind the sink adds a beautiful, contrasted focal point. 

The design of the kitchen is classic and timeless. The color palette, cabinetry storage solutions, and fine details define the features that mattered most: space & storage. 

This wine bar holds a champagne trough with beautiful dark soapstone that contrasts the rest of of the mostly white kitchen. The custom cabinetry design and mercury glass backsplash creates just the right amount of character. 

The mosaic tile backsplash add just the right amount of texture. 

This beautiful home had almost everything it needed: space, character, and beauty. The only thing it lacked was a decent sized kitchen. This home had been added onto and renovated in the past, and the size of the kitchen never grew to fit the rest of the home. We turned their previously 200sf kitchen into a den and designed a new 350sf kitchen addition adjacent to the new den and existing sunken living room. We luckily had an empty corner of patio space in a convenient and central location of the home for our new kitchen addition. This space gave us the square footage we needed for a sizable kitchen while allowing us to seamlessly blend the old and the new around the exterior.

We designed the new kitchen with traditional and rustic features to compliment the existing features throughout the home such as natural stone floors and dark stained wood. We added stained, wood beams to the new kitchen ceiling to add interest and we added windows throughout for some needed natural light.

We also transformed the former kitchen into a cozy den with built-in seating and storage in order to create a warm space to sit and read.

This new kitchen has transformed the functionality of this home and truly brought it up to scale with the rest of the home. Let us know your favorite features of this kitchen in the comments!

When asked why residential design is so important, especially in the growing Greenville area, I can’t help but smile. Growing up in the upstate and now calling Greenville home, I have heard so much about Greenville’s past, and how far it has come in the last 20 years. The economy is strong, the business district is vibrant, and real estate is up astronomically. Because of these factors, residential design is even more important than ever; maybe more important than planning for commercial developments. 

Considering the growth of Greenville’s transitioning neighborhoods like Parkins Mill, it is important to maintain the architectural character of these communities. Studying the evolution of other cities with similar economic growth shows just how crucial it is not to lose the character of the residential communities in the midst of retail and commercial growth. Too often the livability of a city quickly becomes overwhelmed by the commercial and retail success of a local economy.  This has not happened in Greenville, and careful residential design is the reason. 

I’m going to be bold and say that the importance of residential design is that it improves daily living. Outside our workplace, we spend most of our time at home, and our surroundings have a large impact on our quality of life. Exceptional and carefully-planned architectural design captivates all senses: sight, hearing, and touch, and yes, even the sense of smell through proper landscape architectural design. By engaging all of the senses, Designed for Downtown, LLC creates a harmony of space that characterizes each and every piece of Greenville – with each neighborhood a little different from the others - that makes it feel so much of what it is. I constantly hear from out-of-towners and even residents why they love Greenville: It’s the character; Greenville is a growing and developing city that maintains the feel and charm of a quiet Southern town. 

As a design professional, it is my belief that a large part this feeling towards our city is the characteristic of our homes and communities. Downtown Greenville neighborhoods have all of the architectural styles and none of the ‘cookie cutter’ sameness of suburbia. This eclectic design is not as cost-efficient as a suburban subdivision, but the uniqueness of each downtown home helps preserve the warmth of Downtown Greenville.  That is better than efficiency. 

To preserve Greenville’s character is a mission that Designed forDowntown, LLC has enthusiastically adopted, and we hope to convey our excitement to the homeowners of the downtown Greenville community.  As Greenville continues to grow and neighborhoods begin to in-fill with home renovations, expansions, and new homes, we challenge each homeowner to reflect on what makes Greenville feel like home and how the decisions you make for your home reflect on Greenville’s character and, more importantly, your own. After all, your home is a personal expression of who you are, how you want to live, and where you grow and spend time with family & friends. It’s home.