When a pair of homeowners called Kelly Martin to help revitalize their 1924 Spanish-style home in Los Angeles, she had her work cut out for her: "The house had outdated contractor-grade cabinets that were an awful orangey stained wood and very poor quality," recalls the designer. "They were in desperate need of an upgrade."
Anyone (un)lucky enough to have lived in a home with a classic 90s-or-early-aughts reno knows well what she means. But Martin and her clients didn't just want to change the looks—they wanted to create a more functional cooking space in what was essentially a simple, small galley kitchen.
"We knew we wanted to rework the layout a little bit but needed to be smart about it, because it was a tight space," says Martin. Due to the specific size constraints, she opted to splurge on custom cabinetry. "It ended up being worth the extra cost because we were able to source the gorgeous character oak and maximize storage wherever possible," says the designer.
On the plus side, the small kitchen's adjacent dining space was "a blank slate," recalls Martin. So, she expanded storage there with a banquette, creating a functional space that also invites cozy conversation—whether over a morning coffee or a late dinner. Below, see how she pulled it all together.
Prep Area
"The clients knew that they wanted to go dark in the general feeling of the space, which is usually what I naturally gravitate towards," says Martin. "I didn’t want it to get too moody in there because of how small the space was, so that’s when I found the gorgeous green zellige tiles for the backsplash. I liked that there was variance in the glaze so it brightened the space and created an interesting backdrop."
Floor Tile: Clé. Backsplash: Zia Tile. Sink: Blanco. Faucet: CalFaucets.
Range
"When working with a smaller space, I find that less is more," Martin shares. "So the black floor ties in with the black counters, black sink, and dark bronze hardware so there aren’t too many mix matches colors within the overall palette. That really makes the green pop since the rest is pretty monochromatic."
Range: Kitchenaid. Hood: Elica. Ceiling lights: Urban Electroic Co.
Dining Area
"The banquette is a good 'zone' because it works as a place to entertain but it also feels casual enough that you could sit and work there and feel like you’re in a coffee shop," says Martin of the seating area she had custom made for the family. "The room was pretty much a blank slate before so it was a great opportunity to give it a distinct purpose. Plus, the secret storage in the bench seats makes up for the fact that the kitchen is teeny tiny!"
Chairs: Williams Sonoma Home.
See the Before-and-After:
Q & A
House Beautiful: Did you encounter any memorable hiccups, challenges, or surprises during the project? How did you pivot?
Kelly Martin: We were short exactly one floor tile when we were installing the black terracotta tiles. The installer made sure that the “hole” where the missing piece needed to go went under the refrigerator. We were dealing with crazy lead times since it was during the pandemic and all of the supply chain shortages, so instead of buying them an additional box of tile, the contractor ended up pouring concrete in that little section where the last piece of tile should have gone. So there’s a secret “bandaid fix” underneath the back of the fridge (shhh!).
HB: Where did the majority of the budget go?
KM: We had to upgrade the electrical panel in order to install the new appliances. So that ate up a lot of money. Other than that it was probably the custom cabinetry, which was definitely worth the expense!
HB: How did you save money/DIY/get crafty? Please detail as many of these as you can!
KM: The client made the dining table in the banquette area. We looked at a few new tables to have made but they decided to save a little bit that they would DIY it themselves. He previously made their very large picnic table for the back patio, so he was familiar with the process.
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