These “Dated” 1940s White Kitchen Cabinets Get the Most Gorgeous British-Inspired Makeover
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: Historic Home
PROJECT TYPE: Kitchen
STYLE: Eclectic, Vintage
SKILL LEVEL: Professional
RENTAL FRIENDLY: No
The quirkier, the better — that was just one of the philosophies newlyweds Lilly Heilveil and Oliver Kerr had as they searched for their first home in Austin. After dating long-distance — from London to Brooklyn — the couple settled into a 1940s house on the city’s east side. “This was the oldest home we could find,” Oliver says. “Older homes have more charm.”
The home had character, from its original ironing board cabinet in the kitchen (a nostalgic detail for Oliver) to its circular floor plan that reminded Lilly of her Los Angeles upbringing. Yet its beige, dated kitchen, which lacked both counter space and color, left much to the imagination. They hired principal architect Harmony Grogan and lead designer Becca Floyd of Pluck Architecture to create a functional, stylish kitchen that reflected their roots and new life together.
“Both of us wanted the kitchen to live up to its character,” Lilly says. “It felt like it wanted to be so much more.” The starting point? A bold, quintessentially British palette of warm red, dusty pink, and mustard yellow inspired by Georgian kitchens they admired on U.K. real estate sites.
The dining room now dons a rich red, while the kitchen cabinetry is bathed in Farrow & Ball’s India Yellow and Benjamin Moore’s Santa Rosa. “We leaned into it,” Becca says of the palette.
To modernize the layout, they moved the refrigerator to a carved-out nook, an area once covered up by a concealed window, and included more counter space, a zellige tile backsplash, and a custom plaster range hood. “We wanted something organic and textural but still understated,” Becca says.
In lieu of stainless steel or black appliances, which would have felt too stark, a GE gas range, dishwasher, and fridge, all in the color slate, a “color that appears almost like a warm gray-brown color,” were the perfect additions, as they don’t appear too modern, Harmony says.
Preserving the charm was just as important. The original cabinetry near the sink was kept intact, but because of its age was stabilized and reinforced. Fresh paint, hardware, and porcelain concrete tiles from Wayfair laid out in a large checkerboard pattern as an homage to the original laminate floors gave the home a timeless backdrop while balancing imperfection and practicality.
“The upper cabinets are a little saggy, but they add to the character,” Harmony says. Thoughtful finishing touches like walnut butcher block counters and open shelving with teacup hooks — at the client’s request — further enhanced the eclectic aesthetic.
For Lilly and Oliver, the result was well worth the effort. “I love the hood and watched it come to life,” she says. “And the pink inside the cabinets felt bold at first, but every time I see it, I fall in love all over again.” The space now seamlessly blends old and new, creating a functional and colorful heart of the home that they get to enjoy every single day.
This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: Before & After: “Dated” 1940s White Kitchen Cabinets Get the Most Gorgeous British-Inspired Makeover
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
