BHG Kitchen + Bath Makeovers COVER Feature: Year 2
I am so excited to share that for the second year in a row, a kitchen project that I designed is on the Spring cover of the Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publication, Kitchen + Bath Makeovers.
How is this possible?! Even though I’ve had over a dozen features in various BHG magazines, the thrill never diminishes. It truly is a pinch-me-moment ever time!
My last experience collaborating with BHG on a kitchen makeover was fantastic and to see the result on the cover was incredible. From having a project featured in that magnitude, so many doors + new opportunities opened for me. That magazine hit newsstands just about a year ago and shortly after that, I was asked back to do it all again, for this years Spring magazine – magazines work long in advance. If you remember back a year ago, I was about 5 months pregnant at the time. The editors new that and were overly accommodating. I said, as long as we can wrap it up by early June, I’m on board. They were on board too and the ball started rolling from there…
Upon finding the right kitchen that was in desperate need for a makeover, Donna Talley – stylist + producer for BHG – and I partnered to create a makeover that was not only beautiful, but also budget-friendly and had many strategic storage options + ‘look for less’ details.
I love seeing + sharing behind the scenes footage and what goes into the end result, so let’s dissect…
The ‘before’
The ‘before’ kitchen was cramped & completely not functional. The space was of an okay size but with very limited cabinet space, a refrigerator wrongly positioned, and traffic flow problems, a lot needed to change. Here are a few before pictures…
Not only were the cabinets dated, but functionally there was a lot of unused space above the upper cabinets. The base cabinets weren’t much better. After working with an architect on a few structural questions, we decided to remove the walls @ the pantry and open up the pass through space to join the kitchen + dining space.
Here was the Creative Vision Board I created for the kitchen + dining room…
In the end we went in a slightly different direction for the fabrics & layers, but the general aesthetic + style remained. Here are a few outtakes on the options discussed…
In the end, this is what was chosen & is what is seen in the magazine feature…
At the same time as the materials + selections were being finalized, I was also working on the architectural drawings of the design, which included the floor plan and the various room elevations needed to execute the fabrication of the cabinetry. This is pretty much the same steps I take for all clients that I work with on a kitchen makeover.
Architectural Drawings…
Once the drawings were finished & everyone was on board, about 2 months later construction started and the makeover transformation was in process.
Progress pictures of the makeover…
In the end, this was the result captured through my lens.
The Result…
The new cabinets were fabricated by MasterBrands – the island is a teal hue, while the upper + base cabinets are a soft gray, and the “pantry” is the same soft gray with a glaze overlay.
Here’s a detail of the “pantry” that we created using stock cabinets…
The island is quartz an I was pleasantly surprised by it’s beauty. Before seeing the overall slab, I was planning for it to be faux looking (a knock-off granite or marble), but it wasn’t at all. The veining & movement of the slab was gorgeous. It’s a material I will definitely use again, especially as an alternative to marble since that can be difficult in a kitchen.
The transformation was incredible and I loved every step of the 1.5-month construction process leading up to photoshoot day which was in mid-June (and less than 2 weeks before I gave birth to baby #3 – thankfully we finished in the nick of time).
As always photoshoot day is typically mayhem, but Oh SO EXCITING. On the pages of the magazine, all looks calm & serene, but most of the nooks & crannies around the main shot are just the opposite.
Photoshoot day…
All the props + styling are credited to Donna Talley who produced & put the story together. Michael Partenio was the photographer for the shoot.
As I mentioned last year when sharing behind the scenes details, I find it incredible how much work goes into creating each shot. The space is overall beautiful, but the added pop layered in through accessories makes the room on the pages of the magazine come alive.
My pictures don’t honestly do a justice. The magazine shares much more beautiful angles + details, along with more of the story about the homeowner & the space. It’s an issue you will absolutely want to pick up. Plus a few of my blogger friends are also featured including Rhoda of Southern Hospitality, Brittany of Pretty Handy Girl, and Marian of Miss Mustard Seed.
Last, but not at all least, I couldn’t design a kitchen without a central command center and this one does not fail!
From my CCC (that was featured in BHG), to last years kitchen with a CCC, and now this one – all of them are so different.
Also in the magazine, a few tips are shared on how to clear the clutter and how it’s stated, “Jenna is on a mission to replace those piles with command centers”…
So fun! I hope you enjoyed a bit of the behind the scenes details of a kitchen makeover for a magazine. Fingers crossed more opportunities will come about in the future!
