Kitchen of the Week: Bold and Bright in a Dark Basement
A designer’s own downsizing presents a design challenge, and she uses color, lighting and efficient storage to meet it
“I love cobalt. It makes my heart sing,” kitchen and bath designer Tracey Stephens says. And now her colorful new kitchen sings to her. She and her husband moved for the purpose of downsizing and multigenerational living. The designer wanted to take on the challenge of creating a kitchen that was efficient, functional and comfortable in as small a space as possible. After editing down the kitchen items they’d need to the minimum and planning smart storage to maximize space, 140 square feet was the magic number. Because the kitchen is in a basement with no natural light, bright colors and a thoughtful lighting scheme were also key.
After: Stephens created a bright, colorful and compact kitchen using only 140 square feet. “The more I worked on it, the smaller and smaller I was able to get it,” she says. The work triangle is on the left side of the room, and the designer says she likes to stand with her back to the fridge while prepping at the peninsula. The couple often have morning coffee and dinners seated here.
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
Perhaps it was a favorite set of hand-painted plates Stephens picked up in Turkey years ago that also influenced the color palette. One of them hangs in a place of honor on the wall.
“Green also makes my heart sing,” Stephens says. She chose Rural Green by Sherwin-Williams for the walls, continuing it onto the baseboards and other doors near the kitchen for a seamless look. This helped make the 6-foot-8-inch ceilings feel a little higher, whereas breaking up the wall with a different baseboard color would have had the opposite effect.
For the same reason, Stephens added a piece of trim to the top of the cabinets to make them meet the ceiling. “Also, the tops of upper cabinets are dust collectors, so I like for them to meet the ceilings in all my projects,” she says.
“Green also makes my heart sing,” Stephens says. She chose Rural Green by Sherwin-Williams for the walls, continuing it onto the baseboards and other doors near the kitchen for a seamless look. This helped make the 6-foot-8-inch ceilings feel a little higher, whereas breaking up the wall with a different baseboard color would have had the opposite effect.
For the same reason, Stephens added a piece of trim to the top of the cabinets to make them meet the ceiling. “Also, the tops of upper cabinets are dust collectors, so I like for them to meet the ceilings in all my projects,” she says.
“When we first got the house, it was very cold down here,” Stephens says. She added a toe kick heater at the bottom of the peninsula and notes that when the heat is on her feet, she’s in heaven while she preps.
The couple also added Roxul insulation to the basement to make it more energy-efficient and warmer. “This insulation is formaldehyde-free, nonflammable and it doesn’t absorb water,” Stephens says. “This means there are no added chemicals for fire or moisture protection.”
The couple also added Roxul insulation to the basement to make it more energy-efficient and warmer. “This insulation is formaldehyde-free, nonflammable and it doesn’t absorb water,” Stephens says. “This means there are no added chemicals for fire or moisture protection.”
Stephens also preps at her workstation sink. “I love this sink,” she says. “Even though it’s small, it’s so functional that it’s plenty big enough. My office is in my home, so I bring clients down here to show them different options for their own kitchens. After they see this sink, they all want it.” She also shows them how the pull-down faucet sprayer works.
Crosstown 18-gauge workstation stainless steel sink: Elkay
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Crosstown 18-gauge workstation stainless steel sink: Elkay
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“Because the kitchen was in a basement with no natural light, I wanted to make it bold and bright and happy. My husband was totally on board as he loves color too,” Stephens says. “Neither of us was thinking about resale — we wanted to do what would make us happy.” The cobalt was the jumping-off point for the color palette. Stephens had the cabinetmakers customize the cabinet color in Sherwin-Williams’ Honorable Blue.
The next thing she chose was the countertop material. She went with Cambria’s Portrush quartz, which has blue and black veins and flecks of gold in it. From there, she chose the backsplash, a porcelain tile with a star pattern. It has shades of blue and black on a white background with a distressed look and was a good match for the countertops.
Backsplash tile: Cassis Stella in black, 9¾ x 9¾ inches, SomerTile
The next thing she chose was the countertop material. She went with Cambria’s Portrush quartz, which has blue and black veins and flecks of gold in it. From there, she chose the backsplash, a porcelain tile with a star pattern. It has shades of blue and black on a white background with a distressed look and was a good match for the countertops.
Backsplash tile: Cassis Stella in black, 9¾ x 9¾ inches, SomerTile
Brizo’s Litze faucet in matte black and gold was also a good match for the countertops. “I love this faucet,” Stephens says. “The handle and the pull-down sprayer have a knurled texture that makes them easier to grip when you have wet hands. And it looks really cool.”
The two wall sconces that flank the sink also mix black and gold. “I never considered myself a gold person. I thought it was too fancy,” Stephens says. “But once I saw the black-and-gold faucet I was sold.” She chose gold hardware to match.
Cabinets: Aria, Showplace Cabinetry; hardware: Freestone in satin brass, Emtek
The two wall sconces that flank the sink also mix black and gold. “I never considered myself a gold person. I thought it was too fancy,” Stephens says. “But once I saw the black-and-gold faucet I was sold.” She chose gold hardware to match.
Cabinets: Aria, Showplace Cabinetry; hardware: Freestone in satin brass, Emtek
In using her own kitchen as a showroom, Stephens can show her clients the inserts she used to maximize storage space. This pullout has bins for paper recycling and mingled recyclables and bins with handles for composting and trash that can’t be recycled.
“We’re aware that our trash goes to an incinerator, so using the smaller bin for that garbage keeps us mindful of that,” Stephens says. “Between the composting and the recycling, we generate very little trash that will wind up there.”
“We’re aware that our trash goes to an incinerator, so using the smaller bin for that garbage keeps us mindful of that,” Stephens says. “Between the composting and the recycling, we generate very little trash that will wind up there.”
The white oak flooring is less than half an inch thick. “With such low ceilings, every fraction of an inch counted,” Stephens says. She continued the flooring on the seating side of the peninsula. “I didn’t want to paint this side of the peninsula with people kicking it, especially my grandson. The wood flooring is more durable,” she says. There’s an outlet with USB ports on this side of the island for charging devices.
Stephens also chose a vent hood that would save space. It’s a slim slide-out hood.
Flooring: White oak with Jacobean stain, Woodlands collection, Hearthwood Floors
Stephens also chose a vent hood that would save space. It’s a slim slide-out hood.
Flooring: White oak with Jacobean stain, Woodlands collection, Hearthwood Floors
Before planning the space, Stephens whittled down the couple’s kitchen items to only what they’d need. “We decided to pass the baton on hosting holidays to our children,” she says. “We used to host all the holidays and have anywhere from 10 to 25 people over for dinner.” She divvied up all the china, glassware, linens and serveware for those events among the kids, freeing up lots of space.
Stephens then carefully planned where the remaining kitchen inventory would be stored. The peninsula has lots of hardworking storage, including this drawer with cutlery, utensil and catchall inserts.
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Stephens then carefully planned where the remaining kitchen inventory would be stored. The peninsula has lots of hardworking storage, including this drawer with cutlery, utensil and catchall inserts.
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Deep drawers provide space for pots and pans. Drawers make pulling things out more ergonomic than digging around behind a cabinet door.
The center has a slim pullout that includes utensil canisters.
Stephens designated this drawer across from the stove as the spice drawer. Then she added bamboo tension inserts to keep things tidy. “We’ve found these are the only spices that we use,” she says. “There’s more room at the back of the drawer for more.”
Across from the peninsula, an extra-deep utensil drawer has two layers. The top, filled with everyday silverware, slides back to allow access to utensils below. Because this drawer is deeper than a standard drawer, Stephens customized the adjacent false front panel under the sink to keep the lines consistent.
On the far side of the range, rollouts make it easy to access small appliances and other items. “Usually behind base doors there’s just a half shelf. Using rollouts doubles the storage space and makes it easy to reach things in the back,” Stephens says.
She uses rollouts on the other side of the range for food storage containers, measuring cups and colanders.
Next to the fridge is a 21-inch pantry cabinet that can hold all the couple’s food. It’s 24 inches deep. Rollouts outfitted with baskets keep things organized. Stephens added dividers in the cabinet above for cutting boards and cookie sheets.
The fridge is 30 inches wide. While Stephens usually recommends a 36-inch model for her clients with families, she and her husband find this one is big enough for their needs. It was also important to her to have a fridge free of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, which are a major pollutant.
“HFC-free fridges use a refrigerant, R600a, or isobutane, which is much better for the environment,” Stephens says. HFC-free fridges are also more energy-efficient, she says, but she notes it can be hard to shop for one because often the refrigerant used is not listed on the product specifications. But it will be on the label inside the fridge. Look on the label under “Refrigerant Type” — “R600a” indicates an HFC-free refrigerant. Also, the Environmental Investigation Agency provides a list of HFC-free models on its website.
30-inch Energy Star bottom-freezer refrigerator: Blomberg
The fridge is 30 inches wide. While Stephens usually recommends a 36-inch model for her clients with families, she and her husband find this one is big enough for their needs. It was also important to her to have a fridge free of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, which are a major pollutant.
“HFC-free fridges use a refrigerant, R600a, or isobutane, which is much better for the environment,” Stephens says. HFC-free fridges are also more energy-efficient, she says, but she notes it can be hard to shop for one because often the refrigerant used is not listed on the product specifications. But it will be on the label inside the fridge. Look on the label under “Refrigerant Type” — “R600a” indicates an HFC-free refrigerant. Also, the Environmental Investigation Agency provides a list of HFC-free models on its website.
30-inch Energy Star bottom-freezer refrigerator: Blomberg
The renovation also included a change in range type for the couple. “Previously we’d had gas, but you can’t have a gas stove in a basement,” Stephens says. “The more I’ve learned about induction stoves, the more I’ve wanted one. And once I explain them to clients, I’d say about 90% of them want them too. Induction ranges do not require the use of fossil fuels and do not emit the toxins that gas stoves do.”
She finds the two main things that usually make her clients hesitate when considering an induction stove are a primal attraction to the flame of a gas stove and worrying that they’ll have to get rid of all their cookware. “That’s not true — if a magnet will stick to the cookware, you can use it on an induction stove,” Stephens says. “We found all the stuff we use all the time worked, and we gave the rest to my son who was just getting settled in a new place.”
Induction range and dishwasher: KitchenAid
She finds the two main things that usually make her clients hesitate when considering an induction stove are a primal attraction to the flame of a gas stove and worrying that they’ll have to get rid of all their cookware. “That’s not true — if a magnet will stick to the cookware, you can use it on an induction stove,” Stephens says. “We found all the stuff we use all the time worked, and we gave the rest to my son who was just getting settled in a new place.”
Induction range and dishwasher: KitchenAid
In this “before” floor plan, most of the basement was open. Not shown are a powder room and storage room on the other side of the door on the right.
Stephens divided the space into the kitchen and her husband’s office, placing a wall that now contains the structural post.
The designer chose improvements that were sustainable and healthy for her kitchen. Here’s a cheat sheet for your own planning:
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The designer chose improvements that were sustainable and healthy for her kitchen. Here’s a cheat sheet for your own planning:
- Minimized the footprint with efficient cabinetry and smart items such as a workstation sink
- Used rock wool insulation
- Opted for an induction stove
- Chose an HFC-free fridge
- Included a compost bin and a small trash bin to promote more careful thinking about what’s being tossed
- Installed LED lighting
- Passed unneeded items down to family members or donated them for reuse
- Chose colors that made her feel happy and invigorated
- Extended cabinets to the ceiling to cut down on dust
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Kitchen and bath designer Tracey Stephens and her husband
Location: Bloomfield, New Jersey
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Before: The five-bedroom house Stephens and her husband shared was too big for them after they became empty nesters, so they decided to downsize. They looked for a two-family home they could share with his daughter, son-in-law and young grandson.
“Our house sold really quickly, and the house we found is sort of a split-level,” Stephens says. “We decided to take the basement and the main level, and my husband’s daughter and her family have another floor that’s about half a floor up from that and the floor above it.”
The house wasn’t a true two-family residence, as it had just one kitchen. “So we didn’t have a kitchen [in our area], but I thought, ‘Great, that’s what I do,’ ” Stephens says. However, her original plan to put their kitchen on the main level fell apart when she realized they’d have to jackhammer almost the entire concrete floor just to get the plumbing in. So she pivoted to the basement. “There was very little space to work with, and I was excited about that. My challenge was how small could I make it while keeping it efficient, functional and workable.”
This photo shows the condition the basement was in when the couple purchased the house. It doesn’t line up well with any of the “after” photos, but keep in mind it was taken from where the range is now.
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