Colorful Arkansas Kitchen Remodel

A burst of citrus a surefire way to add energy. Just ask designer Melissa Haynes (melissahaynesdesign.com), who redesigned this kitchen for a pair of doctors with a busy, on-call lifestyle. After living in the Fayetteville, Arkansas, house for about a year, the couple was ready to lighten and modernize their Country French kitchen, but they needed help. Melissa found a way to simplify and open the crowded yet well-built kitchen without doing a complete gut job.

What Melissa Did:
​Incorporated family-friendly materials such as durable quartz countertops and Sunbrella fabrics
Freshened the palette
Cleaned up fussy cabinetry
Eliminated the hanging pot rack
Built a larger island with hidden storage

Fussy cabinetry and a hanging pot rack cluttered the space.

A custom octagonal, quartz-topped table surrounded by three chairs and a freestanding banquette "offers a lot of seating in a tight space," says Melissa. The pair of fruit drawings gives a subtle nod to the room's color scheme.

New furniture-like feet and large recessed (not overlaid) doors and drawers upgrade existing cabinets. "The bigger the cabinet doors, the fewer you need, which creates a cleaner look," Melissa says.

Beveled Ann Sacks subway tile in a celadon shade sets the tone for a bright and lively color palette.

A clear glass pendant (Katie Large Fitter Pendant; circalighting.com) over the sink and a brass double pendant above the island provide light without adding visual weight overhead.

A wine cooler, relocated from elsewhere in the house and outfitted with new beverage drawers on the bottom, turns part of the pantry into a drink station.