8 Tips to Revolutionize Your Kitchen
Sophie Donelson’s new book "Uncommon Kitchens" explores the most popular room in the house
The new book Uncommon Kitchens: A Revolutionary Approach to the Most Popular Room in the House (Abrams, 2023) is filled with inspiring advice and up-to-the-minute projects from top creators, designers, and innovators. And did we mention that author Sophie Donelson’s family lives here in Maine? Below, Donelson has plucked some of her favorite pages from the book—both the imaginative kitchen designs and the original tips. There are hundreds more in the book, all with the same goal: to help you revolutionize your own kitchen starting today! ($40, abramsbooks.com)
TIP 1 To make colors interesting, let them FIGHT.
Using two greens or two reds that don’t quite match adds tension and complexity. When colors aren’t exactly right together, they create an argument‚ and that’s when design gets interesting!
TIP 2 HARDWARE: Don’t discount the cheapos!
A lot of brilliant hardware, like simple wood handles, is totally dismissed, written off because it’s two dollars a handle. Lots of it is thoughtfully designed and durable. Price is not always an indicator of quality—don’t let that stigma get in the way of a great pick.
—Victoria Sass, Prospect Refuge Studio
TIP 1 Leave room for change.
Some items stay, like the portrait. Others go—the bird is in the parlor now. New flowers come in and dry, old ones go out. The collection of ceramic jugs is ever-evolving, too.
TIP 2 Forget traditional “KITCHEN COLORS.”
This is a putty pink we love. It worked in a bedroom, in a bathroom, and now it’s on the cabinets. When it works, it works—it doesn’t have to be “kitcheny” to make sense.
—Christine Flynn, photographer
TIP 1 Keep it from feeling too NEW.
Try items in a mix of materials and textures. They lend that feeling of character and juxtapose nicely with brand-new things, like marble countertops and the perfect cabinets and new glistening tiles. My mix is wooden salad bowls, super-thick purple ceramic plates, and my collection
of green Moroccan tamegroute pottery, which is wonky and imperfect.
TIP 2 Pare down to add impact.
Go for multifunctional things, or fewer. Our wall oven also has microwave functions, so there is one fewer appliance on the counter. I’d rather have plants in those spaces.
—Justina Blakeney, designer, author, and founder of Jungalow
TIP 1 Think of it as a ROOM first.
You can use regular furniture in the kitchen. Several designer friends suggested a corner banquette here, and it could have been nice. But it’s also more limiting and permanent than just using a regular old sofa. When you opt for built-ins, you lose the spontaneity that comes with moving things around.
TIP 2 Decorating is creating ENERGY in a room.
It’s not a tableau—you live there, so it needs movement, some spontaneity. You can do that by allowing whims to make it into the design—and then it’s OK to change your mind. Perfect rooms feel like tombs.
—Robin Henry, designer
