KITCHEN REMODELING GALLERY
Austin, TX Kitchen Remodel with Modern Updates and Original Layout
Designer: Audrey Scheck | Location: Austin, TX
Homeowner Goals & Challenges
This young homeowner loved her home and planned to stay long-term, but the kitchen and bathrooms (original to the 1996 build) felt dated and didn’t reflect her personal design aesthetic.
She wanted fresh, modern spaces that felt like her own without taking on structural changes or major reconfiguration. Because the budget didn’t allow for altering floor plans, the challenge was to make a dramatic visual and functional impact using only updated finishes, materials, and surface-level improvements.
While several areas of the home were refreshed, the kitchen served as the main source of inspiration and set the tone for the overall transformation.
BEFORE
Our Remodeling Approach
The refreshed kitchen and breakfast nook were designed to feel warm, bright, and inviting. The space was rooted in timeless materials like marble, unlacquered brass, polished nickel, and jute. These natural finishes introduce layered texture and character, growing more beautiful as they age over time.
Thoughtful functional upgrades elevate everyday living, including new cabinetry towers flanking the range for pantry and small-appliance storage, a sloped plaster range hood, upper cabinets with brass wire mesh detailing along the sink wall, and a decorative curved marble backsplash that becomes a focal point of the room. Layers of well-planned lighting further enhance the space, allowing the homeowner to adjust the ambiance for cooking, gathering, or entertaining.
Tongue-and-groove paneling in a creamy off-white wraps the room in a cozy, historic charm while visually lifting the ceiling. In the breakfast nook, a round pedestal table, striped upholstery, and a mix of block-print florals on the banquette establish a cheerful, collected color palette, finished with a curated display of blue delft plates that ties the entire space together.
Remodel Challenge
This project required careful coordination, both to stay on a tight timeline and to work around the pool company’s schedule. Several unexpected obstacles arose along the way, including a cracked stone slab that required switching to a backup slab, a damaged tree limb caused by movers, and a hot water issue that affected the homeowner during construction. Each challenge was addressed promptly and thoughtfully to keep the project moving forward and ensure a smooth experience for the homeowner.
The Final Outcome
The result is a bright, inviting kitchen and refreshed living spaces that feel personal and timeless, achieved through layered natural materials, improved storage solutions, and refined design details that elevated the home without structural changes.
