From Flooded to Fabulous

When my client reached out about her flooded kitchen, I knew we had a journey ahead. No homeowner wants to navigate insurance claims, endless estimates, or months in an Airbnb—but sometimes, life hands you a renovation opportunity in disguise.

The silver lining? She never loved her kitchen to begin with. It felt dated, dark (but not in the right way), and completely out of sync with her style. So, when I asked her to envision her dream kitchen, she mentioned loving the vibe of a moody cigar lounge. Say no more. My interest was piqued.

Lately, I’ve noticed a shift—many of my clients are moving away from bright, ultra-modern kitchens in favor of spaces that feel cozy, stylized, and undeniably elevated. They want warmth, depth, and timeless appeal. And this project? The perfect canvas.

The Vision: Sultry, Sophisticated, and Oh-So-Stylish

We kicked things off with custom mood boards to refine her aesthetic. My design process is always collaborative—after all, it’s your home, and every detail should feel like you.

At first, she leaned toward a rich maroon, but ultimately, we landed on a deep, smoky green-gray for the cabinetry—Flint. To create a fully immersive, moody-but-make-it-glam effect, we planned to drench the ceiling in the same hue.

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The Challenges: Because No Renovation is Perfect

Like any great design story, we had a few plot twists. The tile we fell in love with turned out to be... let’s just say, temperamental. Our installer let us know it had plenty of imperfections, making it tricky to lay, but he absolutely nailed it.

And while custom cabinetry was tempting, the price tag was not. Instead, we matched a stock cabinet color to Flint—a seamless, budget-friendly alternative that still delivered that luxe, tailored feel.

The Details: Where Form Meets Function

Great design is about balance—beauty meets practicality, drama meets restraint. Here’s how we brought her dream kitchen to life:

✨ Custom-inspired cabinetry rich, grounding, and endlessly elevated.
✨ Brass & milk-glass statement lighting for a warm, glowing ambiance. (Bonus: it’s dimmable)
✨ A glossy bronze backsplash—because kitchens deserve jewelry, too.
✨ Calcutta Sienna Silver Quartz countertops—striking yet timeless.
✨ Thoughtful storage upgrades—pull-out spice racks, a hidden paper towel pull-out, and a lazy Susan (because function is luxury).
✨ Honey Bronze hardware—a little detail that adds just the right amount of polish.
✨ A Delta touch faucet & matching outlet covers—because the magic is in the details.

The Reveal: A Kitchen That Feels Like Her

The end result? A kitchen that is sultry, sophisticated, and completely her. Every selection was intentional, every detail curated to strike that perfect balance of moody and inviting. It’s a space that feels refined yet livable, polished yet warm—exactly the vibe she envisioned.