IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

This kitchen makeover is all about the big, blue stove

The transformed space is light with a fun pop of color.
/ Source: TODAY

When it came time to renovate the dark-and-dated cherrywood kitchen in the suburbs of Chicago, the homeowner expected white cabinetry, but was surprised when the designers also suggested a blue stove.

A dark cherry wood kitchen gets a bright update
A dark cherrywood kitchen gets a bright update.Park & Oak

Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto of Park & Oak, a full-service interior design studio in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, incorporated a Provençal blue La Cornue into the design boards for their client and were faced with a bit of resistance at first.

Blue stove makeover
The blue stove gives the whole room a pop of color.Park & Oak

“We agonized over that blue stove for about a month,” the homeowner explained in a blog post. “It was only when I officially asked for a white stove that I began to really miss the blue stove. We didn’t want to be like every other kitchen out there — we needed to listen to our designer and buy the Provençal blue the LaCornue!”

Now it's their favorite piece in the entire home and the focal point for the updated kitchen. An open island sits in the center of the room, which puts the stove in full view from every angle, and makes the kitchen feel much larger.

Blue stove makeover
The open island makes the space feel larger.Park & Oak

The white cabinetry also gives the room a bigger feel. They chose to replace the dark cherrywood cabinets with light, shaker-style ones and added a set of open shelving.

Blue stove makeover
Before: The window let in some light but still felt dark because of the screens.Park & Oak

To give the room even more natural light, they updated the window as well.

“We replaced the large metal window from 1953 and put in a four-casement window so that in the warmer months, the screens could be removed and it would feel like you were outside,” the owner explained. “My contractor thought I was crazy to ever want to remove the screens, but hey, I’ve always wanted to live in California!”

Blue stove makeover
After: The new window gives the space tons of natural light.Park & Oak

At night, when natural light isn’t streaming in, there’s still plenty of fixtures to keep the space glowing. They added sconces and pendants over the kitchen sink and island, as well as lighting under all the cabinetry.

The homeowner said they had their heart set on one set of floor tiles, but would have had to wait 12 weeks for them. “When you are doing your first remodel, you think everything is going to come to your doorstep like an Amazon order, available, and within five days,” they said. “No.”

To move things along since they were in a rush to finish, they ended up choosing another set from the same company that only took about three weeks to come in.

The new look is a completely transformed room layered with different metals, textures, materials and colors — and let’s not forget about that stunning blue stove.