{"id":276705,"date":"2025-10-04T08:36:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T08:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/276705\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T08:36:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T08:36:37","slug":"a-tiny-nyc-kitchen-goes-from-all-white-to-dripping-in-maximalist-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/276705\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tiny NYC Kitchen Goes from All White to Dripping in Maximalist Drama"},"content":{"rendered":"

ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER<\/p>\n

HOME TYPE:<\/b> Studio Apartment<\/p>\n

PROJECT TYPE:<\/b> Kitchen<\/p>\n

STYLE:<\/b> Maximalist<\/p>\n

SKILL LEVEL:<\/b> DIY, Professional<\/p>\n

\"Small<\/p>\n

White kitchens<\/a> will always be timeless, but artist Kerin Rose Gold (@kerinrosegold<\/a>), who creates contemporary crystal art pieces and founded accessory design brand a-morir<\/a>, needed a little more oomph in her Manhattan studio space\u2019s kitchen.<\/p>\n

Half of Kerin\u2019s studio<\/a> is used as a workspace, and the other half serves as the brand\u2019s showroom. The space is full of \u201ccolor, pattern, and crystals,\u201d she says, and she wanted the kitchen (and the bathroom!) to match the aesthetic.<\/p>\n

\"Small<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kitchen before was classic builder-grade. White walls, cream \u2018marble\u2019 countertops, cream tile floor. I don\u2019t like being critical of design choices because they were made by a person who put thought into them, but these design choices were the antithesis of mine,\u201d Kerin explains. \u201cI love color, pattern, and visual spectacle in all aspects of my life. It was truly a blank canvas begging for change.\u201d<\/p>\n

She wanted the kitchen and bathroom to be \u201ctheir own visual worlds,\u201d so Kerin looked to her favorite artists, Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, for inspiration.<\/p>\n

> Start a discussion about this B&A in our Community Forum!<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

How To Use a Level\"Narrow<\/p>\n

Kerin took her time, and this makeover was all about trying things out playfully. At first, she bought colorful terrazzo contact paper<\/a> from Samantha Santana to go on the outside of the fridge, but it didn\u2019t necessarily feel right for the space.<\/p>\n

When she tested a splattered Wallshoppe\u2019s \u201cPratt Paint\u201d wallpaper in the bathroom, she realized that it was perfect for the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"Narrow<\/p>\n

A professional wallpaper installer hung the wallpaper, and every other decision stemmed from there. Kerin decided to go with Samantha Santana black-and-white terrazzo contact paper<\/a> on the countertops and fridge, which she applied herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t do it 100% perfectly, but the kitchen is also an art space, so I didn\u2019t need to be precious with it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s not 100% done, either. Eventually, I\u2019ll swap out the knobs and do something to the cabinets, but no need to rush. I\u2019ll be in this space for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Compact<\/p>\n

Kerin estimates the total makeover cost around $1,000, though that includes the cost of a contractor replacing the studio lights and floors outside of the kitchen. After months of \u201cmental simmering\u201d on the new kitchen design, she loves how the finished product is an homage to her favorite artists.<\/p>\n

\"Compact<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just the walls and counters that were a nod to Pollock and Krasner; she also included artworks, like a framed flyer from a Cynthia Plaster Caster exhibit, a felt can of beans, and a beer bottle by Lucy Sparrow. And even though it\u2019s full of art, it\u2019s still extremely functional.<\/p>\n

Kerin and her team use the space to store food, eat lunch, and make matcha, as well as experiment with art projects \u2014 like using the oven and stove to melt crayons, bend Lucite, and melt candle wax.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love how happy it makes me. Oh, and an underestimated bonus of a small kitchen? It takes me maybe 20 minutes to clean top to bottom,\u201d Kerin says. Consider this a job well (almost) done.<\/p>\n

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Before & After: A Tiny White Kitchen Transforms Into the Most Colorful Oasis Dripping in Drama<\/a><\/p>\n

> Start a discussion about this B&A in our Community Forum!<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Further Reading<\/p>\n

Marie Kondo\u2019s Method for Storing Kitchen Towels Is the Only Way to Store Kitchen Towels<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

10 Sofas Under $500 That Look Anything but Cheap<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

54 Things Absolutely Nobody Should be Storing, Anywhere<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n