This 1960s Atlanta Kitchen Keeps the Sunshine Close

The before: Save for a few minor changes, the kitchen had remained more or less untouched since the 1960s. It had original wood cabinets, a laminate countertop, old appliances, but also, as Laura puts it, “a little bit of that 1960s charm.”

Walnut wood cabinetry, brought to life by Peter Eiland of Eiland Woodworks, basks in its natural grain, echoing the warmth of the oak wood floor. To maximize storage, Laura opted for open shelves for cookbooks and tchotchkes, and crowned the window with a slender row of cupboards characterized by doors in eye-popping colors. The decor is enlivened by vintage and new ceramics, collected items, art, textiles, and color. “It feels natural and organic and lived in. It is well used and well loved and as the design intends, it gets better with age,” the designer says. The artwork is by Egle Zvirblyte.

The inspiration: “I wanted it to feel like a reinterpretation rather than a reproduction; something that felt of the moment, but inspired by the past,” says Laura, who took cues from Le Corbusier’s seaside holiday cabin on the Côte d’Azur in France, the colors of Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin, and Ryan’s art collection.

Budget: $50,000

Square footage: 150 square feet

Main ingredients:

Cabinetry: Walnut wood designs conceived by Laura and built by a local maker and frequent collaborator, Peter Eiland of Eiland Woodworks, characterize the walls. “I love the play of colors against the walnut and concrete tones. We worked to find shades that weren’t too bright but still brought a pop,” says Laura of the row of upper cabinets.

Hood: A Zephyr insert camouflages the hood into the wooden millwork.

Flooring: The oak wood flooring is original to the house, though Laura had to patch it in a couple of areas. “Luckily, this flooring is easy to blend and we just let those stain imperfections shine where needed. As I like to say, old houses are perfectly imperfect.”

AFTER: The island isn’t just an island. It’s a spot for grazing, lounging, reading, and reflecting. “It’s the best feature of all. I love that it’s free of appliances,” Ryan says. As for Laura’s favorite? “The top cabinets with cut-out finger holes and the color-packed open shelves are pretty great,” she shares, adding that the wall art comes a close third. Akari light sculptures by Isamu Noguchi overarch the island, which is underpinned by stools by CB2.