From Stale to Stunning: Chic Makeover Transforms Family Kitchen

When interior designer and West Bloomfield resident Barbi Krass of Colorworks Studio in Birmingham is challenged with small-space renovations, she focuses on efficiency, quality, beauty and the homeowners' personalities and tastes.  

Take, for example, the redesign she oversaw at the home of Marc and Sharon Berke of Huntington Woods. The Berkes cringe when they think of what the kitchen in their home looked like before its update.

The cupboard doors were falling off their hinges, there was a freestanding refrigerator, dark tile grout on the floor and “really bad Formica everywhere,” Marc Berke said.

“The worst, though, was our pantry door, which was also falling off and would be really dangerous if it fell,” added Sharon Berke, who works for Berkley High School as a special education and transition coordinator.

“And that peeling, fake-wood Formica, what was that? Not really for a kitchen,” her husband added.

When they had all the Formica fun they could stand in their art-filled, circa-1940s home, the couple — who have two sons, ages 10 and 12 — called Krass.

Krass, who grew up on the East Coast and graduated from Boston University with a degree in fine arts, has been featured as a winner on the cable network HGTV show Designer’s Challenge for her work on a loft in a 1927 Detroit warehouse. She brought the Berkes several creative makeover ideas for their kitchen.

Krass has owned her business for some 30 years and began her career working with fabrics and textiles. She coordinated the Berke project with an eye toward color, whimsy and a big dollop of sophistication.

“I don’t decorate to the nth degree," Krass said. "Nothing we do is overdone. It's about cleaner rather than fussier. Color is very important and the flow throughout the house.”

The Berkes and Krass decided to maintain the original footprint and add a new, efficient cabinetry system by Adrian, MI-based Merillat Industries. The upper cabinets feature Merillat’s Wedgewood Glaze with glass accent doors, while the lower cabinets are a natural maple.    

An artistic tile backsplash/backdrop, new stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and a fluted-front farmhouse-style sink (by the Whitehaus Collection, in biscuit) also punctuate the charming space. Blue wall paint (Benjamin Moore’s Kentucky Blue) ties the tile colors and provides a peaceful vibe. 

An above-sink garden window that Marc Berke bought at a Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute auction provides a pleasant spot for plants and lots of natural light. 

“I think I paid $100 for the window, and it’s worth a whole lot more,” said Berke, who is the development director for the Southfield-based Alzheimer's Association — Greater Michigan Chapter.

“It’s amazing how the window, in this small space, opens up the entire kitchen,” he said.

Creating style with tile

Tile not only provides a splash of color in the Berkes' kitchen, it also showcases the couple’s whimsical tastes.

“We love tile,” Sharon Berke said, “and (ours) are very kitcheny, with coffee cup images, grapes, etc.”

She and her husband, both 40, are passionate about Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery (they have a few Pewabic pieces in their living room), but they could not work Pewabic into their budget for the entire kitchen project. Instead, they purchased tile from Ohio-based Seneca Tiles, whose designs are reminiscent of Pewabic’s style. Seneca products are also handcrafted, are made in historic kilns and boast old-glaze recipes.

“We worked on tile colors and designs together,” Krass said, “and then I created an overall layout on CAD (a computer-aided design program). I really like the tiles because those that have images on them are imprinted or indented and also raised.”

“We wanted fun and whimsical,” Sharon Berke said.

“And sophistication,” Krass added. The team selected tile colors of periwinkle, peacock, terra cotta, honey, cedar and driftwood.

They left the ceramic tile floor as is; however, they lightened its dark-gray grout, giving it a much-needed boost.

"This is an excellent example of how a family can pretty much keep their original footprint intact and do some amazing things with the space they have," Krass explained. “We try to reflect the tastes of the client. But we won’t do something if it won’t work, if it’s not within the principles of good design."

“It’s really nice to be in here now,” Sharon Berke said. “And it’s a lot easier to cook, too.” 

Additional kitchen makeover tips

These come from Kristen Catto Armstrong of Kristen Catto Interior Design in Birmingham:

• Cabinet couture: As soon as one trend comes in, another goes out. Buck the trends and choose what you like, as opposed to what others are doing. Consider using an opaque or textured glass for upper cabinets, which can lighten the overall look of the kitchen.
• Countertops culture: Select a neutral granite or stone for the perimeter of the kitchen and a different piece (richer color) for an island.
• Timeless is terrific: A timeless kitchen is about layering textures through material selections. Wood floors, painted cabinets, granite countertops and a stone backsplash combine well. Or consider stone floors, wood cabinets, honed granite countertops and metallic porcelain backsplash.
• Paint that pleases: After it’s all in place, don't panic about a paint color. Usually, the amount of wall space is far less than imagined. Some great Sherwin-Williams colors for kitchens include:
  • 6002 Essential Gray (for walls)
  • 6004 Mink (for an off-kitchen mud room and laundry cabinets)
  • 6072 Versatile Gray (for walls)
  • 6075 Folkstone (for an off-kitchen mud room)
  • 106 Cilium Beige (for walls)
  • 6082 Cobble Brown (for an off-kitchen mud room)    

Look for Sherwin-Williams stores at 27958 Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak and at 2362 Franklin Rd. in Bloomfield Hills.

To find Benjamin Moore paints, visit at 619 S. Adams Rd. in Birmingham and at 6650 Telegraph Rd. in Bloomfield Hills. Benjamin Moore paints may also be found at Teknicolors Inc., 33488 Woodward Ave. in Birmingham.

You may purchase Merillat cabinets at at 33254 Woodward Ave. in Birmingham.

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