How a Father-Daughter Duo Transformed Their Tiny 1990s Kitchen into a Southern Dream

When Caroline Lunne, founder of Migrate Marketing, bought her 1937 home in Charleston, South Carolina, she knew the house was in “bad shape,” but it didn’t stop her from seeing the space’s potential. The kitchen, which Caroline thinks was last updated in the 1990s, was especially dysfunctional at the start. “The kitchen was tiny with no room for an oven or stove,” she explains. “The update allowed us to fit a fridge, stove, and more into the space!” 

Caroline wanted the kitchen to flow with the rest of the home, which she describes as “eclectic, original, and colorful,” so she, her father, and a team of professionals got started on the kitchen makeover. The first step, of course, was to figure out how and where they’d add the major appliances: an oven, stove, and refrigerator. She did want to keep the cabinets and countertops, though. 

“We added trim [painted in Sherwin-Williams’ “Pure White”] and did some reconfiguration of the tile,” she shares. “I found some old tile in the attic, which we put as the backsplash of the oven. This was a new addition, and the tile allowed us to tie it all in.”

Caroline sourced currently-sold-out wallpaper from Anthropologie, which complemented not only the tile, but also the secondhand butcher-block island and the modern pendant hanging above it. 

It only took three months to renovate the kitchen from start to finish, which included refinishing the floors, wallpapering, and adding new appliances. Unsurprisingly, it quickly became Caroline’s favorite room in the house. 

“I love the color, the wallpaper, and how the modern light serves as a juxtaposition in the space, making everything more interesting,” Caroline says. “When I first saw the house, I knew it needed a blue vintage fridge. It sparks daily joy!” To see more of her happy home, visit the full House Tour on Apartment Therapy. 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: How a Father-Daughter Duo Transformed Their Tiny 1990s Kitchen Into a Southern Dream