Kitchen makeover: Chatelaine's home editor designs a dream kitchen

And the winners are... Chris and Jasmine Hunt

This family may have only two children of their own, but there are at least three neighbourhood kids who can easily be counted as part of their brood. And their small 1980s kitchen in North Toronto was feeling the squeeze. A cramped formal dining room often stood empty while hordes of extended family crammed into the poky kitchen. The appliances were dated, cupboard doors were falling off, and the kitchen table often pulled double duty as a homework-and-crafts centre. They were in desperate need of an upgrade, which is why Jasmine entered Chatelaine's Ikea kitchen-makeover contest. "I was sure I was going to win," says Jasmine. "We're from a very lucky family!" First on the to-do list: Take down the wall separating the dining room and kitchen. Then we outfitted the space with stylish and clever cabinetry that turned it into a breathtaking open-concept room. Jasmine says, "It feels perfect. We put in a TV and now we're in here all day. Comparing the new kitchen to the old one is like apples and oranges. The cabinets, the lighting, the space.... Everything is incredible."

After combing through hundreds of entries, we chose this dated kitchen to take from drab to fab

An island is so much better than a wall!

A central island meets most of the family's needs in one go — stools seat five for casual meals (or kids at a party). It provides counter space and room for a second sink for multi-cook meals. And it's a perfect place to hide extra storage.



Get this look: Ramsjö white upper cabinets, Ramsjö black brown lower cabinets, Alsvik faucets, Praktfull Pro range and hood, Quartz countertop, candle holder, glasses, dishes, Ikea. Carrara marble backsplash, Saltillo Imports. Wooden stools, Snob. Gooseneck sconces, Restoration Hardware. Custom blinds, Mera Window Fashions.

Finishes and fixtures are like jewellery in this kitchen

To bring sparkle to this black and white kitchen, we tiled all of the walls with marble mosaic and used brushed-metal touches throughout. Accent lighting under the upper cabinets, and over the island and sink makes for endless ambiance.



Get this look: Foto lamp, Tyda handles, Senior blue casserole, Ikea. Baskets, Snob.

Pantry doors conceal a floor-to-ceiling storage wall

"Our friends and family say our kitchen looks like it's straight out of a magazine."



Get this look: Candlesticks, rug, Elte. Bjursta table, Rens sheepskin, table linens, Ikea. Chairs, Camilla House Imports. Drape fabric, designerfabrics.ca. Custom sewing, Mera Window Fashions. General contracting, Corel Contracting, corel@sympatico.ca

We snuck storage in everywhere

To replace the cupboards that were lost when the dining room wall came down, we created an entire pantry wall of them in the dining area. Drywall was used to frame the cupboards and hide heating ducts. We also replaced upper cabinets with large drawers that make access to everyday items much easier.



Get this look: Rationell drawer inserts, Ikea. Ceramic floors, Olympia Tile+Stone.

All in the family!

"Having room for our friends and family to be in the kitchen together was the most important thing. With the island and the dining room table, we can fit 13 in here!"



Click here for five renovation tips for the perfect kitchen.