This “Country” Kitchen Scraps the Pine Cabinets for a Bold Makeover

Wooden cabinets in blue painted kitchen.
Black painted walls in kitchen before renovation.
Wooden cabinets in kitchen before renovation.
Wooden cabinets in kitchen before renovation.
Exposed brick in kitchen during renovation.
Pink tiles in kitchen with open shelves and green cabinets.
The homeowners went with forest green cabinets, a pink tile backsplash, and a U-shaped layout that allowed for more counter space. Credit: Photo: Natalie Jeffcott; Interior Styling: Chris Bellamy Interiors Credit: Photo: Natalie Jeffcott; Interior Styling: Chris Bellamy Interiors
Pink tiles in kitchen with open shelves and green cabinets.
Pink tile backsplash in newly renovated kitchen with open shelves.
Corn cushion on floor in newly renovated pink tiled kitchen.
The banquette seating adds a pop of yellow — and it has sneaky storage, too. Credit: Photo: Natalie Jeffcott; Interior Styling: Chris Bellamy Interiors Credit: Photo: Natalie Jeffcott; Interior Styling: Chris Bellamy Interiors
Yellow upholstered banquette in newly renovated kitchen.

There’s something distinctly special about living in a historic home. You get all the charm from the house’s past, with the potential to make your mark on the space. That’s precisely what freelance photographer Natalie Jeffcott and her partner did with their 1880s brick home’s kitchen in Melbourne, Australia. They were ready to make their mark.

When the couple moved into the home, the previous owners had already renovated the kitchen and designed it to look like a “pine country kitchen,” which Natalie didn’t love. So, instead of doing a complete renovation (she and her partner wanted to save some money first), she made cosmetic adjustments, like removing the glass fronts on the cabinets, painting the walls and cabinets a rich dark blue, and swapping out the hardware.