Large, sprawling kitchens are often seen as the pillar of inspiration for a dream kitchen, but there’s something truly special about a beautifully designed small space. With the right color and layout choices, these compact schemes create a sense of intimacy, coziness, and elevated style.
That was the brief for this New York brownstone dating back to the Victorian era, which had seen one too many renovations over the years, most recently a very minimalist design from the ’90s. To achieve a more timeless, elevated look, the soulless open-plan layout needed to be reversed, and the color scheme swapped for something far more inviting.
With several unexpected details and the careful reintroduction of architectural features, this small kitchen is now a warm, inviting room that feels thoughtfully connected to the adjoining dining room without being completely open. It proves that not every home needs walls knocked down to feel bright, open, and full of natural light.
Decorate With Soft, Creamy Pinks For a Warm and Inviting Scheme
‘The kitchen was fitted from floor to ceiling with cabinets, an open bookcase, and a casual dining banquette for the children’s dinner. The large island has seating and quite a lot of storage as well,’ David recalls of the storage design.
(Image credit: Swain Street & Co. / Genevieve Garruppo Photography)
It’s tempting to paint a small kitchen white to make it feel larger, but the wrong shade can instantly create a cold, clinical feel. Neutrals are a great choice, but to imbue a sense of warmth and timelessness, a very soft, pale pink was chosen here, drenched across the walls and cabinetry for a seamless, light-enhancing design.
‘The kitchen is a soft pink which glows in the sunlight. It is a color I really like working with. All the ceilings in the house are white, tinged with pink. When sunlight or lamplight touches them, they emit a very happy glow,’ explains David Nastasi, Founder of Swain Street & Co. But this very soft shade was chosen for reasons beyond weaving a color thread through the entire home.
‘Lighting is a challenge in New York City row houses, which tend to be long and dark at the center,’ he continues. ‘We wanted to make the most of the natural and incandescent light we had – the pink warmly intensifies that light, even on rainy days, late afternoons, and nights. It’s a kind color – everyone looks good in it, and it goes well with other colors.’
Add Architectural Interest With Arched Details
The arched details are carried through the entire home, noticeably in the kitchen via the doorway, island, and open shelving in the corner.
(Image credit: Swain Street & Co. / Genevieve Garruppo Photography)
When an old home undergoes several remodels, it can slowly lose the original details and features that give the space character – something this kitchen was lacking. After stripping back the ’90s minimalist decor, David used arched details throughout the kitchen to reintroduce a sense of period design – as though the last remodel was done no later than the Edwardian era.
‘Taking a cue from Sir Edwin Lutyens (a Victorian-era English architect who specialized in traditional style), we added the tall arched doorways. The tall arches feel dramatic, but also serve a practical purpose, allowing light to reach the center of the house from the street and garden fronts,’ he explains.
The architecture and the kitchen needed to speak to each other, so the curved features were carried into various elements of the design, from the open cabinet connected to the banquette seating to the gently rounded island profile. ‘The rounded shape of the island softened the look in the room, it worked with the arches and very practically allows for easier circulation in a high-traffic and tight space.’
Embrace a Closed-Concept Layout Without Completely Dividing Rooms
The glazed cabinets between the kitchen and dining room allow natural light to filter through the home.
(Image credit: Swain Street & Co. / Genevieve Garruppo Photography)
One of the biggest pre-renovation problems with this space was its open-plan design. Each room felt dark, lacked its own identity, and felt unsuited to the old architecture, so reverting to a closed-concept layout became a priority. But to prevent the kitchen and dining room from feeling closed in and completely separated, David implemented a genius solution with double-sided glass cabinets.
‘Neither the client nor I like open-plan living. We wanted the dining room to feel like a proper room and have its own aesthetic, which would be distinct from the kitchen on one side and the living room on the other. I separated the kitchen from the dining room with a double-sided glazed china cabinet. This cabinet allowed light to pass from the kitchen to the dining room,’ he explains.
This striking addition does more than just let light through into the windowless dining room – it also creates storage for tableware that can be accessed from both rooms, making cleaning, food prep, and table dressing a more seamless process. ‘Dishes can be put away in the kitchen and taken out to serve in the dining room. The cabinetry acts as a wall between the two spaces, and we use every inch available.’
The final perk? Moving away from open plan allowed each room to have its own palette. While the kitchen was all about a soft, light-enhancing pink, the dining room was about something far more daring. ‘The acid green was my client’s choice – I was not in favour of it to begin with, so we wrangled over it, and as she is the client and it was her dining room, I caved. I am so happy I did. We knew right away that it was an exciting color and would draw people into the room. We used a high-gloss wallpaper for the ceiling with an arabesque pattern, which added a note of whimsy.’
Make Space For Informal Dining With a Kitchen Nook
The dining nook features layered lighting to easily transition into a cozy zone once the cooking is complete.
(Image credit: Swain Street & Co. / Genevieve Garruppo Photography)
With a formal dining room just next door, it would be easy to overlook a more casual dining area in the kitchen. But these informal nooks have an entirely different function, becoming a place for morning rituals, kids’ breakfasts, and even workstations for every member of the family. It’s a classic case of understanding how you use a kitchen beyond cooking.
‘My client wanted a space where her children could sit and do homework or have their dinner as she prepared meals for guests. She also wanted an overflow or kids’ table when her guests brought their children. The adults could have dinner in the dining room and still keep an eye on the kids in the kitchen – a formal dining space for the grown-ups, and a more casual space for the children,’ David describes.
The dining nook also encourages a greater connection with outdoor spaces used throughout the warmer months. A smaller table that’s easy to move, it doubles as a buffet when the clients host. ‘Beyond the kitchen table is a very large terrace – the island and the table also serve as staging areas or buffet space when parties happen outside.’
Quick Tips
(Image credit: Swain Street & Co. / Genevieve Garruppo Photography)
- Be intentional with your color choices to enhance a small kitchen
- Consider ways your new kitchen can enhance historic architecture, rather than simply sit within it
- Know when your space thrives with a closed-concept layout – and don’t be afraid to reverse open plan
- Think beyond solid walls – double sided cabinetry dividing a kitchen and dining room makes a visual and functional impact
- Never overlook informal dining areas – a banquette is always a good idea
This project feels like an ode to small kitchens, showcasing how a smaller footprint doesn’t have to limit the design. From the soft color palette to the curved details and genius glazed cabinets dividing the rooms, it proves that the best choice for your kitchen is designing for your space, rather than following trending styles.
‘Hopefully the design for the kitchen and dining room – and the rest of the project – proves that a traditionally designed space can be beautiful and functional and work very well for a modern lifestyle,’ David notes. ‘I am most proud that the house feels uniquely theirs, and we were able to fit in all the programmatic requirements the client desired with very minimal structural changes.’
Shop the Look
At Homes & Gardens, we believe a kitchen should work as beautifully as it looks. That’s the philosophy behind Dream Kitchens, our new series exploring the world’s most inspiring cook spaces. From clever layouts to the ‘it’ materials of 2026, we’re uncovering the design lessons tucked inside every home. Join us for an intimate look at the spaces that define modern living – and find the blueprints for your next big project.