This European-Inspired Kitchen Is Warm, Inviting, and Packed with Smart Storage

From Outdated to Charming (and Functional!)

After living with a dated and inefficient 1980s kitchen, Bertolini was eager to create a warm and functional space for her family, which includes her husband, Dan, and father-in-law, Emil. (The couple moved into Dan’s childhood home when his job brought them back there eight years ago. The arrangement worked so well, they stayed.)

“I wanted to bring character and charm into the kitchen,” says Bertolini, who leaned into a renovation that cast a cozy European sensibility over the previously cold-looking space. “Rather than go with trends, I design more by what I love and what I’m going to continue to love,” she says.

A storage wall in the Bertolini Kitchen

A curved kitchen island that is angles in the middle of the kitchen.

Credit: Nathan Kirkman / Interior Design: Bre Bertolini

Wall-to-Wall Storage Cabinetry

To smooth out the kitchen’s angles, Bertolini had upper cabinets removed in favor of the storage wall and tons of deep lower drawers. She had the new island built as large as possible (it’s 9’ long); the curved, fluted end offsets the room’s hard edges.

Bertolini nixed upper cabinets for a wall of cabinetry that serves as a pantry and integrates the refrigerator and two appliance garages. “I said ‘Let’s pack as much storage as we can on this wall, and I’ll fill it up,” she says. Her love of stained cabinets, which she considers easier to keep clean than painted ones, stems from when she used to remake castoff furniture—her gateway into the DIY and design world.

A little girl at the kitchen sink.

A shelf detail in the kitchen with cutting boards by the range cooktop.

Credit: Nathan Kirkman / Interior Design: Bre Bertolini

An Updated Kitchen Layout

The renovation squared off what was a tricky angled corner. Shifts such as moving the sink and getting the cooktop out of the island helped the layout fall into place, improving flow. An apron-front sink now sits below the window, allowing Bertolini to keep tabs on the kids when they’re outside. Slim, reeded glass-front cabinets wrap two walls to efficiently use corner space.

On the new range wall, a quartzite shelf that matches the tall backsplash and counter provides both functional and decorative space. Bertolini, a DIYer, content creator @brepurposed, and former graphic designer, flexed her skills by applying a Roman clay finish to the new range hood so it would resemble Venetian plaster. When she found barstools for $25 each on Facebook Marketplace, she cut their legs to counter height to make them work at the island. Walnut-stained cabinets and unlacquered brass accents reflect two more favorites: dark wood and anything that will patina.

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A curved kitchen island with storage cabinets

An appliance storage garage for the toaster and coffee maker.

Credit: Nathan Kirkman / Interior Design: Bre Bertolini

Clever Hidden Storage Spaces

Throughout the entire kitchen, style blends with function. Curved and fluted doors—four total— open via magnetic push mechanisms to provide storage space in the island’s rounded end. When the doors are closed, the look is seamless. A shelf in an appliance garage pulls out to allow heat to escape when the coffeemaker or toaster is used. A handy, push-to-open drawer outfitted with an expandable bamboo drawer organizer compartmentalizes coffee and tea supplies.

bertolini kitchen spice drawer

bertolini kitchen utensil drawer

Credit: Nathan Kirkman / Interior Design: Bre Bertolini

Even the inside of each cabinet and drawer was considered. Bertolini spiced up her spice drawer with glass jars she customized for less than $20. She spray-painted the top of the lids antique brass, applied a clear sealant, and designed labels that she had printed on a matte, waterproof film. The jars are organized on slanted racks built into the drawer. A pullout utensil station fills a corner that didn’t have enough space for a full cabinet or drawers. Large spoons, whisks, and spatulas drop into removable canisters. Knives sink into a cushy foam material at the back of the cabinet. Shelves accommodate odd-size items such as a rolling pin and grilling tongs.

A pullout drawer with wood pegs to hold your dishes and plates

A woman writing on a calendar on a pull out bulletin board

Credit: Nathan Kirkman / Interior Design: Bre Bertolini

Functional Elements for the Family

In deep drawers, chunky wooden pegs serve as organizational guardrails for plates and bowls. Just like a traditional pegboard, the pegs can be moved to any predrilled hole to create a custom fit for different-size dishes, making it a snap to rearrange the drawer. A pullout broom closet was added simply for the sake of not wasting any storage opportunity, but Bertolini decided to turn it into a family message center.

“The kitchen is the heart of our home. I just feel like for all the things we do in our lives, it has really helped us do them in an easier and more organized way,” Bertolini says. The kids know to head to the appliance garage to pop a waffle in the toaster for breakfast. At night, she summons the family by ringing an old-school dinner bell hanging on the sink wall. “I thought the dinner bell was a cute way to add more charm—and to become a memory as my kids get older,” she says. That small detail also fits with her ultimate goal: “I want the kitchen to feel lived in and loved.”