Before and After: How Jenna Lyons transformed her kitchen using a smart IKEA cabinet hack

If we were to take style notes from one individual for the rest of our lives, we’re quite sure it would be Jenna Lyons. 

The fashion designer and business personality has already shaped our wardrobes through her distinct SoHo-inspired uniforms. Now she is coming for our kitchens too. 

Jenna has offered a glimpse into the makeover process of her newly renovated beach house kitchen. The finished result is beautiful, but what really struck us was the variety of smart and budget-friendly modern kitchen ideas she had included in the space.

From her chic IKEA hack to her hidden-fridge trick, we’re taking notes on Jenna’s makeover project and bringing its monochromatic aesthetic into our interiors. In an Instagram post, Jenna revealed the whole process.

Jenna Lyons’s kitchen - before the renovation

Prior to the renovation, the kitchen was a predominantly light wooden space with rust-toned marble and cabinets with glass features. Most noticeably, the former kitchen exhibited a large silver fridge that interrupted the white walls and demanded attention in the room. 

While the patio door flooded the space with natural light, Jenna felt that the room did not feel as though it was part of a beach house. So, she set out to change that.

‘Before and afters are like my favorite things ever,’ Jenna writes. ‘This project had three objectives. 1. Make it feel like a beach house 2. Support people I admire 3. Not spend a bazillion dollars.’  

What did Jenna do to turn her objectives into a reality? Her solution involves our favorite Scandi-cool powerhouse and a selection of cool indie companies. If you're anything like us, your small kitchen ideas will never be the same again. 

Jenna Lyons’s kitchen – after renovation  

With its monochromatic scheme, stylish storage system, and golden accessories, Jenna’s kitchen is unrecognizable following the project. The countertop is a Long Island-based stone company, BAS Stone NYC, managed ‘by two whip-smart, cool, marble obsessed women,’ Jenna says. 

‘I was a bit worried because they don’t do fabrication – and I wanted this very special edge detail for the counter – but they sent the stone to Lido Stone Works, and LIDO worked insane magic… Behold the edge.’ 

But what about that ingenious IKEA hack? Fear not, Jenna reveals more information about that too. ‘I did not have the [dollar] nor the patience to do new cabinets, so my friend Jonathan Mosca removed all the cabinets (IKEA) and refurbished them,’ she explains. 

Jenna then explained the invisible fridge trick (below) that has raised the bar for white kitchen ideas. 

‘Then he did something that changed my life – he built in the fridge and made it disappear - not like a normal fridge – it’s – like – part of the wall … it’s exquisite … he literally blows my mind.’ 

Jonathan then installed wood paneling which, Jenna notes, are ‘all evenly spaced’ to prevent any uneven ends or small slivers. ‘If you want to come and stay – just bring plants cause I haven’t touched the landscaping, and it’s a thing,’ she adds. 

Is this an invite to Jenna’s beach house? We’ll certainly take it as one.