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

From an IKEA hack to an invisible fridge technique, Jenna Lyons' Kitchen makeover is packed with stylish ideas

Jenna Lyons' beach house kitchen with black surfaces and white paint
(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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.

White paint and kitchen accessories

(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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

Jenna Lyons' kitchen before renovation


(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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.’  

Large silver fridge in traditional kitchen

(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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  

Black and white kitchen with neat shelving and gold tap

(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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.’ 

Jenna Lyons' kitchen storage

(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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. 

White IKEA cabinets in Jenna Lyons' kitchen

(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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.’ 

Invisible fridge in Jenna Lyons' kitchen

(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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. 

Gold tap on black marble work surface

(Image credit: Katarina Kovac)

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

Megan Slack

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team.

Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US whilst studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site.

Megan currently lives in London, where she relocated from her hometown in Yorkshire. In her home, she experiments with interior design trends and draws inspiration from the home decor ideas she observes in her everyday work life. Her favorite pieces include her antique typewriter and her expansive collection of houseplants. When she isn’t writing, she is browsing London’s coffee shops and bookstores to add to her ever-growing library, taking over the open shelving in her apartment.