Behind The Design of Our Kitchen & Dining Room
When we first started dreaming about our home remodel, my goal was never to completely reinvent our space. After nearly 10 years of raising our family here, these spaces already held so many memories. Rather than starting over, I wanted to honor what we loved while adding more warmth, depth, and character. Every decision was intentional, from the finishes we preserved to the new details we layered in. Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite design decisions from the kitchen and dining room, along with the thinking behind each one.
1. Every room needs a little jewelry.
If you've followed House Sprucing for a while, you probably know how much I love lighting. It's one of the last things selected in a project, but it has one of the biggest impacts. I'd had my eye on these mercury glass pendants for nearly a decade. To me, they're the jewelry of the room. They add just the right amount of sparkle while still feeling timeless, and they instantly became one of my favorite details in the kitchen.
These light fixtures are also available to purchase through House Sprucing. If you see lighting throughout our remodel that you love, our team would be happy to help source it for your own home.
Design takeaway: Never underestimate the power of great lighting. A statement fixture has the ability to completely elevate a space while tying every other design element together.
2. Keep the pieces that already tell your story.
One of the easiest decisions we made was keeping the original Carrara marble backsplash. It's been the backdrop to so many everyday moments in our home that replacing it never felt right. Instead, we looked for ways to make everything around it feel fresh while allowing that timeless marble to continue telling its story. One of the things we did was wrap the existing floating shelves in warm wood, which completely changed the feel of the kitchen. It added richness and warmth while preserving a feature we already loved.
Design takeaway: Not every remodel has to begin with demolition. Sometimes preserving what already works gives a home the most character.
3. Open shelving should feel lived in.
Our floating shelves have always been one of my favorite features in the kitchen. I love styling them with the seasons, mixing practical everyday pieces with collected treasures, and giving the room a little personality. We keep some of my favorite House Sprucing accessories here, along with vintage pieces collected from our travels and other meaningful finds we've gathered over the years. To me, they help the space feel less like a showroom and more like a cozy European café.
Design takeaway: Open shelving isn't about perfection. It's about displaying the pieces you actually love and use.
4. Contrast creates warmth.
One of the biggest changes we made was painting the kitchen island a rich chocolate brown while keeping the perimeter cabinetry much lighter. Since the island was already a paint-grade wood, we knew it wasn't meant to be stained, so we embraced it as an opportunity to introduce a richer color instead. That single decision completely transformed the feel of the room. It added warmth, grounded the space, and created the contrast we had been missing while allowing the lighter perimeter cabinets to keep the kitchen feeling bright and inviting.
Design takeaway: If your island is paint-grade, don't be afraid to lean into color. A contrasting island can add depth, character, and warmth without changing the footprint of your kitchen.
5. Design around what you already love.
Long before we selected new lighting or fabrics, I knew one thing was staying: our heirloom dining table. It has been part of so many celebrations, holidays, and family dinners that I couldn't imagine replacing it. Instead of designing the room and finding a table later, we designed around the table, allowing it to remain the heart of the space. We wrapped the dining room in Lush by Sherwin-Williams, a beautiful green paint color that brought warmth and personality to the room while still allowing our House Sprucing accessories and personal collected pieces to shine.
Design takeaway: Rather than filling a room with all new furniture, start with one meaningful piece and build around it. The result will always feel more personal and collected.
6. Your dining room should work as hard as your kitchen.
Our dining room is what we lovingly call our "party room." It's where we celebrate birthdays, holidays, kindergarten graduations, and countless dinners with family and friends. But it's also where homework gets done, conversations linger, and everyday life unfolds. I never wanted it to feel like a room we only used a few times a year.
Design takeaway: Design your home for the life you actually live, not just the occasions you plan for.
7. Don't be afraid to add a subtle pop of pattern.
One of my favorite additions to the hearth room are the Brooke chairs from Rowe, upholstered in beautiful Crypton fabric by Kim Salmela. I fell in love with the timeless block print and the soft red and cinnamon tones they bring into the space. Even though they're patterned, they don't compete with the room. They add just enough color, texture, and visual interest while still feeling classic and collected. They've also become one of our favorite places to slow down. Whether it's enjoying a quiet cup of tea in the morning or sitting down with Tyson to catch up on our day, they've turned an overlooked corner into aspace we use and love every single day. Our Rowe chairs are available to purchase through House Sprucing, and our design team can help you select the perfect frame, fabric, and combination for your own space.
Design takeaway: Pattern doesn't have to be bold to make an impact. A thoughtfully chosen fabric can introduce color, texture, and personality while creating a space that's every bit as comfortable as it is beautiful.
8. Let one feature lead the room.
The hearth room has always been one of the coziest spaces in our home, but I wanted the fireplace to feel like the true heart of the room. We color-drenched the entire fireplace in a rich green to give it more presence and create a stronger focal point. Then we added custom brass fireplace doors from Stoll Industries. We loved partnering with Stoll Industries on these fireplace doors. The brass detail brought another layer of warmth to the room and immediately elevated the existing fireplace. I love that the doors are both functional and beautiful, and that adding this gorgeous metal framework allowed us to dress up a fireplace we already had rather than starting over. It's one of those details that proves how much impact a thoughtful finishing touch can have, and we absolutely love how the fireplace doors turned out.
Design takeaway: Every room benefits from a focal point. Sometimes one thoughtful update is all it takes to completely change the feel of a space.
9. Layer, don't replace.
Looking back, my favorite part of this remodel is that we didn't erase the past. We layered new finishes with existing ones. We mixed antiques with newer pieces. We preserved what mattered while making thoughtful updates that better reflect how our family lives today. Homes don't become meaningful because everything is brand new. They become meaningful because they're filled with pieces that tell your story. Looking back, that's exactly what this remodel became. Not a reinvention of our home, but the next chapter of it. And I can't wait to continue sharing it with you.
Bring the Look Home with House Sprucing
And if this remodel has you dreaming about your own home, we'd love to help you create meaningful spaces for your own family. Many of the pieces you've seen throughout our remodel, including our lighting and Rowe furniture, are available to purchase through House Sprucing. Our team can help source these pieces and so much more for your home. These are products we genuinely love, use, and recommend, and we'dlove to help bring them into your space!
You can also work with our team through our interior design services or come visit us in the House Sprucing showroom. We're open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about our design services, sourcing, or purchasing pieces you've seen throughout the Fujikawa home remodel, text 214-471-0917 or click here to visit our inquiry page.
If you're looking for a DFW interior designer to help bring your home to life, we'd love to work with you. House Sprucing offers full-service interior design for homeowners throughout Dallas-Fort Worth, from furnishings and styling to remodels and new construction. Our team creates beautiful, functional, collected spaces designed around the way you and your family actually live. Whether you're refreshing a single space or designing an entire home, we're here to guide you through every detail.
We'd love to help you create a home that's beautiful, functional, collected, and filled with pieces that tell your family's story.