Updated kitchen primed for coffee talk

Lisa, her husband and two children live in my neighborhood. When I moved into the area, she and her friends immediately adopted me as one of their own. Our kids go to school together and play together, and we all rely on one another for baby-sitting, moral support and lots of coffee!

We rotate our little coffee talks on a weekly basis, but each time it was Lisa's turn, I sensed a slight panic. That's because her beautiful house had a kitchen that was stuck in a 1960s time warp, and she was embarrassed by its avocado walls, fluorescent lights and spaghetti-inspired acoustic tile ceiling.

The neighborhood women took a vote and decided that Lisa's kitchen was, hands down, the most dated kitchen on the block and most in need of a little Divine Design. Lisa was itching for something more stylish and contemporary, so I gathered my crew together and set out to help my new friend transform her outmoded kitchen into a modern hub for kids, family -- and friends in need of caffeine.

Aside from its outdated nature, the kitchen had functional difficulties. It had one wall that cut it off from the living room and front hallway and another that divided the space right down the middle. I knocked down these walls, ripped out all the existing cabinetry and appliances, put in new windows and doors and made this room into a big, open-concept space.

I painted the kitchen in a modern, crisp white. I then installed white cabinets with shaker-style doors and crown moldings along one whole wall, including an upright, glass-fronted cabinet that acts as a dual-temperature beverage fridge. For some color contrast, I put down easy-to-install dark wood plank flooring.

In the center of the room I created a focal point: a long island with a stunning white quartz countertop, white and chrome bar chairs and a dark wood base to match the mahogany flooring. For added contrast, I used black quartz for the kitchen's other counters and put up a spectacular backsplash in black, white and blue-gray tiles that give the room a graphic punch.

Next, I brought in all new state-of-the-art, stainless steel appliances, including a huge, double-door fridge, a double oven with warming drawer, a funky new sink and a cooktop with a pop-up range hood.

To warm up the cool, modern design in the kitchen, I chose fabrics in soft colors and textures that play off of the hard surfaces. I chose similar colors to those used in the backsplash and used them to create a beautiful under-window bench nook, a variety of throw pillows and subtle drapes for the doors.

To lighten and brighten the room I put up a track lighting system on the side of a beam that runs along the kitchen ceiling, added three gorgeous pendant lights over the island and put up one spectacular crystal chandelier by the new window nook.

After a few more accents and accessories -- including a brand-new espresso maker -- this kitchen was complete.

By opening up the space, balancing contrasting colors and installing modern appliances, fixtures and finishes, I gave Lisa's kitchen the modern-day makeover it needed. Now it is the perfect place for kids, coffee and lots of chitchat. How divine!

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Divine Design." For more ideas or information visit www.divinedesign.tv. Her column is syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service.