In 2011 Holly Johnston and her husband bought a “pretty standard” circa 1950s house in Seattle when Johnston was seven months pregnant with their first child. They knew they would eventually overhaul the kitchen, but they used it daily for four years “to know how we would use the space before we made any changes,” she says.
When it came time for the remodel, Johnston designed the kitchen herself; though she’s not a trained designer, she works in construction management and has a few interior design classes under her belt. She also has a practiced eye—she’s the owner of Goose Creek Mercantile, an online shop with an emphasis on designers from the Pacific Northwest. “I’m ready for design to be an intentional part of my life story,” says Johnston. “This remodel was an opportunity for me to see my ideas in action.”
Photography by Kate L. Porter, courtesy of Holly Johnston.
![white seattle kitchen with wood floors red chairs](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/white-seattle-kitchen-with-wood-floors-red-chairs-733x488.jpg)
Before the overhaul the kitchen was separated from the living and dining, the laminate floor tiles were peeling off, and the 1980s appliances were “on life support.”
![Kitchen of the Week A Family Kitchen in Seattle Budget Edition portrait 12](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/white-seattle-kitchen-traditional-modern-wood-floors-733x489.jpg)
![white seattle kitchen black hardware](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/white-seattle-kitchen-black-hardware-733x1100.jpg)
![white kitchen black knobs seattle square tile backsplash](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/white-kitchen-black-knobs-seattle-square-tile-backsplash-733x489.jpg)
![white kitchen viking range stainless hood seattle](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/white-kitchen-viking-range-stainless-hood-seattle-733x1100.jpg)
Among the interior design classes she’s taken, Johnston says, “I found my training with the National Kitchen & Bath Association invaluable when it came to designing my kitchen.”
![white kitchen seattle coffee station open cabinets](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/white-kitchen-seattle-coffee-station-open-cabinets-733x1100.jpg)
“It’s a small and very efficient space. Every drawer was strategically planned for its contents; duplicates and unused gadgets were donated,” Johnston says.
![wood cooking spoons utensils white crock seattle](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wood-cooking-spoons-utensils-white-crock-seattle-733x1099.jpg)
![wood open shelves fruit bowl scale seattle kitchen](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wood-open-shelves-fruit-bowl-scale-seattle-kitchen-733x1100.jpg)
![panasonic microwave glass snack jars](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/panasonic-microwave-glass-snack-jars-733x1098.jpg)
“We only use it to melt butter for popcorn and warm cold coffee,” Johnston says of the microwave. “We felt it was a necessity, but we didn’t want it to look at it.”
![handmade onion bowl speckled seattle kitchen](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/handmade-onion-bowl-speckled-seattle-kitchen-733x1098.jpg)
![wood dining table red chairs seattle kitchen black pendant light](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wood-dining-table-red-chairs-seattle-kitchen-black-pendant-light-733x1100.jpg)
The Kitchen Table is a collaboration between Seattle furniture designer Matt Kelly and Goose Creek Mercantile; it’s sold on the site. Johnston commissioned a custom design because “gathering for meals is big on our list and we needed a table that was wide, with lots of leg room. We wanted for a ‘forever’ piece that would tell a story.”
![wood floors white kitchen seattle red chairs](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wood-floors-white-kitchen-seattle-red-chairs-733x1100.jpg)
For more, see:
- Kitchen of the Week: A New-Build Kitchen in Mill Valley, CA, the Six-Month Check-Up
- Kitchen of the Week: A Hacienda Kitchen in Sonoma’s Hippest Winery
- Kitchen of the Week: A Culinary Space in Copenhagen by Garde Hvalsøe
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