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Interior designer Emily Winters and architect Meg Baniukiewicz redesigned a Wisconsin family’s closed-off kitchen, replacing its natural maple cabinetry with a mix of walnut and deep berry-painted cabinets. Apartment Therapy reported the project took four months and cost about $275,000; the renovation also opened the kitchen to an adjacent bar area and updated its fixtures and appliances.
A Wisconsin kitchen that designer Emily Winters described as “a sea of natural maple cabinetry” has been remodeled with natural walnut, deep berry-painted cabinets and floral wallpaper. Apartment Therapy reported that Winters, working with architect Meg Baniukiewicz, redesigned the kitchen for a young family, opening its layout to a nearby bar area in a project that took four months and cost about $275,000.
The original kitchen dated to the late 1990s or early 2000s, according to Apartment Therapy. Winters described its natural maple cabinets, sponge-painted walls and Corian countertops as giving the room a golden-orange cast alongside the red oak floor. She also said an island set perpendicular to the cabinetry made the space feel chopped up and closed off.
The clients wanted different things from the redesign: the husband favored wood cabinetry, while the wife wanted personality and color. Winters said floral wallpaper helped her develop a palette that combined natural walnut with a berry tone. The new custom cabinets include upper cabinets painted in Sherwin-Williams’ “Merlot”, alongside the walnut elements.
Winters worked with Baniukiewicz of HB Designs on the new layout. After permits were accepted, the original kitchen was demolished. The renovation included opening a wall between the kitchen and bar area, installing new countertops and backsplash, and updating plumbing, lighting and appliances. Apartment Therapy reported the work from demolition to completion took four months; it did not provide an itemized breakdown of the reported cost.
How the Remodel Reworked the Kitchen
The renovation changed both the kitchen’s appearance and circulation. Opening the wall to the bar area connected spaces that had felt closed off, while the cabinet mix addressed the clients’ differing preferences for wood and color. The project also added practical features: Winters cited well-appointed storage and an appliance garage intended to keep everyday items off the counters.
For readers considering a major remodel, the reported $275,000 cost and four-month schedule offer a specific example, not a general price guide. The source does not detail the home’s location within Wisconsin, the project’s full scope beyond the listed work, or how the cost was divided among cabinets, construction and finishes. Actual budgets and timelines can vary substantially by home and contractor.
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From Maple Cabinets to a New Layout
The project began before the family had moved into the home, Apartment Therapy reported. That timing meant the clients and design team could carry out demolition and construction before the household settled into the space. The kitchen’s existing finishes and layout presented two linked problems in Winters’ account: a strong orange-toned look and a plan that separated the working area from the adjacent bar.
Winters said the wallpaper’s colors and pattern prompted her to pair the berry shade with natural walnut, creating a design compromise between the clients’ stated preferences. The architectural work was developed with Meg Baniukiewicz of HB Designs. The renovation retained original plaster crown molding in the bar area, according to Winters, while updating the kitchen around it.
“It was a sea of natural maple cabinetry with sponge-painted walls and Corian countertops.”
— Emily Winters, Wisconsin-based interior designer, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Project Costs and Materials Not Itemized
The report gives an approximate total of $275,000 but does not say what was included in that figure, provide a cost breakdown, or identify whether the amount includes design fees, labor, appliances or taxes. It also does not specify the exact project location in Wisconsin or provide measurements for the kitchen.
Apartment Therapy describes the cabinets as custom-made and identifies Sherwin-Williams’ “Merlot” as the finish on the uppers, but the report does not name the wallpaper pattern, countertop or backsplash materials, or appliance brands. The stated four-month duration covers the project from demolition to completion; the time spent on planning, design and permitting is not specified.
No Further Project Updates Reported
Apartment Therapy’s report presents the kitchen as a completed renovation and does not announce additional construction or a planned follow-up. The next available details would depend on further information from the homeowners, Winters or the project team, including a fuller budget breakdown or specifications for the selected finishes.
For now, the confirmed project outline is a four-month renovation that combined a revised layout, custom cabinetry and updated kitchen systems. The source does not indicate any unresolved construction work or future milestones.
Key Questions
Where is the renovated kitchen?
The project is described as being in Wisconsin. Apartment Therapy does not give a city or more specific location.
How much did the kitchen remodel cost?
Apartment Therapy reported that the project cost around $275,000. The report does not provide an itemized budget or clarify every cost included in that estimate.
How long did the renovation take?
The work took four months from demolition to completion, according to the report. It does not state how long design and permitting took before demolition.
What changed in the kitchen?
The team replaced the old maple-heavy design with custom walnut and merlot-painted cabinetry, opened a wall to the bar area, installed new countertops and backsplash, and updated plumbing, lighting and appliances. The redesign also included an appliance garage and revised storage.
Who designed the renovation?
Interior designer Emily Winters of Peabody’s Interiors worked with architect Meg Baniukiewicz of HB Designs on the project, according to Apartment Therapy.
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