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Interior designer Emily Winters and architect Meg Baniukiewicz redesigned a Wisconsin family’s dated, closed-off kitchen, replacing its natural maple cabinetry with custom walnut and deep berry-painted cabinets. Apartment Therapy reports the project took four months and cost about $275,000; the design also opened the kitchen to a bar area and added updated surfaces, lighting, plumbing and appliances.
A Wisconsin kitchen renovation replaced a closed-off room dominated by natural maple with an open layout featuring walnut cabinetry, deep berry-painted cabinets and floral wallpaper, according to a recent Apartment Therapy report. Interior designer Emily Winters worked with architect Meg Baniukiewicz on the project, which the publication says took four months and cost about $275,000.
The homeowners, a young family who had bought the house but had not moved in, wanted the redesign to bring together different preferences: the husband wanted wood cabinetry, while the wife wanted color and personality. Winters said a floral wallpaper helped her develop a palette pairing natural walnut with a berry tone. The article does not identify the wallpaper brand or provide a full materials budget.
The original kitchen dated to the late 1990s or early 2000s. Winters described its natural maple cabinets, sponge-painted walls and Corian countertops, while saying a perpendicular island made the room feel chopped up and closed off. Red oak flooring and the maple cabinetry also gave the space what she called a golden-orange glow.
For the new layout, Winters collaborated with Baniukiewicz of HB Designs. After permits were accepted, demolition began. The renovation included custom cabinets, upper cabinets painted in Sherwin-Williams’ “Merlot”, new countertops and backsplash, updated plumbing, lighting and appliances, and an opening between the kitchen and bar area. The project retained the bar space’s original plaster crown molding.
Color Meets a More Open Layout
The renovation is a specific example of how a kitchen update can address both how a room works and how it looks. The changes went beyond replacing cabinet finishes: opening the wall to the bar area altered the connection between spaces, while the redesigned layout responded to the homeowners’ complaint that the old kitchen felt divided.
The project also shows how the clients’ different design preferences were handled through a combination of materials rather than a single compromise finish. Natural walnut answered the request for wood, while berry-colored cabinets and patterned wallpaper brought in color. The report presents this as Winters’ design approach; it does not establish that the choices will suit every home, budget or household.
For readers considering similar work, the reported four-month timeline and approximate $275,000 cost offer a reference point for this particular project, not a standard price or schedule. The article does not break down the total by labor, cabinetry, appliances, materials or other expenses, so direct comparisons with other renovations are limited.
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From Maple Cabinets to Merlot
Apartment Therapy framed the project as a before-and-after transformation of a kitchen that had not kept pace with the family’s needs or tastes. Its account says the home’s kitchen had sponge-painted walls, Corian counters and natural maple cabinetry, with a layout that included an island positioned perpendicular to the cabinets. The family had purchased the home but had not moved in when Winters was tasked with the redesign.
The design took shape through a collaboration between Winters, the interior designer, and architect Meg Baniukiewicz. The article says a wallpaper pattern prompted Winters to consider combining its berry color with natural walnut, creating a visual link between the homeowners’ differing preferences. The construction work began after permits were accepted, but the report does not name the contractor or specify the permit jurisdiction.
Apartment Therapy reports the team completed the project in four months. Winters highlighted storage, an appliance garage intended to keep everyday items off the counters, the walnut-and-berry cabinet combination and the newly opened connection to the bar as features she particularly liked.
“It was a sea of natural maple cabinetry with sponge-painted walls and Corian countertops.”
— Emily Winters, interior designer
berry-colored kitchen cabinet paint
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Project Costs and Materials Undetailed
Apartment Therapy gives the renovation’s cost as around $275,000, but does not provide an itemized budget or say whether the figure includes design fees, appliances, construction labor or other expenses. The report also does not give the home’s location within Wisconsin, the contractor’s name, the wallpaper manufacturer, or the specific brands and models of the new appliances and fixtures beyond the named cabinet paint color.
The account describes the kitchen as more open after a wall was opened between it and the bar area, but it does not provide floor plans, measurements or details about the structural work. It is not clear whether the renovation included any changes beyond those listed in the feature, or whether the reported timeline includes design and permitting in addition to construction.
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No Further Project Update Reported
The available report presents the renovation as completed and does not announce a further construction phase or follow-up milestone. It is not clear whether Winters, the homeowners or Apartment Therapy plan to publish additional details, such as a full materials list, a cost breakdown or more information about the layout.
For now, the published before-and-after account is the available record of the project’s scope, design choices, approximate cost and reported duration. Any additional claims about performance, long-term durability or the homeowners’ experience would require further reporting.
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Key Questions
Who designed the Wisconsin kitchen?
Interior designer Emily Winters of Peabody’s Interiors worked on the project with architect Meg Baniukiewicz of HB Designs, according to Apartment Therapy.
What changed in the kitchen?
The renovation replaced the maple-heavy, closed-off kitchen with a new layout connected to the bar area. It added custom cabinetry, including natural walnut and upper cabinets painted Sherwin-Williams “Merlot”, as well as new countertops, backsplash, plumbing, lighting and appliances.
How much did the renovation cost and how long did it take?
Apartment Therapy reports that the project took four months and cost about $275,000. The publication does not provide an itemized budget or clarify which expenses are included in that figure.
Why was floral wallpaper part of the design?
Winters said the wallpaper’s colors and pattern helped her develop a design that paired natural walnut with berry-colored cabinetry, bringing together the husband’s preference for wood and the wife’s interest in color and personality.
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