Green with Envy: A Brentwood, TN Kitchen Remodel by Dogwood Proper

Photographer: Amy Lamb

Dogwood Proper recently completed a kitchen and dining room remodel in Brentwood, Tennessee, reworking the layout around appliances the homeowners had already purchased and adding a custom green range hood, brass detailing, and a hand-painted mural wallpaper.

A kitchen should work as hard as the person cooking in it. For this family of five, that wasn't the case, at least not yet. They came to us with a floor plan that didn't function, appliances already sitting in the garage, and three kids old enough to need a kitchen that could actually keep up. Here's how we turned that into a kitchen worth showing off, and a dining room too pretty to skip.

Step 1: How Do You Design a Kitchen Around Appliances You Already Own?

When a client already owns their appliances, we don’t force them into a generic floor plan: we design the entire kitchen around their exact dimensions from day one, cabinetry, island, and range hood included.  

This family had already purchased their Wolf range and Sub-Zero refrigerator, appliances that sat waiting in the garage while the original kitchen design missed the mark entirely. Rather than starting from a blank canvas, we built the layout around what they already owned, every inch of cabinetry and every sightline measured against appliances that weren't going anywhere.

• We measure your fixed appliances before a single cabinet is drawn

• A tight footprint isn't a limitation, it's a design brief

• Sometimes the best layout borrows space from a room that isn't earning its keep

Step 2: What Makes a Range Hood a True Design Statement?

We think in scale, color, and metal detailing. A range hood becomes a focal point when it's sized to command the wall, finished in a color that contrasts confidently with the surrounding cabinetry, and trimmed in a material like brass that only improves with age.

We wrapped this hood in brass strapping and a deep, confident green, a color as bold as the family who chose it. Paired with unlacquered brass hardware, plumbing fixtures, and open shelving throughout the kitchen, every metal surface here is meant to patina, not stay showroom-perfect.

• We choose a hood color that contrasts with the cabinetry, not blends into it

• We favored unlacquered brass, which develops character over time; polished brass doesn't

• We let one piece anchor the room instead of spreading attention too thin

Step 3: How Do You Design a Kitchen for a Family That Actually Cooks?

We prioritize workflow over aesthetics alone. A kitchen for a family that loves to cook needs prep space near the range, storage where it's actually used, and a layout that doesn't force extra steps between the sink, stove, and refrigerator.

This is a household where cooking is a genuine love, both parents work from home, and three kids, a high schooler and boy-girl twins in middle school, are in and out of the kitchen constantly. Function had to come first, but that never meant sacrificing style. The green island, marble backsplash, and cane-back barstools prove a hardworking kitchen can still be a beautiful one.

• The flow and function of the kitchen are designed before a single finish is chosen.

• Durable, honed materials handle a busy family better than delicate finishes

• Island seating turns the kitchen into the room everyone gathers in

Step 4: How Do You Make a Small Dining Room Feel Like the Best Room in the House?

Let one bold element do the talking. A smaller dining room can still feel important with a statement wallpaper, a well-scaled chandelier, and furnishings simple enough to let that one element shine.

When we pulled square footage from this home's dining room to give the kitchen more room to breathe, we made sure what remained didn't feel like an afterthought. A hand-painted mural wallpaper wraps the walls in a soft, painterly landscape, paired with a vintage-style crystal chandelier and simple, tailored dining chairs that let the wallpaper stay the star.

• A mural wallpaper can make a small room feel larger, not smaller

• Furniture stays simple when the walls are doing the heavy lifting

• We give every window bespoke treatment that finishes a room without competing with it

The Dogwood Proper Take

A kitchen doesn't need a blank slate to become the heart of the home, it needs a plan built around how the people in it actually live. For this Brentwood, Tennessee family, that meant designing around appliances already chosen, a floor plan that borrowed space where it was needed most, and two rooms confident enough to hold their own: one built for cooking, one built for gathering.

If your kitchen, or the whole house, is ready for that kind of attention, let's talk.

About A Brentwood, TN Kitchen Remodel

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Location: Brentwood, Tennessee Project Type: Partial renovation (kitchen, dining room, entry)  Designer / Firm: Dogwood Proper Design Style: Traditional, Transitional, Classic Key Design Elements: Green range hood with brass strapping, unlacquered brass hardware and plumbing, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, hand-painted mural wallpaper, bespoke window coverings 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you design a kitchen around appliances you've already purchased?  The exact dimensions get measured first, then cabinetry, island, and layout are built around them rather than fitting appliances to a predetermined plan. It’s a big part of our approach for clients who’ve already invested in their dream range or refrigerator. 

What is unlacquered brass, and why do designers use it in kitchens? Unlacquered brass is left without a protective coating, so it develops a natural patina over time. We prefer it because it ages and helps make the home look like it has always been there. 

Can a small dining room still feel special?  Yes. A bold wallpaper or mural, a well-scaled light fixture, and simple furnishings can make a small dining room feel intentional rather than like leftover space, exactly what happened here.

How do you design a kitchen for someone who cooks often?  How you move through and use the kitchen is considered before finishes and style. A functional layout with ample prep space and smart storage matters more than square footage alone.

Ready for a Kitchen Remodel?

A kitchen isn't a trend piece. It's the room that runs the house, and it deserves to be built to last. Rooted, not rushed. Contact us to help make that a reality.

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