ONCE UPON A REFRESH

KELLIE MURDOCK, CEO of Inspired By Design, Inc., knows her way around both a blueprint and a sauté pan. As a licensed general contractor, cabinet dealer and designer, Murdock brings a comprehensive approach to renovations—balancing form, function and cost efficiency.

Plus, she cooks. So she can intuit a great organization for ease of use. Her recent DTC-area kitchen redesign is a masterclass in spatial illusion, making the room feel significantly larger without adding a single square foot.

The original layout was awkward and cramped, with an angled peninsula, a small island and oddly placed hallways that interrupted flow and function. “It was a really big kitchen that didn’t feel big,” Murdock says. Her solution? Eliminate the peninsula and awkward storage areas to create better lines of sight and traffic flow. By shifting the dining room door and transforming an underutilized nook and coat closet into a hidden pantry, she added functionality while cleaning up the visual clutter.

A new, oversized island became the centerpiece—deep enough for storage on both sides and seating for daily use and entertaining. The redesign also included a thoughtful lighting plan with recessed lights calibrated perfectly to mimic daylight. “Contrast is actually what makes things feel brighter,” Murdock explains. “Not all white. We used a darker island and lighting elements to make the space come alive.”