A Dallas Kitchen’s “Fun and Easy” Transformation Pairs Green and Wood Perfectly

Dr. Kim-Anh Song describes her kitchen renovation with an incredibly elusive adjective: easy. “If something went awry, 99% of the time it was handled magnificently by our design team before the problem even came to me,” she says. “They communicated so beautifully that I didn’t have to break a sweat the entire 10 weeks.”

When she and her husband, Peter Song, decided to hire Urbanology Designs and MHM Living to transform the hub of their Dallas address—a feat they ended up doing so seamlessly—the challenge was in the details. Song notes that the existing layout was “functionally fine” and the appliances could stick around, but their family didn’t particularly like that the island felt too small for the surrounding layout and that everything was cast in a neutral palette. Considering that two young kids; a puppy; and a “peripatetic roommate,” who stays with them a few days a month, were going to be sharing their lives here, Song was hoping to make the kitchen match their every-day-is-an-adventure energy.

“With white and gray being the dominant colors at the outset, I was ready for something more organic, something warm and inviting,” Song says. “I wanted a little drama, a lot of style, and a much bigger island.”

Of course, no kitchen renovation is straightforward, and obviously there were hiccups along the way. Sometimes items were backordered or mysteriously delayed, and updating the vent hood involved some unexpected construction in the attic so that air could properly reach the outdoors. But Song didn’t necessarily mind. To her, the best part about this kitchen was handing her vision over to the pros. 

“I can’t stress enough how fun and easy this was for me,” she says. “I want to do it again with at least three other rooms in my house.”