Can this kitchen be saved?

The answer: a resounding yes! Country Living teamed up with designer Shawn Henderson for the ultimate makeover challenge.

Photographs by WENDELL T. WEBBER

We recently set out in search of a kitchen so in need of transformation that it would make even the toughest experts quake in their boots. Turns out, we didn't have to look far: Our own photo editor, Barb Menke, was harboring a secret -- one covered in faux-pine paneling and peeling linoleum. "If I were to use a single phrase to describe the room, it would be 'total disaster,'" admits Barb of the kitchen in her 1830s Cold Spring, New York, home. Though she and her husband, Avery Menke, renovated their living room, "guests gravitated toward the ugly kitchen," Barb says. So last April, the duo turned the space over to CL's style and market editors, along with Manhattan designer Shawn Henderson. Using cost-saving and clever solutions, the team created a kitchen that's as much about living well as eating well. "Our friends love it," Barb says. "Now I really can't get them out of my kitchen!"

Steal this idea!

Henderson fashioned this giant chopping board by cutting down an affordable Ikea oak countertop. ($129; ikea.com for stores)

Steal this idea!

Blueberry crates mounted on a wall seem tailor-made for storing pantry staples -- they're one canning jar deep.

[Photograph]: [1] Above the sink, Henderson mounted reclaimed oak planks in lieu of cabinets; the shelving­ makes the room feel airier -- and unloading the dishwasher is a cinch. ($104 per beam; antiqueandvintage woods.com) [2] "What this kitchen desperately needed was a dose of glamour, that 'wow' factor," Henderson says. So he opted for hexagonal, not rectangular, tiles to create a graphic, snakeskin-like effect -- which extends beyond the backsplash area to cover an entire wall. ($18 per square foot; walkerzanger.com for stores) [3] Instead of spending a ransom on cabinetry, the designer gave Ikea's off-the-shelf pine cupboards a custom look with nickel drawer pulls. (Cabinetry, from $59; ikea.com. Amerock pulls, from $5.49; myknobs.com) [4] The money saved went toward a showstopper farmhouse-style sink with a brass faucet, and stainless steel appliances. (Sink, $1,100; elkay.com for stores. Faucet, $526; deltafaucet.com for stores. Appliances, from $999; whirlpool.com for stores)

[Photograph]: Before

[Photograph]: [5] For the counters, Henderson chose CaesarStone, a durable quartz that delivers the look of marble without the high price tag or tendency to scratch. (From $70 per square foot; caesarstoneus.com for stores) [6] Outfitted with casters and paint, this table becomes a roving workstation, eliminating the need for a fixed island. (Stornäs table, $399; ikea.com for stores. Casters, $7.97 each; homedepot.com for stores) [7] Installing flooring can be a snap. These engineered maple planks click together like puzzle pieces and come prepainted. ($11 per square foot; shawfloors.com for stores) [8] Everything in its place: Drawer organizers keep utensils tidy. ($14.99; ikea.com)

[Photograph]: [8] Everything in its place: Drawer organizers keep utensils tidy. ($14.99; ikea.com)

[Photograph]: Before

[Photograph]: [9] After tearing down the unsightly faux-pine paneling, Henderson painted the walls, crown molding, baseboard heaters, and window frames the same pale blue color, Freshaire's Tranquil Pond, to visually expand the size of the room. ($39.98 per gallon; homedepot.com for stores) [10] Cool kitchen furniture can be scavenged from the unlikeliest of places, including restaurant- and office-supply shops. These metal stools were purchased at Studentmarket.com, a Boston-based company that specializes in dorm furniture. ($148.34 a pair)

[Photograph]: Before

[Photograph]: [11] Henderson borrowed ideas from formal dining rooms to make the kitchen feel like more than just a work space. This $120 secondhand sideboard became the key focal point thanks to a coat of yellow paint. (Freshaire's Butterfly Wing, $39.98 per gallon; homedepot.com for stores) [12] Wallpaper works wonders to soften a kitchen, especially when it doubles as a conversation starter. This Trash Day design looks like traditional toile, but depicts houses with their garbage bins set out for pickup. ($142 per roll; studioprintworks.com for stores) [13] Unexpected brass sconces offer a more sophisticated alternative to typical task lighting. ($252 each; circalighting.com

[Photograph]: [14] "When I work with a rustic material, I temper it with a polished one to blur the differences between warm and cool surfaces," says Henderson, who fitted the rugged oak shelves with brushed nickel brackets. ($29.99 a pair; vandykes.com)