This 1920s Kitchen “Needed Some Depth” — See it Transform with $34 Wallpaper

Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
I write about house tours (but I love a good kitchen and kids' room article). My work can be found across AT Media, including The Kitchn and Cubby. I’ve been writing about home-related topics for nearly five years and love seeing how people make their homes unique.
published Apr 16, 2025
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When interior designer William Hutton and his husband, Kevan Loney, moved into their 1924 home in Los Angeles, it had a lot of original charm, but it was still a “blank white canvas,” they said. William’s goal was to make the home feel like a “layered, laid-back home through blending styles and design periods,” and the kitchen needed his special touch desperately.

“It had all the character but needed some depth,” William says of the original kitchen. “[Since we had] a small space, we wanted a bit of a punch.” And he found the “punch” he was looking for in the form of Opalhouse’s peel-and-stick wallpaper (which cost just $34 a roll).

The wallpaper, patterned with multicolored animals and greenery, was a perfect complement to the black-and-white color scheme that already existed in the kitchen. The palette extends from the floors to the countertops and cabinetry. Using the peel-and-stick wallpaper was William’s proudest DIY project of the entire home renovation.

“Using peel-and-stick wallpaper throughout has been a game-changer,” William says. “It looks luxe but is budget-friendly. It adds character to the existing kitchen, which levels up the entire space.” 

And it wasn’t just the walls that got a makeover. William and Kevan also added a desk and CB2 chair to the kitchen area. The pair share work-from-home days, so having two separate spaces (the other is in the living room) helped give them places to focus. 

It only took a week to finish the room, and William says it was an “easy, small space to transform.” Plus, the total makeover only cost around $500, and they did it all by themselves. “It has personality and rides a nice light between vintage and modern-feeling,” William says of the reinvented space.

To see more of this gorgeous home, visit the full house tour on Apartment Therapy