A few months ago, I wrote about helping my sister to renovate her charming Craftsman-style home in Dallas, Texas. So far you've seen her bizarre stuccoed fireplace go from drab to fab, but just wait till you see what we did in the kitchen! Click through the jump to see how a few changes made all the difference.....
Sadly, most of the original details in this house were lost to a previous owners bad 1990's reno. Our challenge in the kitchen--and, indeed, all the rooms--was to make the best of what we had and to acknowledge the home's historic past, while modernizing key elements.
Starting from the bottom up: after a professional deep cleaning we were pleasantly surprised that the ceramic tile floors were actually in great shape. Since the color palette wasn't objectionable, we decided to save money there and, in fact, the floor informed the rest of the color choices in the room, including the soft green on the walls.
With a tight budget, we had to prioritize, and (as you can see from the "before" picture), new appliances were a definite must. After replacing the non-working range and dishwasher, we knocked out the curved shelves on the end of the island and used the space to add a little luxury: a wine refrigerator!
The previous owners contractor-grade pressboard cabinets were repaired, sanded, and given a fresh coat of white paint. My sister added a film (similar to this one from Home Depot) to the inside of the glass cabinets to give them a frosted effect and changed out the hardware to simple brushed nickel knobs and bin pulls from Restoration Hardware.
We ripped out the awful purple formica countertops and had them replaced with 3/4" granite in a mix of beiges and green. The soil in Dallas is especially shifty and weight on the foundation is always an issue. If you have similar a similar problem but still want granite countertops, 3/4" is the way to go--they're also cheaper than the standard 1-1/4" thick tops! A new field tile backsplash from Ann Sacks and under-counter xenon lighting completes the cabinetry make-over.
The other major improvements included removing the dated and unnecessary soffit from above the breakfast bar, and adding new lighting, fans, and window treatments.
It may seem like a lot of changes, but leaving the original floors and cabinets saved both time and money in the renovation process. Before you dig into a major gut-rehab of your kitchen, try to imagine what things would look like with a fresh coat of paint and new hardware--you might be surprised at the results!
Image Credits: Bethany Adams
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It's lovely. I love the white cabinetry and beautiful backsplash. However, granite countertops and Ann Sacks tiles are not really a "budget" reno.
This is very lovely. And yes, granite is better. But now I can't help but think about how funky purple formica sounds!! I mean......yeah. REALLY could be cool for the right person/place.
@Pamela K: Granite + the tiles might not be a budget reno, but they splurged on that but saved on other things, like keeping the tiled floor and the cabinets.
Plus, they didn't change the layout of the kitchen, which helps.
the cabinetry looks so much better, especially against the grey tile back splash.
Purple is so awful I kind of like it
What a lovely redo!
We sort of did our own budget redo here for under $1k. But of course, we didn't change the floor, counter, or backsplash, so our main cost was the dishwasher (my parents gave us the new range from my grandparents' house).
Congrats on a lovely kitchen! I think it's a great balance of splurging and saving, and your color palette is soothing and soft. How smart of you to go with a thinner granite! I never would have thought of it!
@ cecile-t: I'm have to disagree with you. I think the color scheme looks extremely cohesive, and I really don't find the floors offensive. The colors are neutral and laid in a classic pattern. While granite counters have never been my thing, I think both they and the tiles look lovely in the space.
Cecile-t: I think your comment is unnecessarily rude.
I don't object to the bluntness of Cecile-t's remarks as much as to her poor sense of style.
I probably wouldn't choose granite and stainless steel for myself, but I do think that the color pallet is cohesive and the kitchen in the "after" photos looks great.
I think you did a wonderful job with a tight budget. It lifts the whole kitchen up and looks very inviting.
I understand the desire to update the appliance and light fixtures, but I sort of like the curved shelves and countertops.
I think the kitchen had a lot of charm to begin with and the owners did well to work with what was there. The colors look very cohesive to me. Those subway tiles really carried this reno and were well worth whatever they paid.
I do miss the cute rounded shelfs, but understand the temptation of a wine fridge.
Lovely!
I was skeptical upon preview because the original looked pretty nice anyway (from this distance; it was difficult to tell that was purple formica countertop).
Shows what I know. You took an already lovely kitchen and made it better. Well done! Personally I would have tried to raise the cabs to the ceiling, but it's a personal, minor detail.
What a lovely, large kitchen! Sadly, we're still living with a bad '80's reno...
this is a great example of working with what you have. did anyone notice how much better the flooring looks in the after pictures? it was such a smart move to base their new color scheme on it, especially since there is so much of it! brilliant job, very inspirational.
I think it's a great blend of new and working with what you have - I'd far rather see a reno that's sensible than one that requires massive amounts of landfill space!
Though one comment about the thinner granite countertops, my neighbor thought it was a great idea too, unfortunately they hadn't taken into account their 6'4" 225 lb son's habit of sitting on the kitchen counter. Yes, it cracked. While it's likely he sat on a spot that wasn't evenly supported, maybe?, it was a big lesson about considering your family's actual behavior before going with the thinner stone counters...
Well, by the time I got here, cecile's (allegedly) rude comment had been removed, for which I applaud AT.
I'd be curious to know what was involved in the "professional cleaning" of the tiles - was some sort of new glazing/sealant applied to create the difference in sheen?
gorgeous transformation! That's a shame what the previous owners did, but it seems like you guys did a great job to pay homage to the history while embracing the modern. :)
I like the fresh color scheme. The size of the pics makes it hard for me to appreciate the impact of many of the upgraded details.
@Rucy - I got a good chuckle at the story of the 6'4'' son sitting on the kitchen counter. They...really can't keep him off the counter? Is he a cat?
I love what you've done! What an improvement. Am about to embark on a similar path. Could you please share the make/model of the wine fridge? I love the look of the one here. (Mine will be installed in a similar location.) Would be so grateful for your info.
The wine fridge is by Wine Enthusiast. I have seen similar ones at Home Depot. As for the "professional" cleaning, it was ME on my hands and knees with Clorox gel and a stiff brush! In hindsight I should have paid for the Grout Doctor to come and do it, but it did save money. I also sealed the grout after I cleaned it. Another place we saved money was by buying pendants, fans, window treatments and hardware from Home Depot
Oh, and while the granite and tile were definitely splurges we chose one of the most affordable Ann Sacks tiles. Granite was one of the cheapest colors (they vary widely) at Second & Surplus, a discount warehouse.