Before & After: A Sleek Modern Update for a 1960s Kitchen

Laura had been living in her two-bedroom co-op in Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace for five years before she finally decided to take the plunge and renovate her kitchen. While her cabinets were still in decent shape, the linoleum floor was not: it “only looked serviceable in the five minutes after it was mopped.” And the original 1960s oven, while charming, was clearly due for an upgrade.

Additionally, the old kitchen lacked sufficient workspace, and the pantry was located in the dining room — a bit inconvenient for cooking. So Laura embarked on a renovation that would improve not just the look of her kitchen, but also the function as well.

The custom maple cabinets in the new kitchen have a much more modern, streamlined look, and provide a lot more storage than the thick, clunky old wood ones. The new pantry, with pullout shelves to maximize storage, is a clever addition.

Hardwearing new granite countertops are a nice contrast to the light-colored cabinetry. Neutral ceramic floor tiles are a welcome upgrade from the old linoleum, and my favorite feature — the glass subway tile on the backsplash — is a lovely complement to the new aqua-blue walls. It’s nice to see a little color in a kitchen.

A bank of cabinets on the kitchen’s left side adds a little extra storage and work space, and open shelves above keep Laura’s cookbook collection, previously stored in the study, within easy reach.

Laura found her contractor, Kris, on Sweeten, an online resource that connects homeowners with local design and construction experts for home renovations. You can read more about the project, see more photos, and find sources on the Sweeten blog.