Kitchen remodels are a daunting prospect for many reasons; the expense, time spent and food prep stress. One concern that people tend to put on the back burner is how the updated style will fit with the era and flow of the rest of the home, but it is absolutely worth considering. While a complete gut is often the only realistic option, preserving at least one detail, the best bit of the past, as part of the remodel is a nice way to maintain the stylistic heart of the home, while saving some money and keeping things a bit more earth-friendly. That is exactly what Chris and Damon did...
Here is their story, full of smart ideas and solutions:
It's worth mentioning that the kitchen was last remodeled in the late 60s or early 70s, that the tile countertops were not in good shape (and besides that, it wasn't cute 1920s tile, it was gross 1970s tile), and that the floor pictured was the least expensive vinyl flooring we could find to cover what was in the house when we bought it four years ago. We didn't tear out anything worth keeping, and we did keep the double ovens and vent hood that added charm and character to the kitchen (though we did get them reporcelained).
We ended up replacing everything except for the windows and those ovens and the vent hood, though, and we did it for around 10k (including labor-we contracted some of the work out to Victor Gastelum in the San Diego area).
Some of the things we did that saved us money:
Ikea cabinets - we put them together and hung them ourselves, which saved a lot
Had the original ovens reporcelained and the vent hood powder coated to match (cost significantly less than new ones, and they look cuter)
The cooktop is from a company called Caldera. We'd never heard of it, but it had really good reviews, so we took a chance. Best cooktop I've ever cooked on, and it was less than $500.
The Corian is Glacier White, which, coincidentally, is the least expensive color option they make. It's also exactly the look we wanted.
The floor is commercial vinyl composition tile from Home Depot. I think it was something like $50 for the whole floor.
The tile on the backsplash came from Overstock.com, and was $7/square foot.
Where we splurged:
Counter-depth refrigerators are more expensive than their deeper counterparts, but in a narrow kitchen, it looks like we have twice the space now.
The Orla Kiely wallpaper. Too expensive to do elsewhere in the house, but on the narrow soffit, we only needed a roll and a half, and it made such an impact in the room.
Creative problem solving:
The only real problem we've had with our kitchen is that there's no counter space next to the cooktop. The only ways to remedy that would be to either wall off that door, ditch the double ovens, pay for an expensive custom piece of woodwork involving some sort of gateleg affair that flips up across the door opening, or to do what we did, and opt for a cart that can easily be moved over next to the stove if I'm making a sauce or a candy or something that requires I have all of the ingredients in easy reach. It may not be the most attractive thing that could go on that wall, but we've really appreciated the functionality of it.
We also have a pull-out trash can and recycling bin in the cabinet next to the sink. Aside from the cooktop, having the trash hidden might be my favorite part of the new kitchen.
I love how Chris and Damon found a way to have a fresh, clean, updated, fully functioning modern kitchen while preserve the original feel. I think it is thanks in large part for their willingness to embrae the quirky and wonderful green wall ovens as well as highlighting the vintage vibe through the decorative touches, such as the bread bin and colorful mixer.
Wonderful job - thanks for sharing the story!
Check out more of Chris' style at her blog: The Bee and the Bobbin
(Images: Chris and Damon)
Re-edited from a post originally published 6.22.11 - JL
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You know what I like the most about this redo? It's practical. You save what you want because you like it, not because "it works."
You know what's striking about this to me? The final product looks how I wish the *actual* 70s had looked: the same general color palette but fresher, the neutrals less muddy, surfaces and hardware a little sleeker. It makes me happy to see this, after seeing so many makeover shows, before/after features, and real estate listings proudly trumpeting their "updated kitchen!" only to find the same soulless steel-and-granite box with a giant island that doesn't match the rest of the house at all in scale, materials, or style. I'm not the biggest fan of the '70s, but more of this kind of thing, please.
Keeping the green ovens and hood was genius and what makes this a much more interesting kitchen re-do than the tired gut + granite countertops etc etc versions.
Totally agree with the above comments. If I see another "gourmet" kitchen with stainless and granite, I will scream. Nicely done, folks!
Beautiful!
One of the best pieces of advice I've ever read re: a kitchen remodel - if it looks like it could have been a part of the original structure you're fine.
The kitchen above does just that for me. The flat panel cabinets and clean crisp colors looks perfect to me.
So cute! Great job. I like how the mixer coordinates as well. :)
I think better photography would help. The angles on the photos are so extreme, it's really hard to tell what the kitchen looks like. Not really much of a "wow" factor.
The extra money you spend for a counter depth refrigerator will probably be easily reclaimed in food (Stuff gets lost in the back) and energy costs over the next few years.
Love it! I love how you incorporated the fun wallpaper and kept the green appliances. Super fun and definitely not just another generic kitchen.
Well done! I love the cabinets and fun wallpaper.
This kitchen looks well put-together! What a great featured remodel!
What idiot would want to get rid of those awesome green ovens! This remodel is wonderfull. I hate it when people "gut " a room. It seems so unnecessary. Your kitchen is really cute before and now it's super lovely! Great job!
That wallpaper is gorgeous. I love the look of this kitchen.
love!
I agree with hysteric glamour. It is hard to see the difference from before and after but I do love the flattened simpler cabinet doors and fixtures.
I don't get it. You could have put in a full oven with stovetop and used the oven space as a pantry or more counter space. And by placing a cabinet under the micorowave, you'd have counter space and more cabinet space. The refinishing is a great idea but stainless steel would have matched the hood, the microwave and the dishwasher...
Nicely done, but not ideal. I agree with some posts below that stainless still matches the feeling after upgrade, otherwise why use the morden and dark brown cabinets, you can go back to the 70's feeling at a different approach.
I like the way you put the kitchen vanity at the corner which save a lot of spaces, but the flowerly wall paper at the top just do not make any sense.
I love love lovey love this! It's so cute and kitsch but still modern at the same time. The corner sink is fabulous and I usually think they look redic. The only thing that stands out for me is the microwave cabinet floating up there; why not put in cabinets underneath to make one tall pantry unit and ditch the cart - it looks too cluttery. Faboosh job!!!
What EJAinLA said goes for me, too.
I'm just glad it wasn't another white painted kitchen cabinet redo.
Very cute, the cabinets and countertops are nice, but the green oven and wallpaper really make it something special.
While this may not be my ideal kitchen, I like that they kept a piece of character without resorting to what seems the norm these days. I am not opposed to modernizing a kitchen, but after awhile, they blend together.
A friend of mine had recently stated how hard it was for his sister in law to find a beige refrigerator. Most appliances no longer come in colors other than stainless, black or white. Unless you buy Northstar Retro from Elmira Stoveworks or Aga, which I love, but they cost a small fortune.
I just wanna say, I like the before one, coz it's more lifeful, and I can feel to the family there.
@musikmama - the original cabinetry might have been functional, but it wasn't nice, or their taste. And you might think it looks "almost" exactly the same, "almost" says it all. The cabinetry is really not the same, is it? Why not replace something because you want to?
I think the original cabinetry was ugly and dated. I love the new cabinetry.
many great ideas here, to the renovators: please share the name of that fabulous white tile from Overstock!!!
Ack, Orla Kiely wall paper! I love it!
This is just lovely. That wallpaper is so fitting with the retroness of the kitchen. The only thing that I'm not a huge fan of is the white counter tops and backsplash...I thought the before color and style fit so much better with the feel of the kitchen. White just seems so modern (and over done lately) for such a retro fitted redo. I'm still jealous of the avocado green double ovens and hood vent though :)
I love everything except the new cabinets. Ikea stuff is cheap for a reason. They look good in pictures or a showroom but live with them a while and you'll see why. Those old cabinets, like them or not, had been there nearly forty years, I can almost guarantee these will be falling apart inside of ten. I recently shopped a home on the market that had Ikea Cabinets from a kitchen renovation that appeared to be less than five years old. Looked stunning on the MSL listing but in person almost every piece of hardware was tearing out of the very low grade particle board substrate. They were essentially still new but literally at the end of their usable life.
I have to agree with another poster that the stainless cart looks totally out of place. Why not build a bank of cabinets and extend the counter. The kitchen seems to be lacking in storage so I am sure it is much needed. I love the vintage feel. I think the cabinets and the pulls really keep it vintage but modern.
Finally, a kitchen "After" I actually like better than the "Before"!
Great kitchen re-do without looking over done..
Kudos to you -- this is a beautiful renovation which is sensitively done. That's rare! Love this kitchen!!! (and there's nothing I can even think of improving or would want to improve -- it is perfect as-is!)
imdbtoo - some people don't like the pullout stove/oven combos, I know I don't, I prefer a countertop range and a wall oven. Also, they currently have two wall ovens, your suggestion would reduce them to one.
I love the wallpaper and the retro ovens. Just the combo of modern and retro is so great. Good job!
I really wanted to see an after picture taken from the same angle as the before. I hate having to work to see the renovation. Hard to piece it together this way.
Love the wallpaper and retro appliances. Beautiful choice of colors and wood tones. Very nice!
@conejitoasesino
Uh, they did gut the kitchen. >.>
Thanks, everyone! We couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. I really feel like I should have included a floorplan to help that cart make a little more sense. If we'd put a built-in cabinet at the base of the microwave, we would have had a doorway between the stove and the additional countertop, and we would have had to go with a shallower countertop than we used in the rest of the kitchen, which i just couldn't reconcile stylistically.
The microwave had to be up high because we have a two-year-old who won't be getting over her button-pushing obsession anytime soon.
The tile is very slightly more expensive now on Overstock: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/SomerTile-12.5x12.5-in-Morocco-2.5-in-White-Porcelain-Mosaic-Tile-Pack-of-10/4798935/product.html There's a blue version, as well, that you can get through Home Depot for slightly more $/sf.
Good point about the vantage point being different in the after pictures. That drives me crazy, too, and I really didn't think about it while taking the pictures.
re: the cabinets, they were cheap when they were new (forty years ago). We thought they were great when we moved in, and realized, as soon as our possessions were in them, that all of the drawers squeaked and stuck, and that the doors were veneer over particle board, just like modern ones. From the way the shelves sagged and the finish was wearing off of some of the doors, we knew they didn't have much life left in them. It wasn't affordable for us to replace them with a more expensive option, and it would have added a great deal more expense to install countertops over the existing cabinetry, only to pull them up in a few years and replace the cabinets beneath them. This was the time it made sense to redo them, and I am so thrilled that we did.
One more thing I forgot to include: all of the lower cabinets (aside from the one under the cooktop) are pullouts now, which feels like it increased our cabinet space twofold. The comment about things being lost in the back of the fridge goes for things being lost in the back of the undercabs, as well. :)
and @Vacationland, your comment made me swoon with delight. That's exactly what we were going for!
I think it's perfect! I love the backsplash, the wallpaper, the ovens/hood (and matching mixer!!)... everything. Great job.
And I'm ok with the rolling cart. What else could you have done?
Cute wallpaper. That would look nice on one wall of a kid's room.
I never knew you could reporcelain appliances. Interesting!
Hi, this is the husband (damon). I just wanted to point out that the color balance in these photos is not totally accurate (we were excited to have the kitchen clean enough to take photos of it).
The cabinets in the before picture were a much lighter color than the photo might indicate. Think "golden oak".
The tile, ovens, and range hood were avocado green, and although they look like the same color in the after pictures, they are actually more of a pistachio green (like the mixer).
Thanks to everyone for the comments and constructive criticism. I agree that the door definitely needs to be addressed, and we are open to suggestions.
Groovy transformation!
Very cute and fun. I like the green but it kind of clashes with the microwave. Either way, it was a great reno that preserved what the owners liked and was practical. Good job!
How much did it cost to re-porcelain the appliances out of curiosity?
Very charming. I love the wallpaper and the combination of appliances. Thanks AT for featuring a makeover that was something besides painting cabinets white!
@anthropos: The reporcelain and powder-coat ended up running around $500, if memory serves. Not completely cheap, but less expensive than buying another very nice set of ovens. Took about a month to get the pieces back, though it seemed like the process might have moved more quickly if we'd gone with a more popular color (they wait until they have enough items to do a big batch).
I understand that granite may be an overused and less creative choice, but it's an astounding well-suited material for a kitchen. Hygenic, hard-working, you can put hot pots from the stove on it, easy to clean (we got the kind that's impregnated with something so you don't have to reseal it), and it will last forever. I really like our granite countertops.
I'm curious about how it is to fill the dishwasher while standing at the sink with the washer at that angle. Is there much room to stand? Do you have to lean backwards to put the dishes in?
LOVE THIS. The cabinets truly are a reflection of the period, albeit a little updated. A ton of 60s houses where I live had those flat-front dark brown cabinets with avocado appliances.
And Ben Copeland, I know you are biased against IKEA but their kitchen cabinetry is not the same cheap crap as their furniture and comes with a 25-year warranty.
Having a house with similar issues and identical avocado green double oven, I like your approach, especially the cabinets. One word to the wise however: our oven died after a few years and we found it was impossible to find another double oven that width. A previous poster was astute in saying you could have installed a cooktop & oven combo and turned the double oven space into a pantry. We designed our remodel to work with the green, then regretted it when the oven died. The matching cooktop fan hood died not too long after the oven. Maybe 30-40 years is their lifespan? Now our kitchen doesn't look as good without the vintage appliances. Love our cabinet depth refrigerator though. I'm not sure I'll ever go back to the monsters that stick out into the room no matter where I live.
I agree that it is nice to see an updated kitchen that isn't granite and steel. It is also nice to see things get reused. I'm just not crazy about the green appliances and I think the microwave looks weird.
@mediocrates thanks, a bit expensive but like you said, cheaper than a new oven...assuming your oven lasts many more years that is.
I rather swooned when I saw you did a corner sink with Ikea cabinetry. I would love to do this exact configuration in my kitchen to take advantage of a corner window overlooking the garden, but your double sink looks wider than the width of the cabinet below (so that it overhangs the cabinet and dishwasher flanking the sink). I loathe the separated bowls of Ikea's "corner sink" option, and I'm pretty sure I'll only be able to afford Ikea cabinets (as opposed to doing something custom to give me a corner sink option). Seeing this has given me new hope!
Chris and Damon, if you come back to check the comments, can you please please please tell me how you did this? Did you need to do any special carpentry trick to fit the sink at an angle over that run of cabinets? Any info on this will be so greatly appreciated!
We definitely considered ditching the existing oven and hood, going with a new range and converting the double oven space into more storage. There were a few reasons why we decided against it in the end:
1. My wife likes to bake and wanted double ovens if possible
2. We really liked the look of the existing ovens and hood (but not the avocado green color so much)
3. We had a budget of $10,000 for the entire remodel, and buying a new range and hood would have been almost half that
Love it! The wall ovens/hood and the wallpaper are genius. Phyllis, you can get vintage appliances rebuilt or parts replaced -- I've had it done, still cheaper than new. Also, I've been seriously thinking about the composite tile flooring for the benefit of my feet and back. The only change I'd make if this was my kitchen is not to get white Corian -- a friend of mine had it and reported it didn't fare well in a red-wine-intensive kitchen. I'm planning on a salt-and-pepper solid surface countertop.
A door that could let in some light would be a nice addition to your new and improved kitchen. Perhaps in a darker finish to mesh with the cabinetry. Frosted glass maybe? Thanks for sharing your redo.
I like it - mostly - but the back door is just so blah and I'm not sure the white tile backsplash works for me -I feel like it needed some other color back there.
@favabean, the corner sink was there when we bought the house, so we kept the existing cabinet and shored up the support that was already there. It was pretty simply framed out, though, and I doubt it would be too difficult to build one from scratch. I think it might be difficult to describe how the cabinet was built, but suffice to say it was basically a non-cabinet, consisting of boards that crossed the space between the cabinets on either side, and with a little trim in the front to give the door a place to hang on. The important thing was that this contraption was strong enough to hold the cast-iron sink that was there before, so we knew it would hold the new sink. The sink looks larger than the cabinet, but it's really just larger than the door at the front of the cabinet. If you draw out what the corner layout would look like from a top view, it'll make sense to you. We replaced the door with the ikea door, and used a little of the trim to face it out. The toekicks come with a little iron-on veneer that you could probably use, too.
re: appliance concerns, we had a repair done to the ovens a few months before the remodel, and the guy who came to fix it pulled it out, reconnected a wire that had come loose, and said "I'm so glad you have one of these older ovens. These things are so easy to fix and last forever, if you take care of them. I'll bet you have another twenty to forty years left in this one. don't let anyone talk you into buying a new one. They all break down in five to ten years, and now they have computers in them that are so expensive to fix that you may as well buy a new one."
We hadn't even told him we were considering a remodel, but we took his advice to heart.
AND @favabean, we couldn't find a hinge that worked with the angle on the cabinet, and Ikea doesn't make a corner sink cabinet, so we just added a short board at a 90 degree angle to the cabinet front so that we could attach the european hinge to the frame. We thought about just keeping the existing hinge, but the Ikea hinges (made by Blum) are so nice and well-designed that it seemed a shame not to put the on every door!
so happy you saved the green double oven and hood!
I LOVE the green stove!!!!!!! I want it!!! (and the wallpaper...and I also fell in love with the strawberry kitchen towel now that I see how cute it looks in someone else's kitchen. I'm putting that on my shopping list now :-)
is that some sort of a stand holding an ipad or similar device? I cannot tell...It's cute, what is it and where is it from? I need something similar for our ipad.
You made an advocado stove look good. That's nothing short of a miracle!
PhyllisC and mediocrates (and other with vintage appliaces) -- a number of the vintage appliance repair shops will do repairs online, and can still get spare parts that will work (if not the originals). Don't worry; chances are good that you can keep these appliances going for a long time.
PhyllisC -- it would be interesting to know what make and model your oven and fan were; did you try any of the larger online vintage appliance repair sites?
...and is that a vintage KitchenAid on the counter? As in before they made the gears out of plastic? nice....!
@Ben Copeland: finally, somebody else singing this song. The owner has since explained that the previous cabinets were crap, but in general, seeing somebody remove solid wood cabinets completely and replace them with cheap IKEA crap...well. It makes me AND Baby Jesus cry. Paint. Put new doors on. SOMETHING. Just don't replace wood with particle board and tell me it's some sort of improvement.
Definitely the best kitchen remodel I've seen on at. Well done!
beautiful remodelling of the kitchen.! Amazing:))
I bet you could make a base-cabinet-with-countertop for under the micro, using the same line of Ikea cabinets. It would blend in, and give you that coveted countertop plus storage.
I like that the KitchenAid mixer matches :D My boyfriend and I rent, and we got the charcoalish color one hoping that it would match in any kitchen we end up with, but I REALLY wish we had one in a more fun color like this! (or maybe we will be blessed with amazing appliances like you an splurge on some fun matching smaller appliances :P)
Awesome job! It's so fresh, gorgeous, and unique!
You know what I would do with your door, there? Change the hardware to stainless steel to match your accents, and then either paint it one of the colours from your wallpaper or just hang a sweet 70s poster with the same colour scheme. If you hang art, attach it top and bottom so it doesn't swing every which way when the door opens! Beautiful work. So much character.
The only kitchen redo I've liked! It's so fun! (everything else is so boring these days w/ the predictable white everything)
Oh wow, I love it! I'm a big fan of that pistashio green and I love that you kept some of it mixing it with modern appliances, not all old or new. It gives the kitchen a great touch of color and whimsy. The cabinets are gorgeous, I love the corner sink with the little shelf and the wallpaper adds a perfect touch of color and fun and the pattern adds to the retro feel but is fresh.
I agree with sukie on the door. That would look beautiful!
Great job with the kitchen :-)
Really great choices. It is the 70's but updated. The white tile with the new cabinets, paired with the retro oven and vintage pieces on the counter top, are all singing in harmony! Love it!
Regarding the microwave cart: We had a small space and used an upper cabinet on the floor. It is only 12 inches deep instead of 24 inches. Something you might want to consider.
Love the wallpaper!! Perfect fit....any chance you'd like to share your source?
@Ula - http://www.orlakiely.com/usa.cfm/house/living/HWMSTP-500/11896/_/
I'm so glad you kept the double oven and vent hoods. All stainless would have been the boring (and expensive) way out. Really lovely job!
@ Ben Copeland --- Funny, I have heard that IKEA kitchen cabinets are of pretty decent quality, certainly of better quality than a lot of comparably-priced cabinets you might get at Home Depot. Plus, there is no where else to go for more stylish options that won't break the bank. A friend has had Ikea cabinets for years now and they are holding up quite well.
re: cabinets, yeah. The Ikea cabinets are constructed of precisely the same materials as KraftMaid cabinets. I'm not going to say that means they're high-end, but they are quite sturdy and nice, the Nexus finish suits our style, and I feel very happy about the quality/value ratio we got with Ikea. The Ikea hinges are nicer than KraftMaid, too. We really got a kick out of the hardware.
Oh! And the handles!! We got stainless steel Sugatsune pulls from HomeClick. Very inexpensive, and they look much more high-end than the options Ikea had in stock.
I was very impressed by the quality of ikea's kitchen cabinets, especially when compared to their other furniture.
Very nice. Just wanted to say we have had our nexus cabinets, in a small,heavily used (with 2 children) kitchen for ten years and they are fine!
I absolutely love when the owners respond, love to hear the stories of why they made certain decisions (& abstained from others)!
Someone asked about the ipad stand, I have a different one but love my eLago stand I bought from Amazon, I use it in the kitchen all the time.
I find the granite bashing quite interesting on AT, almost like it's kind of cool to be anti to whatever is popular. Like another commenter said, I love my granite countertops, workhouses and beautiful, I do usually use trivets but its super handy to just be able to put that pot down on the counter when you're rushing. I also don't seal mine since its black galaxy.
I also find all the Ikea cabinet bashing interesting. I'm sure all of us would love real wood but the price diff can be huge. Sometimes you do need to redo (& remove old warping cabinets) and are limited by budget. Not all mdf is the same either, there are some poorer quality than others.
i think this is a great redo wish you had some better photos but i understand how hard it can be to get decent shots.
I also think granite is beautiful and depending on the kitchen well different things work in different places.
As for ikea, people really gotta let it go, their stuff is far better quality than target or walmart and is similarly priced. My ikea desk is SOOOO much nicer than the one i bought from wal mart and is holding up far better as well, I also love that the back is a magnetic dry erase board genius!! it looks like a quality piece not cheap and these cabinets do as well. Cabinets from the 70's are not automatically nicer than newer ones... a lot of 70's construction is crap and i know this first hand I am a drywall finisher and I have been in hundreds (or more) remodel jobs... just because it is vintage doesn't make it quality a lot of AT readers don't seem to understand that and it's kind of getting to me. The before cabinets were kinda ugly IMHO and this is a very clean update.
On that note I adore all things vintage and love seeing original fixtures kept and update well done! You kept the worthy items and updated the ones in need of replacement. That is what its all about.
oh! I forgot to respond to the ipad stand. It's a Le Creuset cookbook stand. I used to work for the company, so I acquired a lot of silly goodies like that (in addition to a pretty rad collection of cookware).
In looking at the photos again, too, I think some of the extreme photos looking away from the doggie door (toward the green ovens) may have been to hide the small pile of stuff in front of the door to the craft room. Laziness, I know.
And yeah, I love when people stay involved in the conversation about their space. I always feel like I learn a lot more about the design process when people share their experience. AT is an endless source of inspiration for us.
@Jaguar1211, I completely fall prey to the "vintage is better" way of thinking on a regular basis, and think it's sort of hilarious how sometimes I have to talk myself through getting rid of an inferior item because I've decided that being old gives it some magical property. On the other hand, some crappy vintage stuff does have its place - we recently replaced a wood dining table with a late 60's wood-look formica table because the old formica doesn't get heat marks or moisture rings from cold sippy cups left out in the summer! :)
@Jaguar1211:
"Cabinets from the 70's are not automatically nicer than newer ones..."
No, but they're more likely to actually be made of solid wood, therefore probably better quality.
"a lot of 70's construction is crap and i know this first hand"
Me, too. My house was built in 1973! It was not a fabulous year...but I'd never dream of ripping out my kitchen cabinets. Yeah, they're currently the original ugly dark 70s wood, but once painted, they'll be a darn sight better and more solid than any new cabinets in my budget -- and nothing to rip out add to the landfill!
"just because it is vintage doesn't make it quality a lot of AT readers don't seem to understand that and it's kind of getting to me."
True. But again, I think "a lot of AT readers" recognize that things at a given price point generally Aren't Made Like They Used To Be. I maintain that replacing wood with particle board is, 99 times out of 100, not an upgrade.
in general, seeing somebody remove solid wood cabinets completely and replace them with cheap IKEA crap
IKEA's cabinets are pretty high-quality. You'd have to spend at least twice as much to get anything better, especially anything as well-designed. Most homes in America don't have cabinets any better than the ones IKEA sells.
"Cabinets from the 70's are not automatically nicer than newer ones..."
No, but they're more likely to actually be made of solid wood, therefore probably better quality.
Uh, wrong. I've lived in over half a dozen homes and apartments in my life that were built in the '70s, and all of them had particleboard or plywood cabinets. Every. Single. One. Solid wood cabinets were a high-end feature by the '70s, and out of reach for most budgets (at least in new construction).
In general I've found homes built in the '70s to be poorly-assembled piles of junk. The contrast in quality between the '50s and the '70s is shocking.
replacing wood with particle board is, 99 times out of 100, not an upgrade.
It is if the wood is warped or falling apart.
@sunspot42:
"No, but they're more likely to actually be made of solid wood, therefore probably better quality."
Uh, wrong. I've lived in over half a dozen homes and apartments in my life that were built in the '70s, and all of them had particleboard or plywood cabinets. Every. Single. One.
That is what we in the business call anecdata.
Solid wood cabinets were a high-end feature by the '70s, and out of reach for most budgets (at least in new construction).
My house is by no means high end and has solid wood cabinets. I see your anecdata and raise you my own! ;)
In general I've found homes built in the '70s to be poorly-assembled piles of junk.
Dude, I will cosign that TWICE. I caved to my spousal unit on our 1973 monstrosity and have regretted it every day since then. Am buying another family member's adorable wee '52 shortly and cannot wait.
"replacing wood with particle board is, 99 times out of 100, not an upgrade."
It is if the wood is warped or falling apart.
Oh, for goodness' sake. Nitpicking because I didn't specify "wood in good condition?" Fine. New particle board < solid wood in good condition. Fixed!
@mediocrates, thanks so much for all the info on how you did the corner sink cabinet - really appreciate it!
@favabean: no problem! i guess this may not be the best forum to get into specifics, but if you decide to do it and need some help, i think we took pictures of what the underlying structure of the sink looked like. you can email me at ATkitchensink (at) gmail (dot) com, and I will send them to you. We also had to cobble some "custom" cabinets together for the ovens, as they're 24" wide, and ikea doesn't make those. You'd be surprised by how easy it is to modify their stuff once you've put a few things together.
Thanks guys, for the feedback. We really need to replace the door hardware all over the house, as not a single doorknob matches (how is that even possible? prob because the original homeowners who bought in 1947 had the house until a few short years before we did). I know replacing/refinishing doors is very much on our to do list, too. Thank goodness all of the interior doors are gorgeous paneled doors and they all match!
There are some nice, slim butcher block rolling island carts out there. They also provide storage. I had the same green hood over my stove and really hated keeping it clean. I now have the microwave over my stove, air gets vented outside or thru filters. Takes less space and so much easier to clean. Really love the pistachio green color you used. I waited quite a few years but was finally able to put in a steel kitchen door with windows. That extra light makes my sunshine yellow and green kitchen such a happy place to be. You have done a fine job on your kitchen. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.
The only thing I see in the original kitchen that I might have kept is the gold flooring. I don't think the ovens are spectacular enough to design an entire kitchen around them. I would have ditched them and gone with a stainless steel stove with a microwave over it, which would have freed up tons of space. I'm also not sure how you open the dishwasher while you standing at the sink -- I would have swapped the drawers and dishwasher. Love the wallpaper on the soffit.
re: the dishwasher, the dishwasher was already in that location when we bought the house, so we knew it worked alright. There's plenty of space to stand next to it and load. The upside to that setup, actually, is that you don't get anything on the floor or counter when you're loading dirty dishes!
re: the floor, as stated, totally not worth keeping. It was the cheapest vinyl flooring available at Home Depot, and we bought it with the intent to replace it in a few years. We just had to put something over the godawful purple and green mess that was on the floor when we bought the house.
I love all the door suggestions. We do need to have a cat door, though, as we have an indoor/outdoor cat. Any suggestions on a more attractive option for that?
My sister in law has those same ovens. She has been wondering how to remodel and still keep the double green ovens. I can't wait to show her this remodel maybe it will help give her ideas on what she can do in her kitchen. Thank you for sharing!
Ditto Janet! This is sheer genius:)
Loved this post. When I was growing up, our brand new 70's kitchen had dark wood cabinets, gleaming avocado fixtures, and a white formica top. Mom painted the kitchen a bright white and used a clean, clear yellow as an accent. It was the cheeriest room in the whole house. Makes me smile to remember.
I grew up with those avocado green wall ovens. They were fantastic. My parents foolishly replaced them a few years ago - and hate the new ones. For one thing, you can't get (or they couldn't afford) ovens that deep anymore which is a big deal for bakers.
I love how you kept the feel while making it fresh!
I definitely wouldn't have replaced the solid wood, vintage cabinets with IKEA particleboard cabinets, but it looks pretty nice.
The cart below the microwave appears narrower than the microwave cabinet. If this is the case I would consider having the side panels on the cabinet extend all the way from the soffit to the floor. I believe IKEA makes them in 12"x84" and 12"x96".
Nice keeping the Green Hood and Ovens... I wish they made more appliances in those colors today! I love the wallpaper used on the soffit too. I think it was a wise choice with the counter depth refrigerator; a counter depth bottom freezer may have given it a bit more of a vintage, modern feel. The microwave looks a bit out of scale; Is that an over the range microwave with a built-in vent fan because it looks like it to me. A built-in microwave or a counter-top microwave built in to the cabinet would have been less obtrusive and still give the same interior capacity.
@atomicranch79, it is an over-the-range microwave. We really wanted to go with a built-in or counter-top microwave, but everything we could find that was that shallow was very costly. Excepting that one. It was a steal at Sears.
I'm with you on that, though. It wouldn't have been our top solution, but it saved us several hundred dollars, so I'm okay with it.
@jimc, that's not a bad idea. It's just a smidge to large, but eventually, the solution (probably a few years down the road) will be a floor-to-ceiling affair. I have an idea for a custom cabinet with a side panel that swings up, gateleg-style, to create a folding counter space that could extend across the doorway when needed. I think we'd be looking at a couple of thousand dollars to get that built, though, so I'm working on my cabinetry skills.
I love this new kitchen! I have Corian(r) countertops in Glacier White too - the shade is soft to the touch, but still delivers just enough edge. Perfect choice for this remodeling. Congrats to Chris and Damon! Christine from DuPont.
The corner sink is roomy and makes me wish we had corner windows!
I grew up with the avocado green, and I think I saw enough of it then. But one of the commenters was right, it looks a lot better with fresher, sleeker (less muddy) 70s chic.
The wallpaper is fun. I removed wallpaper all over our house but kept a similar one in our laundry room. It makes me happy, and that has become my gold standard for decorating.
If the doorway by the cooktop weren't absolutely essentially, I would have walled it off and put in more cabinets. And you might consider painting the back door the same color as the ovens.
FAR OUT MAN!
I really like the build up behind the sink. What a nice way to be able to display things without water running underneath them. Or am I the only one who still gets a ton of water sprayed behind her faucets?
Corian is a great choice for counters, and the glacier white complements the dark wood cabinets well. The cart is a practical solution to lack of counter space. I'm not usually a fan of wallpaper in kitchens, but here it looks lovely. Great job!
This is absolutely charming. Truly, it embodies the word.
It looks like fun people live here.
I think it looks great. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong working with what you've already got. Maybe if you have boatloads of money, or really want to go into debt. For most of us, though, it's the practical choice. In this instance, it's fantastic. You made good choices in keeping what you could and upgrading where it was needed. Plus by splurging on what's important to you, you'll be happy with this kitchen for a long, long time. Plus, I love the wallpaper.
I'm generally not an Orla Keily fan, but this use of this wallpaper design is outstanding!
In my are there was a building boom in the 70's. We are overrun with poorly built problem homes almost all of which got identical particleboard cabinets -- the kind with the white or cream laminate fronts trimmed with a band of real or laminate golden oak. SO charming! (NOT!) We lived with some of that for about 12 years before being able to upgrade to maple.
Instead of a corner sink, we have a corner cooktop. It took some planning (all new cabinets) particularly regarding the shape of the granite counter, but it's an amazing use of the space and there is counter on both sides at a comfortable angle. I recommend corner installations!
As for the cat door, pet companies offer many designs, maybe you can find a prettier one. (Or glue some of that Orla paper to the inside!)
my "area", sorry...
LOVE. and I want the green stove. Well done, thanks for not applying the same granite that every single house seems to have now. This still has soul.
Wonderful job! Have you considered painting your back door red or one of the other colors from the wallpaper?
And a banana tree to top it off! I bought one in a dollar shop and gave it to my parents for Christmas as a "joke" gift. Well, they loved it and gave me one right back the next year. It is certainly a talking point in any kitchen.
Nice job and I love the green wall ovens and hood. I am a fan of anything 70s: harvest gold, avocado green, and brown appliances, macrame, terrariums, sand art, James Taylor,etc. It's all good.
I saw this lovely kitchen remodel last year on this site. The same thing that bothered me then still bothers me now. The 'before' and 'after' pics are from completely different angles. From a visual standpoint, it had a little less of an impact on me and was kind of confusing. I'm all turned around.
Otherwise, I think the redo is charming.
I love the oven!
Yahoo! It’s refreshing to see a ktichen more in tune with what most of us have. Great job!
Gorgeous! I am so so happy you kept the ovens and hood - they're lovely and really add to the look. People are usually so quick to rip everything out and buy everything new, but it can work so well reusing things you already have.
So gorgeous, I love it. That wallpaper, I think I'm in love.
I love it! It's unique and updated but not overdone.
Great Kitchen redo!
I love the whole thing. My favorite is your wonderful corner sink with the window. I dream of having that set-up someday.
Is it just me or does this look like a remodeled version of a 1978 style kitchen mixed with a little bit of contemporary style? I personally don't like dark wood in a kitchen. It seems something that will easily be outdated in a decade or sooner. The kitchen sink/counter is sensational! Kitchen remodelling is expensive and thinking about the future of the space is just as important as it is to find something "new". I think safe with mixes of things that are easy to replace on budget is a smart option for changing tastes and trends, while also being pocket friendly.
Why did this get reposted?
Really sensible and charming remodel. I love all of it.
Is it just me? The fridge door handles in both before and after are massive! Very off-putting but re-model is vastly better.
Now, I don't like to hear 1970s tile called "ugly" simply because it's 1970s, but I do have to say keeping the vintage appliances was a very good move. Anything that respects the style of the house wins points with me. Too often people tear out a charming kitchen or bathroom and put in a boring kitchen that could be anywhere in suburbia tract housing, and that's such a shame.
I love the wallpaper...but I have to agree with another poster: The original cabinets although dated, are of better quality than the new.
Nothing wrong with Ikea cabinets..simply take care of them, and do not bang the doors closed.