I really am aware that kitchen and bath month is over, but I just loved this kitchen makeover, and while it's not tiny, it does employ some useful multi-functional solutions that might be helpful to small-space dwellers. You'll remember Anne Collins' bedroom from a few weeks back; click through to check out how she transformed this kitchen.
Clearly this is not a huge renovation, as the kitchen's main features, the cabinetry and the appliances, were left intact. That's why we like the project so much: it's a cosmetic uplift, and it shows how you don't have to invest buckets of money in a kitchen to improve its look tenfold.
With no actual dining room to speak of, the previous occupants of Anne's apartment basically treated the kitchen as a dining room with a wall of appliances on one side. But Anne and her husband wanted a more functional kitchen, with good counter space as well as a place to dine, so they built this island where the giant dining table used to be. They were smart, making the decision based on their own lifestyle, which is more about enjoying time together cooking and hanging out than hosting large, elaborate dinners.
Anne's husband built the island himself, marking out its future location with blue tape to make sure the proportions would turn out just right.
The couple did a fantastic job of choosing budget items that nonetheless look chic and stylish. Ikea's Glenn stools and CB2's Firefly light add a nice modern edge, updating the room without a big investment.
To read more about Anne's apartment makeovers, click over to her blog, Seeing Design.
(Images: Seeing Design)
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hmmm, maybe it's just me.. I kinda like the before picture better.
I'm sure it's just you.
I would have liked a happy medium better, but I do like how they've completely changed the tones and values at play in the room with just a couple pieces.
It's a nice starting point and the floors are beautiful. Must be nice having such a handy husband!
the before pic looks dull drab lifeless and uninviting and the after picture has me crying out for an invitation to dinner, coffee, brunch - in fact any activity that may take place in that kitchen. fantastic and cost efficient make over *gold stars all round*
Bravo! I think the kitchen literally got a facelift; as it looks like it has been lifted out of some dark hole. So clean, crisp and light. I love this, and especially that was completed on a budget.
love it, so much lighter and more airy! kudos to you for doing it on a limited budget
What a difference! Love it!
I'm with MerBot. I think something more in between the before and after would have been better. Love the new light fixtures and the island. Absolutely hate the chairs. Then again, I've never liked chairs of that design.
it's a nice *subtle* change. i'd have loved it if they'd painted those awful apartment style cabinets. however, i love the new light fixture and that red painting is fantastic!
Love the After! So much brighter than Before.
Is it just me or are the seat part of the chairs wicked high? If someone sat in those, they would have to be in a bent position the whole time. Or if their thighs were big in any way, they would hit the bottom of the island.....
So they added the island and didn't upgrade the overall quality of the kitchen?
I think that the use of the lighter wood in the new island makes the whole room more cohesive, while the glossy, lighter coloured chairs make the room brighter.
Ditching the awful china cabinet and that outdated light fitting was also a good basic move. The new lights are great.
It's good to see a couple of designers who can identify the few thing they need to change to completely rejuvinate a room, rather than thinking they have to gut everything and redo it to get the look they want.
P.S. I also love that painting of the guy on the horse!
Great job Anne! There was something so cheesy and cheap hotel modern about the first kitchen - heavy, clunky and poorly conceived. The new kitchen is light, modern, livable and elegant. Those tall stools and island counter make me want to drink a coffee and eat a baguette and jam on a Sunday, or have friends over for a low key glass of wine. Good job!
@smchurchill: indeed. I have, er, a friend who inherited bodacious thighs from her mother, and that was the first and last thought I had re: the redo. And wouldn't your plate feel abnormally low? Maybe it's hard to reconcile desired work surface height with standard bar-height table height, but...my friend and her thighs would be sitting sideways.
It's nice, but I wish they had used a standard height table instead of that dreadful island. I detest sitting on stools; they are for draftsmen.
I love it. I am glad they did not paint the cabinets- they have a vintagey charm to them. I think the raised height of the island allows for it to be a comfortable work height. Working at a low table is just no fun. As for the stools, those with backs, like the ones shown, are actually just as comfortable as chairs. Excellent re-do! Thanks for showing it to the world!
What a transformation! I think it's more functional - they still have a place to eat, and they have new food prep space. It looks might brighter and open in the after picture.
those chairs look very uncomfortable..
I'm so glad to see a kitchen that manages to address those dreaded 'apartment cabinets' without painting or removing them. I'm trying to figure out how to deal with them in my own place, so this is nice to see.
The very formal dining room set looked out of place in the kitchen. This is a nice, casual change.
Hmmm...the photos can be deceiving because the first picture used a flash, which is not the most flattering light, while the other photos of the renovation did not. I like the light fixture they replaced, but I prefer a traditional dining area rather than the barstools at the island.
I have to say I love this.
At first glance I thought it was a gut reno. Then I realized that it was a very clever change that completely transformed the space into something new, bright and modern. To me that's the most interesting. Anyone can gut a space, not everyone can be creative and clever enough to make it look like they did.
Bravo!
I love it! And by making it an island (higher height) instead of a table, they've got a whole lot more 'counter space' to work at. The second picture is so bright and modern. Nice work... thanks for sharing!
The lighting is wonderful and inspiring here. It's a fabulous magical transformation. But I have to agree with the consensus that sitting high up off the floor with legs dangling doesn't appeal to me. I wish I knew the rationale for doing it that way. Is the glassware being stored in the island now?
At any rate this shows how lighting, subtraction, and color -- some from beautiful art work -- can make all the difference. The white and butcher block open it up & unify the wood tones, while the red painting accentuates the warmth. A very inviting space.
I want -- no, NEED -- that print of the soldier on the horse. Please share where you got it, Anne!
Also, this is a very impressive transformation with what is, in the scheme of kitchen redos, little effort. To the comment about the "apartment grade" cabinets, I think photos can be deceiving, and upon close inspection they appear to be decent-quality wood and not really apartmenty at all. (When I think apartment grade, I think pressboard covered in white veneer with fake walnut accent, haha).
Perhaps adding some hardware would help change that initial response, though, and pull it together a bit more? Just a thought.
Either way, great job!
I like the mixed-use you get from the island, but I'm not a fan of those pub chairs. The kitchen is very "wooden" and those chairs just remind me of the painfully uncomfortable modern-looking chairs we have around our creative tables at work. Wait, i think they ARE those chairs.
I think to the original posters comment, the lighting between the before and after are vastly different.
This definitely is an improvement. The before was heavy, dated and depressing.
However, I would have painted the walls and the cabinets, changing the whole color scheme. There's a nice opportunity there to tie in more red. I guess the walls could stay the same and the cabinets could go red?
I'm biased, though. I hate beige and I'm not a fan of stainless steel appliances.
I agree - Something in between the extremes would have been better...
...nothing like buying characterless furniture at the CB2 and placing them around a plain white IKEA kitchen cabinet that doesn't even have a proper back on it.
OOOOhhh.. I like that painting.. Care to share the source???
Great job creating "dual space" with the counter.. It is now able to be used for food prep and feasting..
Thanks!
Wow! Thanks or all of your lovely comments!
A few things...
The Painting
I wish I could give you a good source but Mike has indirectly had it since college. It was an old roommate's and when that guy moved out, Mike became the lucky owner. We are actually still friends with that old roommate, so I'll see if he knows more. Stay tuned...
The Paint
It's hard to tell in the photos but the walls were a life-sucking shade of beige and now they are Restoration Hardware's Butter Cream. It's a really subtle yellow that we picked to complement the adjacent living room which is painted in a silver sage: http://seeingdesign.com/projects/apt-makeover-my-living-room
The Chairs
We sat in a lot of stools before we bought these and I can honestly say (for the price and specs we needed) they were the comfiest we found--by far. The back has a nice give when you lean and there is metal rung so your feet don't dangle.
Thanks again for your kind and helpful remarks!
Looks fresh and much more functional!
Love the fresh modern look and the added functionality. As a bonus, that island is a much more inviting space for casual entertaining. I'm glad the cabinets weren't painted and that the buttery wall color lets the painting pop. The new light fixtures are also a huge improvement.
This is exactly the kind of thing I love to see at AT--small, relatively inexpensive changes. Not everything needs to be a gut renovation and for those who are on a budget or renting these kinds of makeovers are truly inspiring.
Thanks for sharing!
The island was build by Anne's husband, according to the post (not an Ikea cabinet, as bepsf indicated). If that's "characterless," I don't know what HAS character.
I gotta say, the before seemed so unfocused... I can't relate to those who say they liked it better.
We too have just an eat-in kitchen....no dining room. Over the years, I've had opportunities (and desires?) to purchase a dining room style table/chairs rather than the "kitchen style" smaller table and chairs we have. I'm glad I resisted.
Like the photo here, that would have completely overwhelmed the kitchen. This cosmetic re-do is great! Apparently very functional for their family and yes, those chairs ARE comfortable :) I've sat in this style before and it's amazing how comfy they really are.
My own cosmetic re-do involved leaving everything in place as well but I painted both the floor (a 1950's vinyl that was in excellent condition but hated the color) and the cabinets. What a difference! It opened up the look ten fold! I've never been happier with our little 50's cottage.
To each his own! As an interior decorator I always say, "Don't decorate for your friends, neighbors or relatives, or what's in style (unless you truly love it). Those people don't live there. YOU do!"
Personally....I do like this re-do! Thumbs up!
I had to do a double take on the photo a few times. What a difference a little switcheroo does! Much, much better. It was sooo 1990's before!