When Bekki and Gary moved into their Wardman townhouse in Woodley Park, they knew they faced some significant renovations. But when it came to the kitchen they did not want to invest the time and money required for a major overhaul. Instead, they made a series of small changes that together transformed a bleak, outdated kitchen into a fun and livable one.
By pacing their projects over a month, Bekki and Gary were spared the inconveniences typically associated with a kitchen renovation. "The longest we were banned from the kitchen was 3 days while the floor was ripped up and replaced," Gary explains. Better still, they were able to keep the costs remarkably low.
Spending less that $6,000 (excluding appliances) across a four-week period, Bekki and Gary made the following high-impact, low-cost changes:
1) Installed New Flooring. Contractors were hired to replace the old flooring with traditional black and white speckled linoleum tile. "We knew we were going to have kids in the next year or two and wanted something cheap and durable to withstand the wear and tear of family life," explains Bekki. "We didn't want to have to worry about harming our kitchen floor." They also knew that it would be a waste to invest in high-cost flooring for a kitchen that is likely to be renovated more completely down the line. When the contractors ripped up the old flooring they discovered considerable mold, which meant that the flooring had to be stripped down to the basement ceiling below. This unforeseen complication translated into higher than anticipated costs.
2) Painted the Cabinets. Bekki and Gary painted the faded wood cabinets a simple white and replaced the hardware with silver knobs from Restoration Hardware.
3) Installed New Countertops. Black granite countertops were installed to replace the faded, stained Formica.
4) Replaced the Appliances. A Frigidaire Professional Series range, a Bosch dishwasher, a GE Profile wine fridge, and a new refrigerator were purchased at the Home Depot Expo in DC.
5)Repainted the Walls. Bekki and Gary painted the pale pink walls a bright, retro lime green, which contrasts nicely with the white cabinets and black and white tiled floors.
Thanks for sharing, Bekki and Gary!
Images: Catrin Morris
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wow. great job. :)
Gosh, $6,000 excluding appliances seems like a lot of money for such a small space -- I guess the floor damage was really extensive.
well done. Only change I would make is the hardware on the cabinets. It bothers me for some reason. Not sure why.
great job! though I would have kept the pink ;)
I liked the pink. Normally green is my favorite color but that shade isn't doing it for me. The pink, at least, feels warm and homey.
They spent $6000 EXCLUSIVE of appliance? On what? Paint made from ground emeralds?
What's up with the odd, unusable-looking board over the vent hood/stove? That seems like a major waste of practical and visual space.
That said, I love the green with the white cabinets and black counter tops. That's the combo that I plan on going with in my kitchen, too (but swap the granite for something less shiny, and with the addition of a butcher block island).
My favorite shot is the last one that shows the pictures above the cabinets. Nice balance and contrast.
I'm with biggygreg - the only thing I'd do differently is using black hardware rather than silver. But that's a minor issue: everything else is wonderful. It has a lovely feel now.
@ wrenx: "When the contractors ripped up the old flooring they discovered considerable mold, which meant that the flooring had to be stripped down to the basement ceiling below. This unforeseen complication translated into higher than anticipated costs."
Ouch! Having redone my kitchen myself, I can sympathize with those who encounter unexpected costs. Mine were electrical and plumbing related for which I hired pros to rectify. I think the homeowners here did a great job!
speckled tile, excellent choice! I have non-speckled black and white tiles in the kitchen, which are the bane of my cleaning existence. Great redo, it looks awesome!
Great kitchen. I asked myself "What were you thinking" when I saw the pink. I like the green but I am biased, I have a similar green in my kitchen.
Great floors.
I have always loved checkerboard tile, and I love the green walls! Nice work!
I'm liking that nifty green. Pretty lively!
lovely floor
$6000 is not inexpensive EXCLUDING appliances. I was able to redo an entire kitchen twice that size with appliances (and floors, cabinets, counters) for that cost.
Wow, so very nice. I've been daydreaming about diagonal checkerboard flooring.
Wow! A moldy floor sure is expensive! I feel bad for these homeowners.
I wonder why they replaced the countertops if they plan to renovate down the line. Surely the future reno will involve changes and the current countertops will no longer fit.
Nice job, though.
Wondering the same thing about the space above the vent hood keeperrox
It looks that area above the stove is meant to conceal the vent hood and everything that comes with it. It was probably cheaper to do it this way than create fake cabinets. I'm curious, if Bekki and Gary are answering comments, how much over budget they went because of the mold in the floor? Thank you!
Great! I love those colors
Nice job. Wow, my kitchen is disturbingly similar...same cabinets, exact same flooring, perhaps the exact same wall color! Check it out
Nice job. Wow, my kitchen is disturbingly similar...same cabinets, exact same flooring, perhaps the exact same wall color! Check it out here: http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/mandy-and-michael/item/215081.
With appliances and everything, ours was under $3,000, but we did everything ourselves except for the appliance installation. Of course, we still have crappy counters, which I'm sure are super expensive.
Having gone through a kitchen remodel, I can say that things just pop up. For them, it was the flooring. I was determined not to contract anything out, but alas my stupid electrical needed upgrading, adding a nice 2.5K chunk to my "ultra-low" budget remodel. This is a cost that you wouldn't be able to discern from looking at before and after pictures, but so very real and necessary.
$6000 is is NOT low cost! For about $2000, we completely remodeled our kitchen and bought new appliances! And we live in Alaska where everything is way higher priced.
@ mandypage723- Looks like you inspired someone.
If you're planning on having kids in the next few years, good luck with the stainless. Kids and stainless don't go well together. Be prepared to clean lots of sticky fingerprints.
I do love this transformation. I'm still not sold on that shade of green. I probably would have gone lighter, but it looks really good.
^Momjacking.
I read that fingerprints are less obvious on stainless that's textured/brushed. I never notice fingerprints on my brushed stainless double sink, but then again I don't have kids.
About the cost --- removing and replacing moldy floorboards is not where you want to skimp. Saving on the linoleum, yes, great choice.
i love the floors... but where did you find linoleum tile?? I didn't think they made it anymore...
I would frame the pix in black frames and change the wall color to Behr cinnamon.