Flickr Find: Lindsey's Low-Cost Kitchen Makeover

The minute we saw the kitchen makeover pictures that Lindsey posted to our Flickr group, we knew her kitchen would be a great way to launch kitchen and bathroom month here on Apartment Therapy. Lindsey made just a few small changes to her vintage kitchen, but those changes had a big impact on her satisfaction with the space. A full kitchen renovation is a pricey proposition, but Lindsey's makeover demonstrates the benefits of a low cost kitchen facelift.

Lindsey repainted her cabinets in a bright white, and replaced the hinges and cabinet pulls. The new pulls bring a touch of vintage charm to the kitchen as well as spots of bright color. Lindsey also added a new back to the piece she uses as an island, and then painted it a dark color to highlight its white countertop.

We love that Lindsey was able to change the feeling of her room with just a few simple changes. A fresh coat of paint will perk up any kitchen (see Wes and Kayla's Home Hack for tips), and swapping out the cabinet hardware is an easy way to transform the whole look of the room.

You can see more pictures of Lindsey's kitchen on her Flickr page.

Thanks again to everyone who shares pictures with the DC Flickr group (note: the link address is new). We love getting a peek inside your homes, and sharing your inspirational spaces with the community.

Comments (25)

I didn't actually notice any differences except lighting in the pictures until I read what was different... sorry. Looks nice though in before and after. :)

Let's not forget that fab wall color she chose. Brava!

oh you turned the lights on, lol.

it would appear she did more than just change the hinges and pulls on those doors. The doors previously had some sort of half-round trim and now they don't. Either these were removable ornament or the doors were replaced entirely.

It looks the same ... but with better lighting?

Check out this place: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahkramerphotography/sets/72157600685981029/

Where did she get the drawer pulls?

Much brighter! I really like the blue hardware and crispt white cabinets!

"crisp" lol

Cute kitchen. The changes are subtle but I love the handles. It adds a nice touch of color. Actually my kitchen is pretty bland and white, I might consider that.

~ Sarah @ http://www.queenofdiy.com

Wait! I do see something different. She moved the rug!

She also cropped the cluttered fridge out of the picture, cleared most of the shit off the island, and changed her towels to plain white/blue.

I feel like this is one of those "Can you spot the differences?" games in a kids magazine...

megs22, the hardware looks like Rejuvenation. I love their jadeite hardware (the green version of these).

that's hardly a "makeover"
but it does look SLIGHTLY better

Granted, it's sort of hard to tell, initially, what changes were made. One reason, I think, is that the homeowner kept the decor style, which is sort of cottage-y, of the original kitchen.

I do think that removing the half-round moulding on the door fronts makes a noticeable difference in giving the kitchen a more updated look.

You might want to think about using a reactive product on the hardware. There are lots of really cool products that will make them look like they've rusted or patina'ed. Painted and glazed looks can be great for cabinets and islands. Lighter cabinets with a darker island or vise versa.

thefauxguy
http://www.fauxagoodtime.com

She also finished the laminate job on the island.

She did a good job, and the translucent orange and turquoise is a nice combination. Now all she needs to do is ditch the ratty little rug (seriously, is it THAT painful to stand at the sink?) and get a more stylish artwork to go over the stove (something in whites and turquoises to lift the colours higher).

eghelms pretty much said it. i think painting floors or countertops deserves a post...but woodfiller and new pulls? (or were the doors replaced altogether?) an inexpensive or home-spun back splash (i.e., a thin piece of stainless steel pasted on would look great with orange and blue) and a great coordinating runner might take this ok kitchen and turn it into cute. and the knobs have nothing to anchor them color-wise, making the first ones look better. even a matching blue runner (or gel mat) would bring the color scheme together a little more nicely. or splurge for some shiny ikea track lighting?

Turning on the light really makes everything pop.

I thought all she did was turn the light on! Ha!

I love the new knobs, and definitely noticed a difference between the two pictures (though it took some concentration to figure out why they were different). I like that the changes were so subtle it took some effort to pick them out- it gives me hope that small inexpensive changes could make an impact in kitchen because any true renovation is years away...

i'd paint the walls a fresher colour

I couldn't even tell the difference until I read it... the island looks better but the hardware is a little different, looks cheaper to me. The reason the first picture doesn't look as good is because she doesn't have any lights on, it doesn't even look like the cabinets needed to be painted. I don't know why this even got posted on here, she changed like 2 things. This kitchen was already cute to begin with, the make over didn't really change that.

So I just noticed that AT posted my kitchen, and I thought I would add to the discussion.

-There is more light in the room. One thing that is not pictured (and I need to add it to flickr) is the new light fixture on the other side of the island (over my kitchen table). It's a mid-century light fixture that I scored on Craigslist for $10 and that my dad wired and hung for me.

-There was an inlay on the doors that I ripped off and sanded everything down, filling in a few gouges with wood putty.

- The cabinets went from a yellowing beige to bright white (Behr Ultra Bright White), which actually made a huge difference in how much light is reflected in the room. Something this room needed since it faces west, doesn't get much sun at any time of the day and by necessity, the fridge covers half of one window.

-The island is a Drexel Heritage piece with a marble top that I picked up cheap from a hotel surplus store in Atlanta. We added some height and casters. Because it previously held a fridge, the back also had to be replaced and I painted the whole thing black.

-The rest of the trim still needs to be painted, I realize. If you compare the painted cabinets to the trim around the pantry door, you can see the difference in the before and after (the trim was the same color as the cabinets).

-The knobs I picked up at an antique store, but I also later found more online - http://www.lookintheattic.com/gk114mb.html and http://www.lookintheattic.com/gp3mb.html.

- The art above the vent actually goes better than you realize, given that there is a big shiny spot on it. It's also simply a cheap poster in a plastic frame that doesn't matter if it is ruined by smoke or what have you.

-Doing something with my countertops, replacing the floors and creating a better backsplash are on my mind, but this was about making positive changes simply. I think my total spent was under $100 for paint, pulls and hinges.