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House Call: Sharon's Gallery Kitchen Renovated
Los Angeles

We love revisiting spaces when they've been updated. Apartment Therapy reader/house tour participant Sharon Suh (see Sharon's Home Gallery) contacted us today about her most recent condo kitchen renovation which transformed a common narrow space into a modern medley of dark stained wood floors, white cabinetry and green highlights throughout (she's actually planning to move to New York soon, so if you're looking for a 1 year rental in the WeHo area, this may be your lucky day)...
 
 

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Comments (26)

Spectacular! Can anyone tell the cost of the renovation, and any sources of the materials?

posted by AMLitt on May 20th 2009 at 8:43pm
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In the previous apt tour post that this post links to, several people asked Sharon the artist/source for the photograph of the bright blue car located in the dining room. Can someone PLEASE share the artsist?

(Apt Therapy Pet Peeve: when people who post a tour don't answer everyone's source questions AND when they don't post paint colors. C'mon!)

Thanks!

posted by SadieDB on May 20th 2009 at 9:00pm
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I am crossing my fingers that this is all IKEA, because it's exactly what I want to do in mine.

posted by sally305 on May 20th 2009 at 9:06pm
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I am certain that it is all IKEA....the cabinets (which come in other vibrant colors), Butcher block countertops, the knife holder, the soap holder, etc.

posted by mrsvioletleigh on May 20th 2009 at 9:17pm
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I have to say that a big part of me regrets not going with glossy white cabs and a wood counter from ikea. (I went with nexus birch cabs).

Initially, I wasn't sold on this look, but now I love it whenever I see it.

And this kitchen that's featured in this post is just simply stunning!

posted by david @ justveggingout.com on May 20th 2009 at 9:17pm
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Should the title not read "galley kitchen" and not "gallery kitchen?"

posted by jac76 on May 20th 2009 at 9:30pm
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I think the kitchen cabinets, etc are from IKEA

posted by ciswit on May 20th 2009 at 9:39pm
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I assumed "gallery kitchen" was a play on words: a galley kitchen that's a work of art.

Huge huge improvement, love the white, love the streamlined look. Too bad the refrigerator pokes out like that, but refrigerator designers have no idea what they are doing, and in every lovely kitchen the refrigerator is always the absolute worst element. Counter-depth refrigerators should be the standard, what is with the people who design fridges?

posted by MansardRoof on May 20th 2009 at 9:40pm
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I guess my only suggestion would be to remove the soffits over the upper cabinets. Would add quite a bit of storage to have cabinets go to the ceiling, or just leave it open to make the space feel bigger. Looks nice, good job.

posted by wightman on May 20th 2009 at 10:01pm
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I agree wightman but it looks like the oven side soffit is HVAC. and judging by the photos it is quite possible the sink side is structural.

posted by funstraw on May 21st 2009 at 6:47am
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Only now that I look at this again do I notice the stainless fridge and the black dishwasher/oven. My appliances are white in my current kitchen and I was thinking of keeping everything white if I go in this direction. The walls are tiled white to the ceiling and there's a white exhaust hood over the stove. But I don't dislike how she's done it here.

I would love other people's opinions on this!

posted by sally305 on May 21st 2009 at 6:57am
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What a transformation; it hardly looks like the same space even. The light tiles really give the space a new airiness, even with the soffets still in place (likely HVAC as others have said in an apartment like this).

@sally305: it looks like the dishwasher and stove are stainless as well; I think the light in some of the photos just makes them look black (and of course part of most stainless stoves and dishwashers are usually black as well).

posted by michpc on May 21st 2009 at 8:31am
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Nice job! Someone's spent some time at the Viceroy ; )

posted by jacksonlalonde on May 21st 2009 at 9:08am
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badass!

posted by liam. on May 21st 2009 at 9:35am
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i have been wanting to redo my kitchen, starting with the faucet. and the faucet here is quite striking. what are the details? who made it, what model, etc... i would love to know!

posted by erinalter on May 21st 2009 at 9:47am
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Great kitchen. I am in the middle of doing my kitchen and its going to look a lot like this, or i should say I would like it to look a lot like this, but I'm a little concern about having a wood counter top. Has anyone here used them, especially the ikea ones?

posted by Jose A on May 21st 2009 at 9:54am
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Hello,
Its Sharon. Sorry I didn't respond...I didn't even know they posted the kitchen, I must have missed the email they sent me.
So, the kitchen is ikea. I spent about $9000 on the kitchen but that was with super frugal spending. All appliances were purchased after looking on GOod Housekeepings list of great appliances so that I know that it would be a good product. I waited till Jan to purchase the appliances cause everything was on sale. The cabinets are the cheap ones they have there, not the expensive glossy ones. I think its called APPLAD. They were alot cheaper and you can't tell the difference if you are on a budget. The countertops were 60% less expensive than the granite or the other chic surface they have at IKEA. I think these two slabs cost me about $600. The surface is actually tile that resembles wood but its a tile. $2.79 a square foot. Its porcelain.

WOod countertops...we will see how they hold up but for the price, if I change my mind in two years, it will be an inexpensive way to get a new kitchen going.

Dishwasher...I was on a budget guys. Not all of us have a ton of money in the bank. I got that one on Craigslist for $200. Its a Whirlpool.

All appliances are stainless steel except for the new frig which is a lookalike stainless steel. Its easier to keep clean and YOU CANNOT TELL that its not stainless Steel. ITs an LG and its the cheaper one. I got that for $999 onsale.

I don't have my file with me but I will look up the name if anyone needs it...I am moving to NY and packing. I need to find a renter too!

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 12:39pm
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One last thing about the wood countertops...you cannot have a Undermount sink. This broke my heart, and after going onto OVERSTOCK.COM and finding a gorgeous one, I had to return it when my boyfriend Lucas figured out it was not good for the hard wood around the sink area. I guess the moisture rots the wood and then its all down hill.
ALso, I think the only thing I am going to do is paint the top part of the kitchen a grey, and also, I have to put in a wine refrigerator which i am waiting till its goes on sale, and then the back area next to the refrig is going to be a stacked washer and dryer.

ALSO, I agree with the comment above about the eyesore refrig. But it was a either a $999 eyesore, or a $2400 counter depth. My budget made me think with my head and not my heart.

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 12:50pm
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Artist of the cuba shot...Sorry to the guy that seems annoyed above. I will try and find it but it was a gift and I am trying to get the name of the artist. Marc LEUCUILL or something like that. He lives in LA and he is polish but my friend who gave it to me is not answering my emails since she has three kids.

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 12:54pm
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CORRECTION...last comment.
THe FLOOR is TILE, not the surface. THe Floor is not wood, its porcelain but everyone thinks its wood from a distance and in photos, it looks like it. I LOVE IT.

sharon suh

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 12:56pm
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Overall it looks much better - but it seems that the old cabinets were in decent condition and had more drawers than the new cabinets...

I gotta wonder if the old ones had been painted/reused and new hardware, tile, lighting, etc that a similar effect could have been achieved for lots less $$$.

posted by bepsf on May 21st 2009 at 12:58pm
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Hey BEPSF,
The kitchen was in aweful shape.
I considered keeping the cabinets and painting them...but they were laminate and so it was just a bigger project that way. Also, the floors were laminate too and it was just a 70's kitchen. It needed a redesign.

I was going for alot of storage which I think I have, a lower cabinet door soley for the recyling trash and the reg trash, and i wanted two or three cooks to be able to cook at the same time. Those were my goals.

I wish I did Ikea justice by photographing all of the drawers, and the storage space I have with their designs. Its amazing what they have there.

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 1:26pm
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Here is the info for the kitchen stuff at IKEA. I found my reciepts. ALso, they delivered everything for a small charge. I think it was $75...I think.
IKEA
Applad white shelfs
Rubrik green cabinets (they come in grey and red too)
Boholmen sink...best option for wood counterop and its a new design from this year
CHEAP tiles-Italgres italian ceramic tile in Anaheim
1531 South STate College blvd. 92806 ask for AL 714 634-2017.

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 1:38pm
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erinalter ,
the faucet is from OVERSTOCK. It a knock of of a fancy fancy brand, but its amazing and i love it. i think I paid about $200 for it.

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 2:00pm
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Appliances-all of the applicance are stainless steel except the refrigerator which is a faux stainless.
The photos make it look black

posted by citygirlshops on May 21st 2009 at 2:01pm
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citygirlshops, I totally understand what you mean when you talk about the kitchen needing a rehaul, though from a picture things might seem reusable or fine. My kitchen looks okay under the surface, but after having lived through many owners before us (5 or 6), there is much damage that I have tried to cover up behind paint, artwork, and closed cabinet doors (water and rodent damage - yech!). The cabinet doors also had heavy damage/gouges that my husband just filled in with wood filler, but they aren't in great shape. I am currently budgeting to save for a kitchen redo and hope to have results like yours!

posted by jgphotomom on May 22nd 2009 at 9:28am
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