apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The before didn't look all that bad to me - all they really needed to do was declutter, paint, change some fixtures and turn the lights on...

The before was very messy. Some cleanup would have helped. The after is very nice, though, but not overdone. And, it's all neat and pulled together.

Yes, wouldn't it be greener not to remodel a perfectly serviceable kitchen?

After all, the most environmentally friendly remodel is no remodel at all.

I liked the before better. It just needed some updating.

Oh my goodness, the comments on this site are getting so old! Everyone tends to be so negative and pretentious. The remodel is beautiful! So what if they remodel? MrCranky...no kidding! And I mean the name, not the comment.

This is a good remodel to feature here. The before picture is a very typical kitchen in older homes across the country, and the remodel is done in a restrained and sensible manner (very attractive, as well). I would love to know the budget on this. Nice finishes, but not posh. Not so modern, either, that it would clash with an older home. Love it.

To previous comments: True the before doesn't look bad, but how does it function. The new setup has much more counter space.

It's a little hard for me to figure out what went where in the pictures, but it looks like a delightful kitchen. Bright and airy and emphasize the windows.

I bet those HUGE drawers are wonderful for kitchen storage as well. Look at those things! You could fit two turkey roasters in one of 'em!

I think it is pretentious to put a vase of flowers to hide the outlet and to set a table that way- big bowl of fruit in the center and no utensils.. ok not really being serious because they want the photos to look good.

But I think the overall decoration is pretentious, who puts a pressed coffee maker on the top shelf ok if you rarely drink coffee. Not loving the hood vent looks very Seattle public art like- sorry Washington! The marble used over those cabinets is wrong, and since when is marble "green" unless it is from a salvage yard.

I like to pick a part as many of us frustrated full of potential with no money people like to do..we get to do it here.

Seriously, can we just retire all use of the word green not relating to the colour spectrum? While I certainly appreciate our need to stop using the environment like a dixie disposable picnic plate and am actually interested in learning about hints, tips and products that are more responsible and safer for my health, I am so bloody sick and tired of everything being labeled green this and green that for being even slightly less toxic than its cousin the status quo, and I'm even more tired of then having to listen to (or read) the inevitable smug "I'm-greener-than-you-and-I-weave-my-own-clothes-out-of-recycled-thistles-and-dandelions-discarded-by-the-city-when-they-mow-the-freeway-greenway-medians-in-the-summer" comments about how whatever it is is being called green, can't be green because it did not spring up from the Earth in that very spot and thus has an unimaginable carbon footprint.

I think the floor plan of the after is a big improvement and makes a much nicer space to work in because it makes better use of natural light. Those two windows near the table in the before picture are too high to be enjoyed while seated, but they offer wonderful light and views for anyone standing and working in the kitchen area. The more enjoyable a house is the more care and upkeep it will be given over the years making it last longer.

Haha bonjourmiette, true that.

Where's the fridge?

I think this is a nice new kitchen (lack of fridge notwithstanding..). But applying the word "green" to a most likely unnecessary gut remodel is pretty annoying. It's like buying a new Prius when your old Corolla runs just fine.

Sorry bonjourmiette its not going away.

I think your comment-I'm-greener-than-you-and-I-weave-my-own-clothes-out-of-recycled-thistles-and-dandelions-discarded-by-the-city-when-they-mow-the-freeway-greenway-medians-in-the-summer"
Was pretty funny!
But I find the rest of your post naive.

We have to keep pushing and not keep using the same toxic, rape the land, exploit workers products and materials the more we push for better materials the manufactures will change or simply reuse and recycle the materials available.

Educate yourself the best way you can to make a changes that works for you.
There is a lot of greenwashing but dig deep for we have the internet do the research and to think about what we are purchasing.

What a wonderful job you did!!! And you did it in a green way. Just wonderful. So inspirational.

I don't think it's naive at all, I'm not suggesting that AT or any site cease publishing tips, products, and ways that we can live a more environmentally sustainable and healthy way, or that any of us should just ignore making changes to live better. You can certainly give great ideas that make a lot of sense to everyone and are environmentally friendly without positioning it as "OMG Al Gore personally told me that he approves the totally, utterly, world-changingly green way of not washing bath towels until they are actually dirty instead of after one shower and if you don't you are killing us all"

People get tired of trends, and the more environmentally responsible things get shoved into a fad pigeon-hole rather than just becoming common sense and norm, the less likely they are to be adopted as something that sticks once the "mainstream" has found the next shiny object to be obsessed with.

I would have liked to have seen the original vs. new floor plan. It was hard to see where things were moved because the new photos were not taken from the same angle as the old photos...were they? It was hard to tell.

Where are the cabinets from?

thanks

My big prediction for this year is that white marble is going to be for 2009 what 'Keep Calm & Carry On' posters were for 2008.

Which is a shame, because it's rather nice.

Are you sure that's marble, Blandwagon? It has an awful lot of veins and speckles for Carerra. There is a white granite that has those grey and black swirls in it.

But I agree that Carerra has been overused. And it's very fragile for a countertop.

I agree with your comments, bonjourmiette. It kills me to read about "green" houses in Dwell Magazine, when they are made of very non-green concrete and steel, and are vacation homes for the multi-housed. And especially when they contain a monster Subzero fridge and multi-jet showers with rainfall showerheads. So everyone go and offset your carbon footprints quietly, and in private. ANd leave the rest of us to follow our own paths.

I'm impressed that they moved the sink over to where the old table was. By the by, no round tables against walls. Just don't.

Ironic: so much of the greening of the kitchen involved getting rid of those awful plants.

Those base cabinets look like kitchen heaven.

I have to say, green or not, I find the new kitchen ugly. I mean, warm orange wall with a cold granite/marble/faux what-have-you countertop and those ugly see-through plastic shelves? Yuck. And the exhaust vent looks ridiculous there. It is a small kitchen, however you MacGyver it...they should have just worked with what they had and not try to dress it like it's a warehouse conversion (which clearly it is not).

I love it! That orange is beautiful, and those windows are the perfect place for the sink. Great job!

I liked the old kitchen...

The change is a wonderful improvement. Not sure what all the green elements of the design are (? what makes it green?), but the increased sense of natural light must cut down on energy use!

There are 2 things which irritate me about the design though: the pendant lights hanging right in front of the stove extractor fan, and the placing of the microwave. Both seem awkwardly placed.

the new kitchen seems fine, as does the old one- its amazing what proper lighting of a shot can do!
i hope the owners like it, and i appreciate that maybe it is greener than a typical kitchen gut-remodel, but there is no need to title this green unless you are going to explain what is so green about it, otherwise you are just going to get criticized.

Similarly, saying this kitchen is non-faddish and approachable for "normal" folks is hard to swallow unless you explain how- the pictures arent adequately explaining it.

i love it but yes the old kitchen also had potential.

"Green" in 2008 is the "Organic" of 2000. It is bandied about because it is an attractive concept, but the definition of the word is entirely subjective and debatable.

I'm glad they're making better use out of those lovely windows.

I looked at Synergy's Web site and found their definition of their "greenness":

"We practice sustainability in design, we are thinking local, durable, healthy for all, fair trade and over all good design. This approach certainly is so much better in this day and age; in fact this is the way to avoiding chaos."

Kinda vague. But they have a good Web site, with a clear explanation of the design and remodeling process. I wish I'd hired someone that professional for my kitchen remodel. I had a couple of dumb guys who made me do all of their problem solving (and absorb the costs of their mistakes). My ability to trust people has plummeted post remodel.

I liked the before a lot.
The redo is lovely, but I guess I'm a purist.
I'm restoring my 1950's kitchen to its original glory, and INSTALLING a rounded countertop/shelves like those pictured.

I've been wavering back and forth between painting my kitchen green or orange. I love orange but didn't find the right shade until now! I love the orange wall color, it seems rich and cozy and not too bright. Can you please tell me what the color is called? I also like your renovations; it's clean, contemporary and cozy. Great job.