Before and After: A Renter-Friendly Kitchen Redo Packs Big Style into 85 Square Feet
Some all-white kitchens are incredibly stylish, but some, especially builder-grade ones that have the landlord special, are more boring than soothing and chic. Los Angeles-based renter Daniella Caruso’s (@casajanara) kitchen was unfortunately in the latter camp when she moved in.
“This apartment is from the 1950s, and it has some of the original features and charm that I love, like my dusty rose bathtub and matching sink/toilet and this amazing antique Wedgewood-Holly stove,” Daniella says. “Overall, though, when I moved in, it was very much a plain white box.”
As Daniella puts it, “Sometimes white walls work, but in this case the space felt very bland and washed out.” Because she’s a renter and didn’t want to do any major demo, her upgrades to her 85-square-foot kitchen are totally reversible, and they take the kitchen from plain white to packed with style.
The ’50s cabinets got a contemporary paint job.
“The biggest change was definitely the paint color used on the cabinets,” Daniella says of her kitchen makeover. “Paint goes a long way.” She selected a teal-gray (Farrow & Ball’s De Nimes) for the cabinets. “It’s already a small space with limited natural light, so I was a bit worried the paint colors would make it feel closed off and dark, but it feels very warm and cozy,” Daniella says.
An easy paint project on the cabinets underneath the sink is especially cozy. “I created a stencil and painted a pattern onto the lower cabinets underneath a sink as a nod to the 1950s era, and I really love the added charm,” Daniella says.
In addition, Daniella painted the ceiling medallions and the ceiling itself. The former is Farrow & Ball’s Red Earth, and the latter is a custom mix from The Home Depot. Farrow & Ball paint is amazing but also very expensive,” Daniella says. “I color-matched the Light Blue at The Home Depot and saved a lot of money that way.” (A good budget-friendly painting tip — especially for anyone who might someday move from their apartment.)
An IKEA island’s $35 DIY addition is totally cottagecore.
Daniella’s kitchen is a mix of old and new. Her art and candleholders, for example, are all vintage, found at antique malls and estate sales. “To me, adding vintage elements is essential in making a house feel like a home.”
But she does have some newer elements, like an IKEA FÖRHÖJA that she dressed up a bit with a striped skirt to conceal the microwave and other tabletop appliances.
“I was hoping to find a curtain I liked online to hide the storage, but I didn’t find one that spoke to me, and many of them were more money than I wanted to spend,” Daniella says. “I ended up going to a local discount fabric store, finding a pattern I liked, and making my own using adhesive strips, as I don’t know how to sew. All in all, I spent about $35 on a feature that makes a big difference.”
Daniella says the fabric adds “a little ’50s country cottage vibe.”
New light fixtures add style, and under-cabinet lighting adds function.
Swapping the old wirey flushmounts for classic frosted globes with brushed brass hardware (especially in combo with the coral-colored ceiling medallions), added major style, but it was a major undertaking — a DIY “first” for Daniella.
“I used to sell vintage home decor and had taught myself to rewire lamps from YouTube tutorials, so I was halfway there in my skillset, but electrical projects freak me out, so I was hesitant to mess with a hardwired fixture,” Daniella says. “I called my parents to say goodbye in case I died. Happy to say I did not die. I made sure the breaker was turned off, and everything went fine.”
One other upgrade Daniella made was adding lighting under her cabinets. “Under-cabinet lighting will change your world,” she says.
Two more DIY additions? Peel-and-stick wallpaper and flooring.
Daniella says adding the new tiger and peacock-printed wallpaper was another challenge. “I’m sure peel-and-stick is much easier than the real deal, but matching up patterned wallpaper is a task I’d reserve for hell,” she jokes.
Her flooring, also a DIY peel-and-stick job, went smoother, and she says it’s a major upgrade from the floor before, which “was a really warm beige color and … made the space feel very drab and dated.”
“Putting down the flooring was surprisingly zen,” Daniella says. “It didn’t match up perfectly, and to be honest nothing really does when you do it yourself, but as long as you’re OK with imperfections you can accomplish quite a lot with limited resources.”
In conclusion, renter-friendly changes are often worth it.
Daniella’s main takeaway from her kitchen project is the following: ”If your budget is tight, you can make small changes that will make a big difference,” she says. “It’s incredibly empowering to do it yourself.”
“I love making my house feel like a home, regardless if I’m just renting and might only be there a short time,” Daniella says.
The only pro help Daniella enlisted for her kitchen redo was asking a plumber to install a new faucet, and she says if she owned the place, she might consider changing the backsplash and countertop, too, but for now, she’s most proud of the way all of her design elements came together.
“Mostly I learned that I can still surprise even myself with what I am able [to] put together from a single idea,” Daniella says. “I started with ‘blue kitchen’ and ended up with a layered, finished product that I’m really proud of. Very cool to see something through from start to finish.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.