Before & After: A Williamsburg Kitchen Turns Around

Shopping for real estate in New York can be a bit heartbreaking. Corey found this out the hard way when he and his partner put in an offer on their dream apartment, only to be completely outbid. They wound up instead with a perfectly decent Williamsburg two-bedroom, with lots of space and beautiful views. But the good-enough apartment lacked character, and they couldn’t stop thinking about the one that got away.

They decided that a renovation was in order, and chose to focus on the part of the apartment where they’d get the most impact for the money spent: the kitchen. The apartment’s old kitchen, besides being a little cookie-cutter, was small, cramped, and lacked storage space. Corey envisioned a more open kitchen, one with a little more character and a lot more space.

Inspired by the neighborhood’s history, Corey wanted to create a kitchen that was industrial without being too rustic. The new kitchen has a kind of beautiful severity, thanks to dark cabinets and countertops and minimal detailing.

But the changes aren’t just aesthetic — whereas the old kitchen was a cramped ‘C’ shape (you can see it on the floorplan here), the new kitchen opens up into an ‘L’ shape, which allows for a lot more counter space, more room to move around, and a spot for a dining table right in the middle of the room.

The cabinets are IKEA cabinet bases with custom doors, painted light grey on the bottom, and a contrasting darker grey on top. One of Corey’s favorite parts of the new kitchen is the soapstone counter — and the integral soapstone sink.

During the remodel, the sink was moved to position it in front of the window, which makes for a pretty fantastic view while washing the dishes.

Open shelves made from reclaimed wood, with lighting underneath, add just the right subtly rustic touch.

Corey found the design-build firm that he worked with on the project through Sweeten, an online resource that connects New York-area homeowners with architects, designers and contractors. You can read more about the kitchen remodel, see more photos, and find sources on the Sweeten blog.