Before & After: Derek & Jennifer’s Subtle Kitchen Upgrade

published May 23, 2011

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A little over a year ago I shared with you the house tour of Derek & Jennifer’s Dashing Digs. It’s an homage to mid-century furniture that they found on craigslist and got amazing deals on. Even though their apartment is fancy and quintessential city dwelling; they’re actually very budget conscious, which is why their subtle budget friendly kitchen renovation is inspiring.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Spread out over a five month period, Derek and Jennifer carefully analyzed what they could afford to replace in their tight budget. First and foremost they knew they needed to replace their white outdated appliances, the most expensive items. Slowly but surely they managed to replace the refrigerator, dishwasher and stove. The new stainless steel appliances definitely give the kitchen an updated and modern look and compliment the original stainless steel backsplash really well.

The cabinets were original to the apartment and while they didn’t mind the slightly vintage feel of them at first, they knew it was time to make a change. They replaced all of the cabinet doors with new ones and painted the tops matte white and treated the lower doors with a dark ebony stain. The original countertops were laminate and to keep within their tight budget they opted for acrylic! The finished result is certainly subtle but none the less impactful and definitely budget friendly!

Images: 1. Kristen Lubbe, 2. Derek Miller