Before & After: Lisa & Brian’s Brooklyn Kitchen Transformation

Yikes. That’s what I thought when I saw the ‘before’ version of Lisa and Brian’s Brooklyn kitchen. Old cabinets covered in so many layers of paint the doors would no longer close, peeling vinyl flooring, ancient wood-grain (!) laminate countertops — this kitchen had it all. And not in a good way. Oh, and also the oven didn’t work. It was time for a change.

Homeowners Lisa and Brian, after having lived with this delight for eight years, finally took the plunge and decided on a full gut renovation. They turned to Nick Dillon of Nick Knacks Creative Interiors, who they found through Sweeten, an online resource that connects New York-area homeowners with designers, architects, and contractors.

Lisa, who describes her style as “a mix of mid-century modern and contemporary,” wanted a kitchen that was modern but not ultra-modern. New high-gloss white IKEA Akrum cabinets make the small kitchen feel clean and fresh. (Lisa and Brian thought about saving the existing cabinets, but in the end decided against it because there was no way to cut the cabinets down to fit the new design plan — and “stripping all that paint off would have been a nightmare”.) Nick built a custom cover for the radiator under the window, which can be removed for servicing.

The long, narrow glass mosaic tile backsplash adds to the light, airy feeling, while a dark porcelain tile floor grounds the space. Lisa picked navy for the kitchen’s back wall because the dark color makes the wall seem to recede, creating the illusion of a larger space.

And the new oven actually works! Lisa and Brian couldn’t be happier to have a functional (and beautiful) kitchen.

To read more about the renovation, and see a list of sources, visit the project page on Sweeten.

Re-edited from a post originally published 4.10.14-NT