Before & After: Good Golly This Galley Got Gorgeous
Erika’s kitchen was dark, drab and crowded. Even though she couldn’t make any major changes to the layout, she was able to give the kitchen a bright and stylish new look that created the sense of oodles more space.
From Erika: The original kitchen of our 1950s split level house in the Oakland Hills was remodeled by the previous owner to simply sell the house. She installed very dark cabinets, basic granite tops with 4″ backsplash, ugly 8×8 white flooring tile and chrome hardware. Since this is a galley kitchen, we wanted to create more light in the kitchen. We couldn’t move any walls so our best solution was to lighten the finishes.
The kitchen looked dark and it just lacked character. Not to mention that we absolutely hated the floors! After six years with that kitchen, we decided to remodel.
I was referred to a great contractor and we just clicked. So I knew it was time to get the kitchen of my dreams. Before we started, I had selected pretty much every finish to avoid any delays. I ordered all the long lead items before demolishing the kitchen to minimize the time without a kitchen. We completed the kitchen in six weeks for about $45,000.
The only setback we encountered was the sink. The day the sink was supposed to arrive, the supplier called to say that the sink was lost! With only one week to find a replacement, I had to switch the finish (from white to stainless steel) and ordered it from Amazon. I got a new sink in two days! The sink looked great and there were no delays.
The kitchen was designed around the gorgeous cement tile! It was the inspiration for the two toned cabinets. This color combination brings the whole space together. Also my passion for Paris inspired the “French bistro” look. The brass hardware brings a bit of Art Deco to the space that I simply love! I really wouldn’t change a thing.
Words of advice: Be ready for setbacks and embrace them as opportunities to surprise yourself! There is always a good second choice that will fit your schedule and budget.
Thank you, Erika!