Before & After: From “Grimy” to Glamorous
Aubrey brings up the very important (and totally technical) design concept of finding the right vibes in your space. Sure, you could make some smart upgrades that would save on labor and make the space more aesthetically pleasing, but sometimes when the space just isn’t right you have to commit to a big ol’ project.
From Aubrey: I would love to share my story of our newly remodeled kitchen. It all began with the house hunt… It took us nine months to find the perfect starter home for our growing little family. As an interior designer, I am very picky when it comes to my own home and interiors and with this being our first home my goal was to see past the dated interior paint colors, chipped tile flooring, and stuffy cabinets and foresee a beautiful.
The kitchen had grimy old 12×12 floor tiles, dated oak cabinets and one measly light in the middle of the room. The working kitchen triangle was nowhere to be found. We toyed with the idea of possibly removing the floor, adding new lighting and just painting the existing cabinets, but the layout was killing the vibe I wanted for the kitchen. At the time we bought the home I was anxious to get moved in (I was in my nesting stage of the pregnancy) but the more I day-dreamed about the kitchen and how hideously crammed it was, the more I played with the idea of completely gutting it all. I remember sitting in church and sketching up different kitchen layouts, when I drew up a galley style kitchen that seemed to work with the odd shaped room. My husband loved it, and that week we decided to do a full kitchen remodel.
As with most remodels we came across hidden challenges and money pits in the process, such as old plaster walls crumbling and holes in the floor. I will never forget my husband coming home at two in the morning covered from head to toe in 100-year-old plaster dust. I loved coming up every week and watching our new kitchen come to life. From the laying of herringbone marble tile floor, to the building of the cabinetry, and installing the new electrical, my husband’s savvy skills and my design eye made for a perfect collaboration. While we saved thousands by him doing the majority of the labor, we couldn’t have finished our kitchen with out the help of many others both family and friends, this was a true collaboration of labor and love.
Thank you, Aubrey!