Before & After: An ’80s Kitchen is Finally Market-Ready

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(Image credit: Rosanna of Eggshell Home)

Rosanna was about to put her condo on the market and knew she would have a much better go of it if she updated her kitchen. After a few contractor related stops and starts, she now has a kitchen that is modern, sleek and much more open.

From Rosanna: This was the original kitchen for this condo built in the 1980s. It felt small, dark and cramped. It came with yellowed cabinets, linoleum floors, and tiled counters.

We were going to be putting this condo on the market for sale so we wanted to completely renovate it to bring it into this decade and give it fresh appeal.

The process from start to finish, including design, took 3-4 months because we did have a few contractor issues that required some do overs. But this included renovating other areas of the condo like the bathroom, painting the entire place and replacing all the floors. We had a couple other setbacks, like the refrigerator we ordered wouldn’t quite fit the cabinetry, so we had to re-order a size down and the dishwasher couldn’t be installed when delivered because we were missing a piece of plumbing. We eventually got all of these things fixed but it took a second try!

(Image credit: Nicole Ho )
(Image credit: Nicole Ho )

What I love about the new design is that it looks so much bigger and open to the living and dining areas. I accomplished this by taking down the set of cabinets hanging over the sink. There also used to be an odd half wall that closed in the kitchen and made the peninsula not very functional. So we took that down and did just one extra large peninsula where the sink is. I think it’s bigger than most peninsulas and islands in houses, never mind a one bedroom condo. I also replaced the microwave range hood with a wall mounted chimney hood and ran the tile backsplash to the ceiling, which makes it look more high end than just an apartment or condo. I think these features will be great selling points!

(Image credit: Nicole Ho )
(Image credit: Nicole Ho )

Rosanna’s words of wisdom: We had some issues with the quality of work from one of our contractors so I would recommend vetting and choosing contractors carefully. Don’t go with the least expensive option and check references and experience. Also, measure and measure again!

Thank you, Rosanna! You can see more on Rosanna’s blog Eggshell Home.