This Tiny Kitchen’s Makeover Has the Coolest DIY Pot Rack

There’s something special about a kitchen with historic elements — it can be extremely charming. But if it doesn’t match the vibe of the rest of the home, you might try to bridge the gap. For example, blogger Camilla Fabbri’s (@familychic) Colonial-style Evanston, Illinois, home is originally from the 1920s, but she found receipts from when the kitchen was last updated — in 1956. 

“We wanted the kitchen to visually flow better with the rest of the home, and we felt we could make it more efficient and up-to-date at the same time,” Camilla says. Originally it didn’t have a dishwasher so they got a rollaway option they used for four years, but wanted a more permanent fixture.

Because the galley kitchen was on the smaller side, Camilla wanted to make sure it felt as bright and cheerful as possible. She pulled together a vision moodboard of magazine photos and Pinterest pins to develop the theme. 

“I was drawn to a simple, classic, and subtle nautical look,” Camilla says. “I wanted to restore the space instead of gutting it — so we had the cabinets professionally painted and the floor restored to the original hardwood. It was pretty easy once I had my colors picked; everything settled into place.” 

Camilla hired Bogdan, a skilled craftsman, to take on the makeover. He took Camilla’s vision and turned it into a reality — especially painting the upper cabinets with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White and the lower with Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue. The backsplash from The Home Depot adds warmth to the space, too, along with the white quartz countertops from Cambria. 

While Bogdan did most of the work in the kitchen, Camilla took on one DIY project. When a dishwasher was finally installed (yay!), it meant losing a cabinet. However, not wanting to sacrifice storage, Camilla built a pot rack using pipe parts from The Home Depot. She screwed the threaded parts together and installed it above the sink to add storage. Everything hangs with S-hooks. 

The kitchen makeover took around three weeks to complete and cost Camilla around $6,000. The special details, like thrifted pieces and items passed down from family members, are what make this room feel especially unique. “It feels uplifting and pretty, it functions well — it makes me feel good to be in it,” she explains. To see more of Camilla’s wonderful home, visit the full house tour on Apartment Therapy.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Before & After: Stunning Two-Toned Cabinets Breathe Life into This ’50s Kitchen (So “Nautical”!)