Before and After: This Kitchen Was Renovated for Resale

Written by

Tess Wilson
Tess Wilson
After many happy years living in tiny apartments in big cities, Tess has found herself in a little house on the prairie. For real.
published Apr 22, 2018
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If you were to renovate your kitchen in an attempt to increase the resale value of your home, what would you do? For once, this renovation didn’t involve painting or replacing the perfectly fine cabinets. Instead, the homeowner swapped in contemporary finishes, upgraded the appliances, and brightened up the whole room.

Three major improvements jump out at me: the herringbone slate floor, the wood countertops, and the stainless steel dishwasher. Oh, and of course that dreamy sink! The new chairs work so well with the pale wood countertops, and the petite wood-and-marble cake stand holding the dish soap is coordinated, practical, and delightful. Jessica of Oh, I Design is responsible for this makeover:

A few things we wanted to achieve was to find a way to make the kitchen feel more open, cohesive, and updated for when we decided to resell.

It looks like all design goals were met, as the home is already sold! I would be sad to have such a short time with that sink and the gleaming appliances, but perhaps Jessica is moving on to bigger and brighter sinks.

Replacing just the small set of cabinets was a smart move; Jessica was able to add the personality of open shelving, without sacrificing very much storage. The new shelves just look fresher than the mini cupboards did.

Perhaps it’s just me, but large floor tiles like these always seem to clash with the other lines in a kitchen. Smaller tiles read as a pattern, while big ones just read as LINES.

This photo reveals what a difference it makes to paint the bottom panel under the drawers—it looks so much more finished now. I really liked the old stove, but this one is gorgeous! Jessica, aren’t you going to miss this beauty?!? The new microwave is also an improvement, with a metal trim that unifies it with the stove and dishwasher. The stainless steel looks amazing with that slate; according to the Oh I Design reveal post, it apparently has a subtle green cast, which sounds amazing. Meanwhile, the new black handles and knobs tie together the black appliance windows, and shelf brackets.

Thank you, Jessica and Oh, I Design!