Kitchen Home Projects

Before: The kitchen, although graced with beautiful large windows, left a little something to be desired. After: A new kitchen from the studs inward, including a new Kohler sink and industrial task lighting above the windows for more functionality.From Andi: Possibly the most luxurious thing is the increased square footage (we went from 95 to 170 square feet).

For all of us who have been following along with Claire and Jeffrey’s renovation, the ultimate moment has finally arrived. That’s right — the kitchen is finally complete, and it’s time for the big reveal. Before: The space viewed from the living room entry. After: Now, the kitchen is wide open, with an uninterrupted view of the window to the backyard.From Claire:We spend all of our free time in this room.

One of the most important kitchen design decisions you’ll make, both for looks and functionality, is the layout. You have a few options—the tried and true U shape, or the elegant and functional galley shape. But if you love entertaining, and love the look of an open kitchen, there’s another kind of kitchen layout that’s worth a look: the L shape. An L-shaped kitchen has just two runs of cabinetry, arranged at right angles to each other. (The name pretty much says it all.

New year, new kitchen.

They may be some of the smallest details in a kitchen, but a change (or addition) of cabinet hardware can totally update a room’s entire look. Available in a disorienting array of finishes, shapes, sizes and materials, the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing what to adorn your cabinet doors and drawers with. But perhaps you’re not entirely convinced that a few knobs can make a big visual difference in a kitchen? Check out the Photoshopped images below.

This is what Tara’s kitchen looked like when she moved in this past year. Not too pretty, eh? With her landlord’s approval, we did a light reno that didn’t cost a lot, but made a major difference in both appearance and function. Spending money on a rental isn’t for everyone — but for those of you who love to cook, have a horrible kitchen, and plan to stay put for awhile, then a little investment may well be worth the time and expense.

At this budget range, kitchen renovations mean less actual physical labor for the homeowners, who are able to leave most of that work to the professionals. That doesn’t mean a total hands off approach however. The owners of these kitchens either acted as their own general contractor, designed the space themselves, and shopped vigilantly for the best deals out there.

Name: Jennifer Pade Type of Project: Kitchen remodel Location: West Village, New York, New York Type of building: 300 square foot apartment in a co-op building For those of you who have been following along with Jennifer’s NYC kitchen remodel, and who saw the truly dire state of her original kitchen, this reveal will be especially satisfying. The work is done, the dust has cleared, and now it’s time to take a look at the finished product.

Warning/workspace/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/atmedia-cloudinary-image-block/atmedia-cloudinary-image-block.php82 This plain kitchen was sort of… fine? We’ve seen gross kitchens and this one was far from it. If anything, it was a little sterile, with various off-white shades paired with some unflattering lighting. Warning/workspace/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/atmedia-cloudinary-image-block/atmedia-cloudinary-image-block.

If there’s a leading trend, it’s embracing color, and that’s exactly what the talented crew at DC design firm Residents: Understood did with their clients Danielle and Peter. Using the young couple’s wanderlust as inspiration, R:U set about transforming sterile gloomy to bold global.Given that Danielle and Peter met while studying in Europe, got engaged in Iceland, and will be married in Italy this fall, they wanted to make a home that suited their vibrant life together.

The secret? Color!

Here’s the unfortunate truth about 99% of all living spaces: every house and apartment—large or small—likely has something that’s weird, oddly placed, or just plain ugly. These persistent little problems (cords, vents, pipes, outlets) might drive you nuts, but stay they must, especially if you are a renter. The only solution is to get creative…. Here are ten common household eyesores, and DIY projects and ideas to help you disguise them: 1.

Ever since Denise and her husband Brad moved into their 1937 California Ranch style home six years ago, the dark and dated kitchen was always a sore spot for her. Not only was it stuck in the ’80s, it also lacked adequate storage.It wasn’t until the birth of their daughter that she realized she would be spending a lot of time in the kitchen as a stay-at-home mom — and she needed a space that was open, warm, and reflected her love of old world glamour.

Back in 2011, Annie and her husband had a little difference of opinion when it came to the oak cabinets in the kitchen of their new home. She hated them, and he loved them. Since she had carte blanche everywhere else in the house, she wrote into Apartment Therapy asking how they should redecorate and still respect his wishes.

Think twice before rinsing these household staples down the drain.

The redo took advantage of original historical elements, while creating a bright, airy, and livable space.

If you're upgrading your kitchen, you definitely want to still like it down the line. Here are the 7 picks designers swear by.

New cabinets, backsplash, countertop, and more add tons of vintage-inspired character to create a welcoming cook space.

Yet more proof in the transformative power of paint.

The after's full of great renter-friendly solutions.

This full-blown renovation took two months and cost $10,000.

Wait until you see the herringbone backsplash.

This 1906 Craftsman house in Los Angeles got a kitchen remodel, but instead of stripping away ALL the vintage charm, they refreshed the space and honored previous eras.

Sometimes you have to knock down a few walls to fully brighten a space.

This kitchen goes from plain to punchy with a few low-budget tweaks.

With six kids, a spacious and functional kitchen was a must for this family.

Just wait until you see the massive kitchen island.

This rental kitchen redo is packed with ideas worth stealing for your own home.

"Most of the stuff we own is cooking and baking supplies, so we knew we would either have to majorly downsize or do something about the kitchen space," says the owner.

Full ingredients list? Paint, hardware, accessories, and creativity.

We should mention: This is a total DIY job.

You know when something doesn’t quite fit. For Violaine and Gaëtan, the style of their country kitchen just wasn’t a reflection of their preferred industrial style. A Belgian architect now living in Montreal, Gaëtan designed the new kitchen himself in his spare time. They sold the old cabinets, tiles and appliances on the internet and grabbed a hammer to start renovating. The result is unique and simply gorgeous.

After no updates in at least 35 years, this living room was ready to shine.

If the pros won't do it, why should you?

All the inspo you need to wallpaper your kitchen.

This DIY kitchen redo is full of smart savings.

Name: Graeme & Rebekah Molloy Type of Project: Kitchen Remodel Location: Chautauqua Park, Des Moines, Iowa Type of building: 1920 Tudor The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. Graeme and Rebekah crossed the finish line!

I am giddy over my new pretty, pretty pantry shelves. Just days ago, they were a hodgepodge of mismatched boards and faux-wood stickers. It’s amazing what a little paint and the old switcharoo will do! When we started working on our new house, I was pleased to find a set of shelves in the pantry. They were nothing to write home about, but they would hold things and they were free and they were fine.

A "before & after" bonanza of reader-submitted projects, organized by budget.

When Lee moved into his apartment rental, the kitchen was stark white and sterile. Check out what some color and black and white self adhesive floor tiles can do…With the help of a hair dryer, he removed the old, cracked vinyl tiles, and replaced them with Armstrong self adhesive floor tiles (cost $90). By positioning them at an angle, he created a diamond pattern that helps to distracts the eye from the railroad apartment’s “long & skinny” shape.

Brooklyn to West‘s Ariele has done it again. In my opinion, she’s the junkyard, dumpster diving, demo-ed house DIY Queen. This gal finds discarded household materials throughout Brooklyn and transforms them into artistic, thoughtful, and beautiful everyday objects. Most recently, she’s taken floorboards and changed them into cheese boards. Genius? YES!Ariele never ceases to amaze me.

Here's what you need to know.

Here's the great reason why.

White kitchens have their place, but these might just be better.

You'll want to steal the new cabinet color ASAP.

This unexpected marriage transforms a utilitarian bathroom or kitchen into a bold style statement.

Wait until you see the ceiling.

You may have to give up your gas range for the greater good.

It's a little last century, a little this century, and a lot stylish.

A redo of a 1912 home's galley kitchen makes room for bold pattern.

Open, airy, with farmhouse flair? Count us in.

This DIY gut job yielded seriously impressive results.

The after's lighter, brighter, and way more modern.

It makes a huge difference in the look of your cook space.

Yes, really.

These simple changes have seriously big impact.

With disaster comes the opportunity to rebuild.

This one-time rental kitchen's total overhaul made it way more functional—and lots prettier, too.

This small change makes a huge difference.

Tiny space, big style—and a whole lot of inspiration.

Consider these drawbacks.

This was the year of statement-making tile, and these redos are the best of the best.

Add these easy tricks to your to-do list and reap the rewards.

This budget-friendly trick is timeless, and these stunning projects prove it.

Renovation by: Kristyn Location: Pittsburgh There was nothing WRONG with the kitchen when I purchased my first home except that it wasn’t me. It didn’t fit the 1920s Tudor Revival style of the house or my preferred bright, colorful, organic modern look. Although I don’t love bead board, there was no reason to replace the clean and sturdy cabinets. So I embraced it, adding more to the side and back of the island that separates kitchen from dining room.

Renovation by: Patti Location: Phoenix, AZ We moved into our fixer-upper exactly one year ago and finally finished the last room – the kitchen. I think the previous owner must have fantasied about being a princess because every single room was painted pink (including ceilings and doors!) and had wall to wall purple carpeting.

Renovation by: Takbir Fatima from DesignAware Location: Hyderabad, India This kitchen had been through a lot of wear: the original construction was faulty, causing leakage in the floor, the original design allowed for almost no natural light to enter the kitchen, and previous tenants’ lack of maintenance had made an entire wall stubbornly greasy. Before moving in, I brought down the wall separating the kitchen and dining areas, opening up the space.

Project by: Sabina Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania We moved into our house three years ago and it was love at first sight. We loved everything about it—except the fact that it was incredibly outdated. So, after putting up with our dated, depressing kitchen for three years, in June of 2015 we finally started our dream kitchen renovation. We had replaced a few of the appliances with our own when we moved in, so we didn’t opt to get all new appliances during this renovation.

Every so often, someone sends in a project that 100% reaffirms my belief in the power of paint along with good diy and decorating skills. This is one of them. Take it away (and OMG, amazing job!

Project by: Karen We just moved into a 1929 Tudor bungalow. The kitchen is small and has only one window. The upper cabinets made the room seem darker. In addition, they were hard for me to reach (I’m 5’2″). So I took them out and replaced them with open shelving in gloss white. The room was instantly brighter. I added storage in the pantry to make up for the lost cabinet space. So I took out the upper cabinets and replaced them with open shelving in gloss white.

Alison Dahl Kelly shared photos and the story of her amazing kitchen and dining room makeover with us. Take it away, Alison: Purchased in 2009, our artfully restored 1880’s townhouse has been taken apart and put back together again, restoring some old and adding some new. What attracted us to buy this house were the still-intact original details—parquet flooring, tin ceilings, marble fireplaces, built-in cabinetry, his and hers vanities.

Project by: Kara and Matt Location: Charlotte, NC This past spring we purchased a 1960’s style brick ranch that aesthetically was still stuck in that decade. The home had great bones, but like most houses built at that time, contained lots of tiny “living” spaces, like a small L shaped kitchen, a super dark paneled den and a long, narrow living room.