A $200 DIY Project Adds Tons of Function to This Gray “Blank Slate” Kitchen
Loft apartments are cool because they often offer large windows, cement floors, tall ceilings, and an overall industrial vibe, but no one talks about some of the design challenges that come with said tall ceilings and exposed ductwork in a loft.
“I loved the concrete floors, 13-foot-high ceilings, streamlined elements (like in the cabinetry), and that it was a pretty neutral canvas to work with,” designer Cindi Yang says of her new loft apartment’s kitchen. “I did not love all the gray and the super-white walls. I decided to work around these elements and bring the color and personality in with the decor.”
Cindi’s kitchen makeover boasts expert accessorization, space maximization, and the coolest DIY dining table — and she did it all for $850. “I had already owned most of these pieces in my last home,” Cindi says. “I created this new space using pieces that had not previously been placed together.”
The artwork over the cabinetry maximizes vertical space.
One of the biggest challenges was figuring out what to do with the space above the cabinets. “I’m only 5’1”, and being a renter in an apartment, I didn’t have a 12-foot ladder on hand for the 13-foot ceilings, so, I definitely needed help when adjusting pieces,” Cindi says. “My mom, dad, and dear friends helped me a lot with placing heavy and large pieces up high!”
Cindi says the artwork “adds some more personality and flair to a very blank canvas.” She even DIYed some of the plaster art, and she especially loves how they tie in the green of the plants.
The dining table was once an office conference table.
The true pièce de résistance DIY project, though, is the round dining room table. “I DIYed my concrete table for around $200 instead of buying a brand-new one, which was over $1,000,” Cindi says. She took what started as a chocolate brown office conference table, sanded it, and applied cement in a criss-cross pattern using a putty knife.
“The dining table is the piece that added the most function,” she says. “I work, eat, read, and cook on it.”
For more chic office furniture transformation inspiration, check out these two other conference tables-turned-dining tables.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.