Before & After: An Outdated Kitchen Gets a Sleek Makeover
This kitchen had a lot going for it—nice big window, plenty of space, tons of storage—but a few things working against it, such as beat-up laminate floors and sticky plywood cabinets, so the owner spent four months gutting it and creating a fantastic new kitchen.
I’m going to go ahead and say we don’t see enough black cabinets, but I love when we do. These look amazingly bold, yet the entire aesthetic of the room is understated because of the restrained palette. The cabinet handles are perfect with the refrigerator and range hood, the black grout is a delicate echo of the black cabinetry, and the island shares a wood hue with the floor. Danika Gadeken of Refined Design is responsible for this renovation, and the results are great. The new floor is particularly attractive, but the story of how it came to be is a rollercoaster:
We found the original hardwood floors underneath all the carpet and laminate but unfortunately they were in terrible shape and not repairable. We decided to level out the floors and put in all new engineered hardwoods throughout the entire main floor.
Setting the cooktop into the countertop creates a cool, unique look that makes the stove feel more thoroughly incorporated into the rest of the kitchen.
We did something a little unheard of and mixed stainless steel appliances with black appliances. This decision was slightly unintentional but we found a black oven and microwave (as shown in the pictures below) on Craigslist in a brand new home and we snagged them for an incredible deal! Like $300 for an oven AND wall mount microwave!
Can I confess that I didn’t even notice the mix-and-match appliances? The black oven and microwave blend seamlessly with the cabinetry.
In the photo above, you can see our pantry/microwave. This section actually used to be a linen closet which was accessible from the other side of this wall. We took out the door on the other side of the wall, flipped it, and put the pantry in on the kitchen side instead.
If a linen closet can become a pantry, we can all be whatever we dream of!
Thank you, Refined Design!