#80sHomeRenovationProject - Kitchen Makeover

Welcome back to the #80sHomeRenovationProject.  As I mentioned in my previous post about the Hall Bath Renovation, once we were about done with that project, we started to work on the first floor of the house which includes the Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room, Laundry Room and Kitchen.  Since the kitchen is such an important space, it really deserves it's own post.

Let's take a look at what the BEFORE looked like...

The homeowners had refaced these cabinets several years back but the maple color is dated and the doors had seen better days.  We discussed replacing all the cabinets as they are original to the house, but since they had invested in Corian countertops with an integrated sink, they really wanted to keep that.  Replacing the cabinets would mean removing the countertop and sink and the likelihood of that happening without damage was pretty slim.The fluorescent light box needed to be replaced with recessed lights and the track light system needed to be removed and replaced with hardwired light fixtures. There was no proper backsplash beyond the 4" above the countertop in the same material.  The homeowners had installed some tile behind the stovetop but that needed to be updated and upgraded too.  The appliances were old and were mismatched and the wall oven wasn't working properly.The kitchen pantry was small, but since we were not keeping the wet bar in the family room which backed up to the pantry, I suggested we extend the pantry to incorporate the wet bar space.  That gave us an extra 18-20" in depth on the right side of the pantry. It doesn't sound like a lot but it makes a big difference in the overall feel and  created a deeper space for the homeowner to store small appliances.Here's a BEFORE and AFTER look at the pantry. Unfortunately, I didn't get a true BEFORE pic so that you can fully appreciate how organized the AFTER is. We helped contain all like items together in bins and lazy susan turntables and eliminated random boxes and stored items in the air tight food storage containers.

*Drag the arrows to the left or right to reveal the full photo*

[sciba leftsrc="https://www.alicetchan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Sanderling-Pantry-Before-1.png" leftlabel="BEFORE" rightsrc="https://www.alicetchan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Sandering-Pantry-After-1.png" rightlabel="AFTER" mode="horizontal" width="450"]Previously, there was laminate flooring in the kitchen, adjoining breakfast nook and family room.  That was removed and we laid hardwood flooring throughout the entire first floor living space except for the foyer and down the hall into the laundry room and bathroom. This made a huge difference in the overall look and feel of the house. The eye no longer stopped at all the flooring changes - from tile to carpet to laminate flooring.  I will discuss the hardwood flooring more in the post about the main living spaces, but everyone who sees this flooring comments on how beautiful it is.Is there a risk to have hardwood floors in a kitchen? Yes, but the chances of flooding or major appliance failure is pretty slim. Just like anything, if you address an issue right away, it won't be an issue! The trend is to install hardwood flooring in kitchens and from a design perspective, when you continue the same flooring throughout, it creates a cohesive, more spacious look.[sciba leftsrc="https://www.alicetchan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Sanderling-Kitchen-Floor-Post-Demo.png" leftlabel="BEFORE" rightsrc="https://www.alicetchan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Sanderling-Kitchen-Flooring-Installed.png" rightlabel="AFTER" mode="horizontal" width="450"] It was decided we would keep the existing cabinets and reface the boxes and get new doors.  In the long run it was less expensive and less invasive to do this as we wouldn't have to get new countertops.  As you can see, we had the interiors of the cabinetry painted white to give everything an overall fresh, clean look.

I would have to say the main design attraction in this space is the backsplash.  Here it is when I tried a sheet on the wall to see how it would look with the newly refaced cabinetry and the existing countertops. I was so excited to see that the colors just pulled it altogether!And here it is fully installed...WOW!!!  The picture doesn't do it justice. It is beautiful in person!

And here we are at the AFTER!

[sciba leftsrc="https://www.alicetchan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Sanderling-Kitchen-Before.png" leftlabel="BEFORE" rightsrc="https://www.alicetchan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Sanderling-Kitchen-After.png" rightlabel="AFTER" mode="horizontal" width="450"]Can you believe it's the same space?  The color palette is fresh and modern and works very well with the new stainless steel appliances.  To make it more visually interesting, we decided to go with darker cabinets in a washed gray tone on the lower cabinets and a lighter, creamy glazed look on the uppers. Never mind the wall oven not being installed in this photo. We had some issues with Home Depot and their appliance department. Let's just say I will not be using them as an appliance resource ever again!We chose to go with glass doors on the cabinetry straight ahead which gives it a lighter look and feel. The combo of glass and stainless steel on the hood vent also keeps it more open and airy. If you didn't notice, we took out the upper cabinets above the stove to have a dedicated hood vent. Since they lost their microwave hood, we replaced their double wall oven with a microwave/wall oven combo.  The refrigerator has french doors which takes up less square footage on the door swing.  The fluorescent light box was replaced with recessed lights as well the tracks were removed and new pendant lights were hard wired in place.  We also had refinished the countertops refinished.  There is a service that will come polish Corian to remove all the stains and imperfections and bring it back to its original luster.I love a good before and after story don't you?  Stay tuned for more on the main floor makeover coming soon.