These 2008 Orange-Toned Cabinets Look Unrecognizable After This Kitchen Makeover
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: Apartment
PROJECT TYPE: Kitchen
STYLE: Modern, Traditional
SKILL LEVEL: Professional
RENTAL FRIENDLY: No
Interior designers have to make a lot of aesthetic decisions for other people, but every once in a while they get the chance to work on a project for a very special client: themselves. Designer Jacklynn Little (@jacklynnlittleinteriors) recently redesigned her own condo kitchen that hadn’t been updated since the condo was built 16 years ago.
The kitchen before was “dated and drab,” Jacklynn says, adding that it had an “overwhelming amount of brown tones that felt heavy.” Although she initially wanted to change the flooring in the space, she decided against it to save money where she could — especially because right at the beginning of the project she unexpectedly had to buy a new fridge.
Nevertheless, Jacklynn’s kitchen redo balances big splurges with smart saves and totaled about $18,000.
The first step was painting the cabinets.
Jacklynn hired professionals to coat her cabinets in Benjamin Moore’s Pale Smoke with a sprayer. She calls it a “beautiful blue” and is thrilled with her choice to paint rather than replace. “Kitchen cabinetry doesn’t always need to be replaced if it’s in good shape and you like the style,” she advises. “Painting it can be a game-changer and is often a fraction of the cost — usually about a quarter of the price of replacing it.”
Jacklynn swapped out the hardware on the cabinets herself. “The cabinet above the new fridge had to be removed, so instead of cutting it down and reinstalling it, I opted to place a large basket in the space,” she adds. “This not only solved the issue, but also added texture to the kitchen, which it otherwise lacked.”
The countertop and backsplash had to match the existing floor.
“This was my first time selecting a new kitchen countertop and backsplash that needed to coordinate well with an existing floor, which had a creamy yellow tone,” Jacklynn says. She’s particularly proud of her countertop pick, and she also says picking the backsplash was easier than expected. She knew she wanted to include marble in the space right off the bat.
“The countertop isn’t a pure white; it has subtle hints of cream that tie in beautifully with the floor,” Jacklynn adds. “The marble backsplash features tones of cream, gray, and blue, which complement the countertop and bring the overall design together seamlessly.”
The kitchen makeover also features new pendant lighting and a new sink. In sum, it’s a drastically different — and more chic — space than the orange-toned kitchen before, and it keeps the exact same footprint. For more kitchen transformations that work with their existing bones, check out these eight kitchen transformations that keep the same layouts but feel totally fresh.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said
