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Young House Love » Reader Redesigns » Reader Redesign: One Seriously Swanky Kitchen

| By Sherry Petersik | March 30, 2010 | 71 Comments

Reader Redesign: One Seriously Swanky Kitchen

When Totty and Dave sent us their latest room makeover we had to share the goods. After all, everyone loved their amazing bathroom overhaul so much that we knew their kitchen would be a hit too. Here’s their letter:

Dave and I have another Reader Redesign for ya. Our kitchen has been undergoing a facelift for the past six months. What started as a simple “let’s move the cabinets around a bit” turned into a full blown kitchen renovation. We relocated all of the upper cabinets, built floating shelves, got new cabinet doors and hardware, new appliances, tiled the backsplash, and discovered hardwood floors hiding under ugly orange tile! Shew- I think I covered it all! But the best part is that several of the key items we already had on hand and didn’t have to go out and buy! For example, the blacksplash was created with leftover tile and grout from our bathroom renovation (which you showcased back in November). We also reused all of the cabinet boxes and just got new doors and hardware! Plus we did all the work ourselves (minus sanding and refinishing the floors). That really helped to keep our little renovation under budget! I still can’t believe it is the same kitchen. For the entire scoop and photos check out www.bootsandtotty.com. – Totty and Dave

Here’s their kitchen before the redo:

Boots Kitchen Before

And here’s their amazing kitchen masterpiece as it looks today:

Boots Kitchen Makeover Afte

Boots After Kitchen DIY

Boots After Favorite Shot

Oh and here’s a quick source list from Totty and Dave:

  • Cabinet doors and hardware are from Ikea
  • New fridge & stove were bought from Sears “Scratch & Dent” at majorly reduced prices
  • Tile and grout for backsplash were leftover from our big bathroom reno
  • The hardwood floors were sanded & refinished by Mr. Sanders (thanks for the recommendation-  we loved him!)

Didn’t they do a fantastic job? We love that they reused, repurposed and salvaged as much as they could (like using leftover bathroom tile for the backsplash, refinishing their existing floors, reusing their cabinet boxes and just getting new doors and hardware for a totally new look). Gotta love a reno that’s easy on the wallet and good for the planet. Plus we can’t believe that they did so much work themselves (except for calling in the same guy who refinished our wood floors– love him). This reader redesign really shows that a little creativity, some smart repurposing, and a little elbow grease really can go a long way. But now let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. We’re torn between the gorgeous and sleek horizontal door hardware to those awesome floating shelves below their high-hung “new” cabinets.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for ChristinChristin says

    March 30, 2010 at 1:47 pm

    GORGEOUS!!!! Love it! Especially the floating shelves, I have a thing for those in a kitchen and really want some in mine. :)

    Reply
  2. Avatar for TiffanyTiffany says

    March 30, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    Very nice, I love the open shelving with the lights.

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Caitlin @ That House on the CornerCaitlin @ That House on the Corner says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:07 pm

    LOVE the new floors! Sigh, I want dark hardwood so bad! Great work!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Jessica @ How SweetJessica @ How Sweet says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:09 pm

    Love the kitchen! Great job!!

    Reply
  5. Avatar for MeganMegan says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Love it! Please keep the awesome, inexpensive, amazing kitchen re-dos coming!! I almost have my husband convinced to let me paint our lovely oak cabinets white. Now it’s me who has to get my father’s voice out of my head: “You’re doing WHAT to oak!?!”

    On another note, if the homeowner drops in–I’d love to know more details about the under-cabinet lighting–where from and how installed? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 30, 2010 at 2:33 pm

      Hey everyone,

      So glad you’re digging our latest Reader Redesign. And here’s hoping Totty and Dave drop in with the answers to all of your questions soon. Stay tuned…

      xo,
      s

  6. Avatar for JenniferJennifer says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    I like the lighting!! And I love that new sleek hood over the range. Where do they have their microwave? I opted for one of those over-the stove microwaves instead of one of those hoods. Based on this pic, I am rethinking my choice! Lovely.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for JeanJean says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    This is gorgeous. My favorite part has got to be the new cabinet doors — I had no idea you could buy just the doors from Ikea. Genius! Also, I love the idea of “Scratch & Dent” discount appliances.

    I think I have the same kettle as the one in the “after” photos. Sadly, that would be the only similarity between their kitchen and mine.

    Reply
  8. Avatar for ameliaamelia says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    beautiful! what a fantastic job! really love the floating shelves – can they reach their upper cabinets though? they look pretty high!

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Mary MarantzMary Marantz says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Those handles are AMAZING!!

    Reply
  10. Avatar for LindsayLindsay says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    Love it! I seriously <3 the vent hood! Wonder where they placed the microwave? Lovely, lovely!

    Lindsay

    Reply
  11. Avatar for AmberAmber says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:36 pm

    The kitchen looks GREAT!

    Do you give out the contact info for the man who refinished your floors? I am also shopping around in Richmond to have mine redone.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 30, 2010 at 2:41 pm

      Hey Amber,

      Yup, just follow the link in the post above that we included when we referenced our floor refinishing project (his info is in that post). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  12. Avatar for JacciJacci says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    That is a *gorgeous* kitchen. Wow.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for ErikaErika says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    Wow! That looks fantastic! I love the floors and the cabinets.

    Reply
  14. Avatar for ThaniThani says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:52 pm

    I love the color on the wall. What is the name of the color? I want to paint my friends kitchen and this is the perfect color. The kitchen is so cool..

    Reply
  15. Avatar for brookebrooke says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    SO MUCH!!! i love that they found wood floors under their tile! i love the ikea cabinets!! and definitely the floating shelves! awesome!!!

    and i too will give love to the sears “scratch and dent” stores!! we got our refrigerator that looks almost identical to this one priced at $1200 down from $3000 just because it had a golf ball sized dent in the front right door which is easily covered with a magnet for now or by purchasing a new door if it drove us that crazy (which it doesn’t)! so if anyone is looking for affordable quality appliances in their area i highly recommend checking your local one out!!

    Reply
  16. Avatar for Rebecca PRebecca P says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    Amazing before and after! Im loving the shelves with the built in lighting! And the kitchen has this over all crisp and clean feel. Bravo!!

    Reply
  17. Avatar for KarrieKarrie says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    Ahhhmazing! I really love that they re purposed so many of their items. And those floating shelves are perfection.

    Reply
  18. Avatar for KarrieKarrie says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:01 pm

    I guess everybody else is clamoring to check out their site,too. Looks like ya’ll crashed it. It has to be a testament of how great their transformation is, huh?

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 30, 2010 at 3:02 pm

      Oh no! Here’s hoping it’s up and running again soon.

      xo,
      s

  19. Avatar for AmyAmy says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    I might have just drooled a little bit on my keyboard…
    What a transformation! It went from funky Southwest to magazine worthy!

    Reply
  20. Avatar for DaveDave says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    Hey all,
    Just to answer a few questions; the lighting is the five pack halogen special from Lowe’s, we just built custom boxes and sunk them in so we could run the wiring out the side and keep it hidden. The best thing we did for the floating shelves was to drill re-barb into the brick and mount them on that. they are removable, but clean and sturdy. As for the microwave, it’s actually in the back pantry, we use it so little it didn’t deserve to sit out front.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 30, 2010 at 3:15 pm

      Thanks for stopping in with that info Dave!

      xo,
      s

  21. Avatar for Jessica SJessica S says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    My favorite part is the floating shelves! They look great and are so practical. Great job!

    Reply
  22. Avatar for CarrieCarrie says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:33 pm

    Absolutely GORGEOUS!! Definitely an inspiration kitchen for my files! :) Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  23. Avatar for Danielle@ Newlyweds Paradise[email protected] Newlyweds Paradise says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    I just love shelves in a kitchen! The lights on the bottom are awesome!

    Reply
  24. Avatar for juliajulia says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    What was the total budget? I can’t access their blog…

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 30, 2010 at 3:51 pm

      Good question Julia! Here’s hoping they drop back in with more info.

      xo,
      s

  25. Avatar for sarasara says

    March 30, 2010 at 3:54 pm

    Looks great! They had a lot to work with! I wish our kitchen has those kind of things to work with, our cabinets are all different sizes, it’s weird, so we just painted them white. We are ssaving up to get an ikea kitchen. They are SO cool. :)

    Reply
  26. Avatar for ReneeRenee says

    March 30, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    What an amazing transformation! Thanks for sharing. Now if only the link to their blog would work so we could see the rest of the pics!

    Reply
  27. Avatar for Kathy TKathy T says

    March 30, 2010 at 4:25 pm

    Beautiful Kitchen-

    Where did you get the floating shelves? and what about the lights were they with the shelves or did you attach?
    Thanks for taking the time to answer

    Reply
  28. Avatar for Kathy TKathy T says

    March 30, 2010 at 4:28 pm

    Oh gosh -I see my answer above -Thanks

    Reply
  29. Avatar for tottyvbtottyvb says

    March 30, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    Hey all-
    Thanks for the great comments! This renovation was DEFINITELY a labor of love. Dave and I are really proud of how it all turned out!
    Here are a few answers to your questions:
    1. Our Microwave is hidden away in the pantry which is off of the kitchen. It took up too much counter space for how little we use it!
    2. The Upper Cabinets are a little higher than they use to be, but I can easily reach the lowest shelf and I am only 5’4″. For the Higher Shelves I purchased one of those cool old school library stools that rolls and then locks down when you stand on it. Of course we got it in matching silver and black. Check it out here.
    http://www.costco.com/Browse/Productgroup.aspx?Prodid=11226206&search=stools&Mo=15&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=stools&Ntt=stools&No=8&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1
    3. I will have to get back to you on the exact paint color. I believe it was Cream of Mushroom by Valspar at Lowe’s.
    4. I will also have to get back to you on the budget! I am traveling for work today and don’t have all that info with me!
    Please continue to check back to http://www.bootsandtotty.com for all the before and after photos. The site was getting so much love, it did crash, but Dave is working to get it restored! Also feel free to ask more questions!
    Thanks!! Totty and Dave vB

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 30, 2010 at 4:33 pm

      Thanks for stopping in with all that info Totty! So glad everyone’s loving your kitchen as much as we are.

      xo,
      s

  30. Avatar for MaryGeneMaryGene says

    March 30, 2010 at 4:40 pm

    I realllly love the floating shelves!! I’ve always loved being able to see the dishes but have been unsure of whether I can keep my dishes organized and pretty looking! I think it’s a great compromise and an easy way to get the “pretty” and choose things you love to display on the shelves, but to have cabinets with solid doors so you have a place for your more functional dishes. :) Love it!

    Reply
  31. Avatar for RuthRuth says

    March 30, 2010 at 5:08 pm

    WOW! That is all I can say

    Reply
  32. Avatar for Lynn Van SlykeLynn Van Slyke says

    March 30, 2010 at 6:53 pm

    Love this remodel!!! This is exactly what we want to do to our kitchen. The floating shelves are very nice, and love, love, love the door handles!

    Some questions:

    How did the homeowners buy the cabinet doors alone from Ikea? I looked at their website and it doesn’t seem to have the doors for sale by them selves. Also what kind of hardware did they use to attach the doors to the cabinet boxes?

    Thanks for posting such a great makeover and looking forward to more great makeovers.

    Reply
  33. Avatar for Anne WAnne W says

    March 30, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    I’ve seen Dave and Totty’s kitchen in person, and I can vouch for how great it truly is!!

    Reply
  34. Avatar for NKNK says

    March 30, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    I am really liking the floating shelves and lighting. It creates an ambiance in kitchens you don’t often see.

    This kitchen now has WOW factor! Great work on the DIY

    Reply
  35. Avatar for JoanneJoanne says

    March 30, 2010 at 7:02 pm

    I love scratch and dent appliances!

    Reply
  36. Avatar for Thresha BensonThresha Benson says

    March 30, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    Oh my goodness….this kitchen is amazing!!! I love everything about the remodel!

    Reply
  37. Avatar for HeathyrHeathyr says

    March 30, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    This kitchen reno is AMAZING! I can’t stop looking at it!! I was so unproductive at work today as I kept re-opening my Google Reader to check this out. I love love love the floating shelves, so fantastic, I would have never thought of that but now I definitely want to consider it when we do out kitchen reno. The lighting, too, makes all of the difference – I think having spotlights and track lighting where it needs it just totally ups any space. Thanks so much for featuring this; can’t wait until their site is back up and running so I can check that out as I drooled over the bathroom reno you linked too as well.

    Reply
  38. Avatar for Kate @ Domesticating KateKate @ Domesticating Kate says

    March 30, 2010 at 8:16 pm

    Wow!! I’m not even sure I want to have a baby (I know, at 27 I better figure it out soon!) – but this nursery is giving me the bug. Just a little. Stop it!
    :)

    Reply
  39. Avatar for tottyvbtottyvb says

    March 30, 2010 at 8:16 pm

    We actually went to a local Ikea Store to buy the cabinet doors vs ordering them online. I just had to tell them the sizes we needed- it was that easy! And we used the existing hardware from the old doors. It required a bit of re-drilling, but was fairly easy and cost us zilch!

    Our website is still down, but hopefully will be back in the next couple of hours! {Or at least that is what they are promising me!} Please check back! thanks

    Reply
  40. Avatar for Kate @ Domesticating KateKate @ Domesticating Kate says

    March 30, 2010 at 8:17 pm

    Oops, you can probably imagine I meant to leave that comment on the post below. ;)

    Reply
  41. Avatar for Ashley @ Mutschler Family, Dallas EditionAshley @ Mutschler Family, Dallas Edition says

    March 30, 2010 at 8:21 pm

    Amazing! Simply, wonderful!

    Reply
  42. Avatar for tottyvbtottyvb says

    March 30, 2010 at 8:32 pm

    YEAH-
    We are back up and running over at bootsandtotty.com!
    Check us out!!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 30, 2010 at 8:45 pm

      So glad to hear it! Now everyone can head over for more pics and info.

      xo,
      s

  43. Avatar for Nancy@marcusdesign[email protected] says

    March 30, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    This is a really great redo, and very timely as I am picking out kitchen counters for my own budget friendly kitchen redo!! I’ve already picked out the backsplash tiles and me and my hubby painted our oak cupboards white. Can’t wait till I don’t have to see our 1986 flowery backsplash ever again!! :)

    Reply
  44. Avatar for AnnaleaAnnalea says

    March 30, 2010 at 9:27 pm

    My favorite part is the accent lighting under the cabs and shelves. It just MAKES the whole room. Love it!

    Reply
  45. Avatar for Dana @ House*TweakingDana @ House*Tweaking says

    March 30, 2010 at 9:50 pm

    I’m with the Youngsters…the horizontal hardware is my favorite part! I’m so happy to see redo’s that are attainable by (re)using on-hand items without breaking the bank. I wish I could discover those floors under my vinyl! Great renovation Totty and Dave.

    Reply
  46. Avatar for CarolineCaroline says

    March 31, 2010 at 1:21 am

    This is exactly what I want to do in our kitchen! I saw it in a design mag somewhere, and it is at the top of my inspiration file. Thank you for the extra inspiration to get off my butt and do it!

    Reply
  47. Avatar for Andrea PAndrea P says

    March 31, 2010 at 7:08 am

    First of all…AWESOME kitchen redo! (and bathroom too!) So chic!
    On the topic of kitchens, I have a question.
    My kitchen is painted a light sandy yellow-beige.
    On one wall we have a cluster of 4 8×8″ european-rustic theme wall plaques.
    On the adjacent wall we were thinking of putting a large 24″ round rustic clock. Would that look OK?
    Do you have any other suggestions?
    Thank you!
    Love the blog..keep up the awesome work!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      March 31, 2010 at 7:09 am

      We say go for it. Sounds lovely!

      xo,
      s

  48. Avatar for Meghan @ Inspired NestMeghan @ Inspired Nest says

    March 31, 2010 at 9:11 am

    Wow, Looks absolutely amazing and I LOVE all the reuse. I didn’t even know IKEA cabinets fit so well over those old laminate and wood ones! My absolute favorite idea is to raise upper cabinets closer to the celing and installing an open shelf system below them. I makes such such huge difference and doesn’t break the bank. Great job!

    Reply
  49. Avatar for BiancaBianca says

    March 31, 2010 at 9:14 am

    I love the fact that they discovered hardwood floors under the ugly tile…that to me, is their own reward for being such great DIY’s. They didn’t have to pay for it themselves! What a great surprise!

    I LOVE the floating shelves and the cabinet lighting…is it difficult/expensive to have an electrician do wiring under your cabinets?

    Great job!

    Reply
  50. Avatar for JulieJulie says

    March 31, 2010 at 10:03 am

    WOW, I just looove seeing all of these makeovers. They are gorgeous!! Great work!

    Reply
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John and Sherry smiling against pink backgroundHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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