Still working on the drywall situation for our new opening! While we get that together and snap some pics for this afternoon, let’s look at an awesome kitchen makeover – you know to keep the momentum up. Of course we perked up when we spotted the words “1948 ranch style house” and “kitchen renovation” in our inbox. Then we saw the awesome before & after pictures attached and, well, see for yourself. This is one of those makeovers that reminds us that whatever the budget, making one or two daring or unexpected choices can make the room (and make it feel like yours). We’re loving the playful choices like the yellow floor and the chalkboard pantry door along with a ton of functional upgrades like the large glass cabinets and the glossy white backsplash. Here’s Kathryn’s email:
We had a very outdated kitchen in our 1948 ranch style house. We bought our house in 2009 knowing that we’d have to do something about the kitchen – the overhead light didn’t work, the stove worked about 50% of the time, and it was claustrophobic.
We used the first time tax-buyer’s credit plus some other savings to re-do the kitchen and ended up redoing everything to make more sense of the room and update the dark and dated feeling (we removed a soffit, got new flooring, new cabinets, new counters, new lighting, new backsplash tile, new appliances, a new sink & faucet, etc). Hope you like it as much as we do! – Kathryn
Isn’t that amazing? A big thank you goes out to Kathryn for sharing! She has more awesome after pictures here on her blog, and you can see more of the in-progress pics here. It’s like a totally different room, huh? And when you take a moment to really check out those cabinets (the lines of them, the glass fronted ones, the fact that they go all the way to the ceiling instead of hitting a soffit, the abundance of large functional pull-out drawers, the open bookcase for cookbooks on the end of the counter, etc) it’s clear that the room’s not only a lot easier on the eyes, it’s a lot more fun to cook in too! So let’s make like the floor and have some fun… playing the what’s-your-favorite-part game. Mine are the glass cabinets, giant drawers, and the pendant above the sink.
That floor is fantastic! I do really love the chalkboard – we have one in our kitchen as well and love it.
Great job. It’s nice to see some different colors used too (although I love white kitchens).
Oh, the floor! How cheerful and unexpected- I love it.
I just have to let you know that I’m finishing painting my bathroom and stole Sherry’s idea of wearing my clothes inside-out. My nephew insisted we video chat so I could see the hole left from his first lost tooth. I pointed to my shirt (there is some interfacing from embroidery, so it looks particularly weird inside-out) and told my sister I was stealing “$herdog’s idea” for painting .
She insisted I let you know it’s catching on. So there you go! :)
Hahaha- I love it. Work it Deidra.
xo,
s
oh my! what a genius idea! you should see how many outfits i’ve ruined thanks to painting! i stepped in a tray of paint once (well, fell off the ladder and landed in it) and let’s just say i was COVERED in paint.
Oh my gosh- that sounds like something I’d do!
xo,
s
So gorgeous! I’m in particular love of the subway tile and the black countertops. Fantastic.
LOVE those floors! http://www.amandadovewells.com/?page_id=45
Love it! Esp the floor and the subway tile!
Beautiful finish selections! I love seeing homebuyers putting the tax credit money back IN to their homes! Thanks for sharing!
WOW! Yet another amazing Reader Redesign. I can hardly believe that’s the same room!
Hi! I have something unrelated to the post to tell you!
I was just watching the Nate Berkus show (in fact it’s still on)he was doing a kitchen makeover and he used the exact same cork floors that you chose for your kitchen! They looked awesome!
Just thought I’ll let you know!
WAHOOOOO! Sorry for the caps lock. You know I love me some Nate! Haha.
xo,
s
sure do! that’s why I rushed to tell ya!
I love the contrast of the vintage-y looking cabinets with the bold yellow floor tiles! It doesn’t look like the same room!!
I love it! It looks modern, but it also looks like it marries well with a classic ranch-style home. Well done, guys! :o)
Great use of tax credit funds! What an overhaul.
Wow, what a transformation! I love the chalkboard door. What kind of paint was used for the door, if it was done that way?
They actually sell chalkboard paint at places like Home Depot and Lowe’s now (usually in the spray paint isle for some reason). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
That kitchen is gorgeous!! It makes me jealous and I want to redo mine now!
I love the play on the classic (subway tiles, cabinet doors, etc.) against the industrial (stainless steel appliances, clean lines, etc.) It’s the exact balance of my style that I can never seem to get just right! Love this!
Those perky fun floors are my unexpected favorite! The whole makeover is gorgeous – they did a great job!
Oh my gosh, I so want to put this floor in our kitchen! It would look amazing! I also love the subway tile. It always makes a kitchen just look chic and pulled together, even when it’s in a funkier way.
Can’t wait to see updates on your kitchen!
Love those large drawers and the open shelving at the end of the cabinet for cookbooks! Awesome job :)
OMG LOOOOOOOOVE the floor!!!
That is super cute!
They really pulled off that floor wow! Looks great!
The floors are cheery and bright, but I love the subway tile!
The yellow checkered floor is a fun throwback to the era of the house. The microwave looks a little awkward, but I guess you could argue that the brackets add an industrial edge. Overall its a much happier place to be!
I have an obsession with chalkboard paint so that it a favorite! But the subway tile! It looks fantastic!
The subway tile is my favorite…fantastic makeover!
Love the glass cabinets! And while I love the idea of a chalkboard door, I just know I would get all my clothes dirty with it! Oh well, I can just admire from afar.
~Katy
Incredible change! My faves are the pendant and that tile. The tile really gives a vintage feel to the room, I think. Looks awesome! Can’t wait to share my bathroom in a million years when I finish it. :)
Wow that looks amazing!
LOVE the floors! So cheerful! I think they’d make me smile every time I saw them. :)
I’m not sure if others have the same issue, the blog website is not showing up to the homepage or anything, but with a “pick which browser you’d like to use” window.
So odd! Anyone else having this issue? It’s the first we’ve heard of it. We haven’t changed anything on our end, but we wish we could help!
xo,
s
Love the whole thing, but the floor is extra fun, the pendants are lovely, the drawers are so functional, and the countertops look rich and sleek. Nice work!
Stunning.
Hey guys!! Thanks so much for sharing my post. The kitchen was a labor of love and I think we made a best friend out of our contractor. He lived with us pretty much there for a while. Sherry, it is funny that you guys are using cork in your kitchen because we looked at almost the exact same cork flooring but went with the checkerboard because of our budget and also we originally wanted a checkerboard cork floor and that particular flooring wasn’t ok with Memphis humidity (the flooring company actually wouldn’t install it). It ended up being that our consolation prize, the linoleum tile, ultimately is my obsession now out of the whole thing!!
Wow- it’s so funny how things work out like that! It’s gorgeous!
xo,
s
I love that they built a bookcase into the end of the counter. Great place for storage.
It’s a slow process… but encouragement: I made it 9 months without a kitchen during our remodeling!
That kitchen is ah-mazing. WOW! I wouldn’t change a darn thing about it. I think one of the best parts is the floor! Goes to show that you don’t need a super spendy floor finish in the kitchen for it to look chic and lovely. Love the playfulness of the yellow and white against some of the more traditional cabinet doors.
That’s a FUN kitchen! Love the cabs and the contrast between whites/black/yellows :)
what a difference! I love the chalkboard painted door, the subway tile, the cabinets and the side shelving on the counter for cookbooks. K, I’m gonna go look again and swoon over it some more…
I love the yellow tile and I’m always a sucker for chalkboard paint – is that a trend or will it stick I wonder?
my favorite part, hands down, is the subway tile and the way it jives against the floor. i NEVER in a million years would have thought of using a floor like that…but now i’m considering it! it looks amazing. so much more fun than your typical ceramic tile.
I have to admit I would have never thought to use yellow and white flooring, but WOW does it look great! Way to think outside of the box! Your kitchen is beautiful, Kathryn, I can’t pick a favorite part – I love the whole thing!
I love the floor so much! I like that it’s period-appropriate for a midcentury ranch but still goes with the rest of the modernized kitchen.
Wow! That’s an incredible transformation – love it!!
I’m enamored with the sunny checkered floor and the built-in bookshelf!
I am completely in love with the floor.
This post has made me strongly consider removing our soffit when we redo our 1956 ranch kitchen. It makes a big difference.
Amazing transformation! Love the flooring! Really…just love it all!
What a nice re-do of a galley kitchen! Love the floors, cabinets & counters. Our kitchen is similar (actually I think the floor in the “before” is exactly the same as ours!). I’ll be bookmarking the reno for sure.
thanks!
I love the fun that the floor adds to the room but my favorite thing is the glass fronted cabinet doors!