BEFORE & AFTER: A KITCHEN FACELIFT...

My client is a bachelor with a beautiful home who renovated almost every room in his house. After a major bathroom redo that went way over budget (for the record, I was not the interior designer on that project), he was finally ready to tackle the kitchen. While the kitchen had good bones and was in good condition, it was certainly dated. He joked that his mother would kill him for wanting to change a "perfectly good kitchen." And he definitely kept me on a tight reign with the budget (but I love a challenge).

So here's what I started with...

We kept the cabinets because they are hand made by the previous owner from solid pine and in good condition (and the budget didn't allow for replacing them). We removed the wallpaper, replace the formica countertops with granite, installed a tile backsplash, changed the sink, the faucet, the cabinet knobs and the light fixtures. Although he was reluctant, I convinced him that the floor had to go. All the new elements would make the floor stick out like a sore thumb. So he agreed to up the budget, slightly.

Here are some of the materials I used:

BLISS BY FLORIDA TILE

STUDIO PULL BY AMEROCK

UTTERMOST

MOEN

WALLPAPER BY THIBAUT

Here's the result...

After 3 1/2 weeks and only 10% over budget (which for those of you who have done major renos know that this is quite commendable), my client can now cook and entertain in style. His mother was happy with it too...

Peace and Blessings,

Tammy

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAMMY BOLDEN.

CHANGING HARDWARE: PULLS OR KNOBS...

Want a big impact for not a lot of money - change your hardware. Whether on your kitchen cabinets or a favorite piece of furniture, there are so many options to add new life without breaking the bank.

Start by determining if you want a knob or a pull.  Its really a matter of preference when adding new hardware where there is none.  Most important when switching out existing pulls - measure the distance between the screws to get the right fit. The most common is 3" but that can vary. 

In the kitchen, determine what finish you want to use:  Nickel, Chrome, Brass or Bronze. There are many color variations within each finish category - usually satin, brushed or antiqued. In recent years, the big trend was towards ORB or oil-rubbed bronze but happily brass is making a strong comeback. I've always loved Brass! (FYI, see the post on Interior Design Trends for 2013.)

Satin Nickel

Brushed Bronze

Oil Rubbed Bronze

Antique Silver

Of course, the styles vary as well. Whether your taste is MODERN and CONTEMPORARY...

Or very TRADITIONAL...

Or somewhere in between aka TRANSITIONAL...

Or you even WHIMSICAL...

There are many colorful options as well made from glass, porcelain and ceramic.  

The selections available are almost limitless. So whatever you decide, CHANGE IS GOOD! Have fun with it...

Peace and Blessings,

Tammy

LEFT OUT IN THE COLD - SAYING GOOD-BYE TO AN OLD FRIEND...

Its easy to take things for granted. Saying good-bye isn't easy. I finally had to lay to rest my refrigerator of the past 11 years.  Silly me, I thought we had a few good years left. At least until we're ready to sale the house after the boys go off to college. 

That led me to research my options for new appliances since we need a new stove and dishwasher as well. The brands are seemingly endless. Of course I love the high end brands such as Miele, Viking, Thermador, Wolf/Sub-Zero, JennAir and GE Monogram.

 

 Then there are the brands for the rest of us such as KitchenAid, Whirlpool, LG, General Electric, Frigidaire and Kenmore.

So do I select the traditional top freezer or go crazy and buy a side-by-side, bottom freezer or French door?  Since my color options are limited and I dare not venture back to the days of Harvest Gold or Avocado Green, its either black, white, bisque (aka almond aka beige) or stick with stainless steel to match my other appliances. I love the high-end look of stainless steel but the accumulation of fingerprints drives me crazy.


Side-by-side

Top freezer

French Door



Bottom freezer



Freezeless

Since we only have a 33" wide space to work with and needless to say I need a freezer, the side-by-side, French door and freezeless options were out. In doing my research, the bottom freezer gives you a tad bit more storage capacity. So I decided upon the:



Kenmore Bottom Freezer in Stainless Steel

Why the Kenmore? The GE Bottom Freezer that I wanted wasn't available for immediate delivery and we couldn't wait nearly 2 weeks. So we welcomed our new addition with open arms.

I'll have to start the process over again very soon because my range really is on its last leg...

Peace and Blessings,

Tammy

Photos courtesy of Sears.com

COLORFUL KITCHEN DESIGNS...

I'll admit that cooking is not one of my favorite past times except when entertaining for guests.  Having a cheerful place in which to create a rare culinary delight always helps.  The love of color shouldn't be relegated to just bedrooms and family rooms.  A unique color palette in the kitchen can make preparing any meal a joyous occasion...

Kitchen Design by Camilla Molders, Melbourne, Australia

Kitchen Design by Karen Soojian, ASID, Minneapolis

 Kitchen Design by Ken Kelly, Inc., New York

Kitchen Design by Elizabeth Speert

Kitchen Design by Momoko Morton, Denver

Kitchen Design by Michelle Allman

Kitchen design by Loop Design, Austin, Texas

Kitchen Design by Crisp Architects, New York

 Kitchen design by Mark English Architects, San Francisco

Kitchen Design courtesy of Traditional Home Magazine

Kitchen Design by Stephen O'Brien

Happy cooking...

Peace and Blessings,

Tammy

Photos courtesy of Houzz.com, TraditionalHome.com and HouseBeautiful.com