Wouldn't it be funny if these were the 'after' shots? So funny.
Hell yes that is one fly kitchen. I sort of hate posting these photos because they scare me a little. The realtor used these to advertise the property and nothing about that makes sense to me. And they just don't go with my whole punk blog aesthetic. Forrealz.
Your observations are spot on. The previous owner was indeed a cat lady.
Things began to calm down, thank fuck.
But then it got worse. Like there were at least five hundred grimy cat toys under the stove.
Hot damn, those fleshtone cabinet interiors.
Amazing what appliances, paint, and decent lighting do. I bet you're thinking all that shit on the counter is maybe not so good. Oh, is that boxed wine next to the hand saw? But I get so much more done when I drink. You think I'm kidding.
Wood floors help too. Actually it's engineered wood. Which is cheaper and therefore boss.
And now begin the sparkly-shiny 'after' shots. Read on for the all the fascinating minutiae of this small but magical kitchen transformation.
KitchenAid stove, hood and dishwasher, a bitchin little 13 cubic ft Fisher & Paykel fridge, and small undercounter Panasonic microwave that I built in all by myself. I searched for weeks for the right size stove, if its depth were 1/2 of a centimeter more the dishwasher wouldn't open. Good times in small spaces yo.
I painted all the things. Because I'm a punkrock painter. However, I painted the cabinets 3 times before deciding on colors. Sometimes I hate myself. My go-to colors (black, white, grey) were not working with the counters so I went with something that would. I mean, as far as anything can work with the color of a loogie. Fuck if I can't remember the paint colors I used right now but it's Benjamin Moore Aura satin. Bomber paint.
I agonized over ripping down the upper cabinets and
installing new ones or open shelves. In the end I ran out of time and money. Same reason the lame formica counters are still there. That always happens. One day they will be so not there.
The devil really is in the details. The LED fixtures, shelf, and most accessories are from Ikea. Newgate clock from Horne. Budget Pfister faucet from Lowe's.
Russell Hobbs coffee maker and there's a chrome Dualit toaster but you can't really see it. I wasn't being as thorough as I should have (what?) because I took these photos at midnight just before driving 14 hours to catch a plane from California to Japan. That's just how I roll.
Approximate cost breakdown: Large appliances $4250 (got the $2800 stove for $900 because it has a small ding on the underside of the handle), small appliances $250, faucet $50, electrical and plumbing labor (not mine) $200, paint $100, accessories $150, light fixtures $100, random shit $50, already had flatware, dishes, clock, toaster and most everything else. So that's just over $5k not including flooring.
Someday I'll do a full redesign the way I want it with open shelves, tile, new cabinets and dope countertops. But for now this is all kinds of awesome (people tell me) and it's full on ready for your next mountain weekend escape so please rent it and make your friends rent it.
★
UPDATE: Fuck yeah professional photos!
