Adding Interest to a Builder Grade Kitchen Before/After Pics
6 years ago
My retired parents purchased a new builder grade home several years ago that had some lovely features, but also felt a bit bland and came with bad laminate counters that really lacked any wow factor in the kitchen. My husband and I are experienced DIYers so we helped them punch up the drama and interest in their home with a small kitchen upgrade that included new 180fx laminate counters, since real stone or quartz was out of their budget. The small dual stainless sink was replaced with a large Blanco Silgranite gray metallic sink and a new faucet. We then added a real stacked stone backsplash that has a ton of sparkle and texture. We added retrofit pendant lights in place of the can lights above the island so there was no need for an electrician. The dining room lacked drama so I painted the ceiling inset a metallic aqua, and we replaced the typical builder grade chandelier with something with more shine and bling. Even small changes can make a large impact when dealing with a smaller, limited budget. They now feel they have a more modern, colorful, stylish home- not typical of a couple in their 70s. They love the younger, fresher feel to the space and it suits them, as they are not your typical grandparents.
As usual, we realize this won't be everyones cup of tea here, as we all have different tastes and likes. This post is to show what you can do to make smaller changes for a larger impact within a limited budget- especially if you can do some of the work yourself.
Before Kitchen:
After Kitchen:
Open Concept Living/Dining Room Decor:
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoRelated Discussions
Guest Bath (almost) finished - Before and After Pics
Comments (18)jillsee - thank you! It's actually a cheap-o Home Depot vanity/sink combo. This bathroom is not used a lot and we figured if our icky builder-grade cabinets lasted as long as they have, surely this would last awhile, too. :) I'm quite happy with the look and the whole thing has a pretty substantial feel to it, especially compared to what we had in there before. Plus, it was several inches less deep than the previous cabinet and really opens up the space a lot. When we re-do the master bath, we'll spring for higher quality cabinetry. But this vanity works really well for this space....See More85% Finshed French Ikea Kitch need help - before and after pics!!
Comments (13)Bonjour Belle cuisine ! Ooooooo La La. You have done a lovely job. A bright glass tile would be wonderful. Or super tiny octagonal tiles perhaps a few in the slate color you like but the rest in whites, grays, creams and a favorite color. Slate is beautiful but the gray might cool the room to much. You need more warmth. (birght colors)Yes Madame Hospital needs a little color. :) What colors do you and your husband love? What colors and style are you using for bar stools or perhaps kitchen curtains? Or maybe a frame pictures. Not too much color as you don't want to crowd the space I assume you like clean lines and simplicity. No Pendants it will fight with the hood. If you do use shelves be sure to pick items that would be lovely to see when sitting in the LR. Vases or nicely shaped coffee mugs. Something bright or warmer to add to the color you might be using as accents. Here are some pictures of small kitchens that might give you some ideas of how to finish off your beautiful space. Open shelves Idea. If you do not want clutter this may not work for you but it is one idea. This reminded me of your kitchen. The picture kind of pulls it together. The gray might give you the idea of slate if you did go ahead with slate. This backsplash brightens this kitchen up. It is hard to see but it is light blue green glass tile. this back splash might work for you too. See the open shelves to the left. So many ideas so many ways to be creative. Plants can also warm up a room without over powering it with clutter. Je souhaite que j'aie été en France aussi. Enjoy your home in France. ~boxerpups...See MoreDoes ANYONE like builder grade oak cabinets?
Comments (56)To the original question - does anyone like builder grade oak cabinets - my answer is no. But that's mainly because the particle board parts of the drawers and carcass usually come apart at some point, like the drawer front that came off in someone's hand. The thread seems to have veered off into a question of whether even solid oak cabinets are liked, and or dated. I love my oak cabinets even though they need to be refinished. They are good quality, custom built though, and I think that makes a difference. I also like painted cabinets, and might even go that route next time. This thread kind of reminds me of something that happened in 1978. We bought our first house that year, and so did some good friends. Both our kitchens had painted cabinets. Mine were brown with yellow doors, which I hated, along with the fact that they were older. I stripped and refinished them and they looked so much better. They were a slab style solid wood though I can't remember what kind now. My friend's cabinets (and house) were newer, white, raised panel with arched top. I thought they were gorgeous, but she thought they were terribly dated since wood was really in then, so she started stripping hers too. That's when she found out that the doors were made of particle board, and stripping ruined two of them. All that to say that painted vs wood comes and goes as we've discussed here before. If you like your cabinets and they are in good shape, keep the wood finished. If not, paint them. Whichever you choose, it will come back if it's not in now, and it will be out if it's not now. And that's probably the same with arched tops, beadboard panels, aprons between cabinets, and so on....See MoreKitchen update - before and sorta after pics
Comments (32)Hmm... We bought the fridge, DW and micro on craigslist. The stove we bought new at Appliancesmart. It was a great deal because it had a couple of scratches on the side. We sorta rushed into it because it matched what we had just bought. My only real complaint is how long it takes to preheat. It takes forever! I will say that these newer appliances, (mainly fridge and stove) don't seem as well built as my old Whirlpool appliances, even though the fridge is supposed to be "professional". But at like $550 (stove), the price was right! I hope this helps....See MoreRelated Professionals
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