This kitchen renovation was supposed to have happened in 2014! But that's when a series of misfortunes caused pretty much annual delays (with the penultimate one being the pandemic and Humphrey's demise). I suppose the silver lining was that I had nearly a decade to collect reference photos and figure out what I really wanted.
BEFORE:
It's not that the kitchen was awful, but it was a very 1990s Home Depot vibe, with warm wood cabinets, taupe glass mosaic tiles, and black countertops. Design-wise, this it had been a DIY job by previous owners using "out of the box" layout that did not match the kitchen shape. You can see a peninsula (with no storage underneath!) which was positioned in such a way that the balance of the kitchen was completely dead space--the peninsula was in the way of a table, there should have been storage along the wall even beyond the peninsula. The floor was a dark laminate that was not laid properly (so it had gaps everywhere, and the finish was wearing off when I moved here!). Moreover, it clashed with the oak hardwood in the rest of the place. Originally, the walls were painted a fairly vibrant orange, but I repainted them in a light taupe when I moved in.
AFTER:
There is now a glass dinging table over that rug, and acrylic chairs so that nothing obscures the view and sunlight. |
Detail of cabinets, countertop and hardware. The drawer pulls are a brushed gold. |