You know that satisfying moment on home renovation shows, where someone takes a sledgehammer to a wall and smashes it to smithereens, and it’s all very dramatic? First of all, that’s not even necessary. Not all of the time.
People thought James was crazy for keeping the original 1930s kitchen cabinets in this makeover, but he knew better. Take a look for yourself. Do you think they should be salvaged or sledgehammered? (Sledged? Sledgehammed?)
Salvaged! James resisted the urge to smash them to splinters and chose instead to work them into this stunning makeover. Yes, those are the same cabinets!
Here’s another look from the same angle as the before pic. Are you loving that copper, navy, and exposed brick friendship? Me too.
And second of all, sledgehamming is no joke. I once tried to dramatically sledgeham a wall, and the hammer simply bounced off undramatically, zero damage done, other than giving me one doozy of a back sprain. Let that be a lesson to you.
See more from James on his blog Flipping Diaries, one of my newest Phoenix-based favorites!
28 Comments
Denise
February 28, 2018 at 7:29 PMWOW just WOW!
Natalie Kady
March 1, 2018 at 4:55 AMBeautiful and so smart! SO SO happy your shining light is back <3
Peggy
March 1, 2018 at 6:42 AMNice job, James! The copper is perfect.
Janet
March 1, 2018 at 8:01 AMI think we should always try to save as much as possible just for the sake of sustainability and not making more trash if we don’t have to, along with saving money, and honoring the original aesthetics. Why not, if you can do it and achieve the look and functionality you want, right? I think the new kitchen is gorgeous and modern while keeping that old fashioned tall, flat cabinet look and the sink with a view 🙂
Mary
March 1, 2018 at 8:06 AMLooks great. I sledgehammered a kitchen once. It was awesome. And then we moved six months later 🙁
Just Justin
March 1, 2018 at 1:26 PMI love the cabinets! I’m so glad he kept those.
I was going to post the lyrics of “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel because I post song lyrics. It is part of my schtick. This song came out when I was just a kid. I saw the music video at a friend’s house (I was not allowed to watch MTV at my house), and I thought the music video was very cool. I never really listened to the lyrics. Now that I have read these in close detail, I realize that the song is very inappropriate. So, no song lyrics today.
Au contraire, mon frere!
♫ ♪ It might seem crazy what I’m ’bout to say ♪ ♫
♪ ♫ Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break ♫ ♪
♪ ♫ I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space ♫ ♪
♫ ♪ With the air, like I don’t care baby by the way ♪ ♫
♫ ♪ Huh, because I’m happy ♪ ♫
♪ ♫ Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof ♫ ♪
♪ ♫ Because I’m happy ♫ ♪
♫ ♪ Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth ♪ ♫
♫ ♪ Because I’m happy ♪ ♫
♪ ♫ Clap along if you know what happiness is to you ♫ ♪
♪ ♫ Because I’m happy ♫ ♪
♫ ♪ Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do ♪ ♫
Lindsey @ Better After
March 2, 2018 at 8:54 AMlol, I thought about including the lyrics too, and then I read them (for the first time ever) and was like …. wwwooooowwwwwwwwwwww. Those lyrics are as subtle as a sledgehammer.
Des
March 1, 2018 at 2:59 PMLove It! Let those 1930 cabinets shine!! So happy to see you back!
Arleen
March 1, 2018 at 3:06 PMLove it! Good Job! Love the brick too!
Jennifer
March 1, 2018 at 3:12 PMOMG yes. Sometimes cabinet remove is literally 15 screws and yet someone wanted to bash them to a million little pieces….it’s beautiful and doesn’t match any ones!!!
Maggie
March 1, 2018 at 3:27 PMPretty nice. Now do we get to see the rest of the place.
SuryaSmiles
March 1, 2018 at 3:58 PMWow! What a fantastic transformation! I love that brick wall too!
Judy
March 1, 2018 at 4:36 PMThat wide angle shot really threw me for a loop! I thought he had taken out the wall on the right side. Hmm…maybe all those gorgeous Pinterest kitchens aren’t as big as they seem!
I love that the cabinets were kept. It looks very sleek and modern!
Lindsey @ Better After
March 2, 2018 at 8:55 AMIsn’t that funny? That’s kinda why I included that shot. Photography is a LIE!!!
Ria from Oz
March 1, 2018 at 4:47 PMOh my freaking gawd! Someone who HASN’T smashed every atom off the planet in their reno? Pass me the big glass…(the one with the pretty bottle with the label with vines on it)….and brush my brow! Wow! Geee-ooorge-us! Copper, navy, white, what’s not to love? Oh, and I do like those itty bitty side shelve thingies on the cupboards above the sink, such cuties!
And to Just Justin, yes! I could NOT stop thinking of Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel too. I HATED when his head went all funny on the video, but memories of that time are soooo cool, yes?
Lindsey @ Better After
March 2, 2018 at 8:56 AMHahahaaa, I just love you, Ria from Oz!
Nicole Melanson
March 1, 2018 at 4:59 PMBashing up walls is also a great way to expose yourself to all sorts of nasty stuff that can really mess with your health.
But I’m just posting that because I wanted to say I’m glad you’re back. I missed this blog and it’s nice to be seeing posts again. I hope 2018 is your year, Lindsey. x
Lindsey @ Better After
March 2, 2018 at 8:59 AMThanks so much Nicole! That means so much to me. And good point about exposing yourself to nasty who-knows-what with unnecessary wall-bashing.
LeeAnn
March 1, 2018 at 7:56 PMThat’s a gorgeous kitchen. The copper is beautiful but the navy cabinets are stealing my heart.
LeeAnn
March 1, 2018 at 7:58 PMI’m glad you are back. You were so missed.
Lynne
March 1, 2018 at 8:02 PMWow! Great makeover! So glad you are back blogging! I missed your writing!
Andria
March 1, 2018 at 8:32 PMHow do people do this? I wish I could pull all these elements together and make it look this good!
Megan
March 1, 2018 at 9:27 PMIt makes me sad to see an awesome original 30’s kitchen, still basically destroyed.
Nothing about the make over is appealing. Can’t figure out if it wants to be a kitchen or a warehouse.
Sheree L
March 2, 2018 at 8:20 AMThis is beautiful! I love exposed brick! You don’t get that in many Phoenix houses 🙂 The white, blue, and copper is absolutely dreamy, and it’s great that James didn’t demolish the original cabinets. And now, I’m going to spend some time checking out his blog! Thanks, Lindsay!
Susan - saf affect
March 4, 2018 at 6:24 AMSoooo gorgeous. Always rewarding to reuse, reinvent.
Susan – saf affect recently posted…Canada 150: ‘The Canadian Look’ of the first hundred years
Jenny
March 7, 2018 at 9:48 AM*giggle*
Sledgeham
You crack me up! So glad you’re back online.
Kyla Jocson
April 15, 2018 at 3:53 AMSo glad with what you did. Let those 1930s cabinets show their own beauty. Cheers to you! xoxo 🙂
Happy Hiller
January 5, 2020 at 7:55 AMWow! I am impressed! Great job!
Happy Hiller recently posted…Telltale Signs You Need a Heating Repair