Tanya is saving up her cash for a dream kitchen makeover, which will take place sometime in the distant future. Might as well just live with this boring old kitchen that she absolutely hates in the meantime, right?
WRONG-O!
That big-budget dream kitchen could be years down the road. Her logic is, why not make it look and function better right now?
She spent less than $1,500 to transform her kitchen into a beautiful and fun space that she’s happy with RIGHT NOW! Tiny cramped cabinets were removed to make way for open shelving, which means she doesn’t have to wait for some imaginary day in the far-off future to enjoy her collection of bright aqua dishware. She can enjoy them RIGHT NOW! She can greet her kitchen with a smile TODAY!
Are you putting off something that you could change to make you happy right now? Don’t wait! It’s not time or money wasted. It’s a small price to pay to avoid years of discontentment, that’s what I’d say.
See much much more at Dans le Lakehouse.
13 Comments
Debra Lewis
November 13, 2014 at 6:43 AMthis looks beautiful but in the real world, who cleans the dust and the grease off those dishes and the shelves? I have better things to do than keep all of that stuff clean.
Leatha Riddle
November 13, 2014 at 7:00 AMThis is truly amazing. I love how the “aqua” color is “just enough” and not overpowering, which with that color you would think it would immediately overpower on cabinets. The open shelving is the cherry on top. Fantastic makeover!
Bee
November 13, 2014 at 7:14 AMThis is so good maybe she’ll decide to keep it forever! Taking out those wonky top cabinets for open shelving makes that kitchen look a lot nicer. It looks like she changed the countertop and faucet, and removed the tile backsplash too. I think she might get tired of the bright paint but she can always repaint. For a lot of people, this is the type of affordable update that can make all the difference.
It takes a lot of money to gut a kitchen and replace everything but if you only watched House Hunters on HGTV, you would think that everyone is doing it. Sorry, ranting again about unrealistic expectations….
Kate
November 13, 2014 at 7:44 AMOh, this is just scrumptious! She’s a better cook than I am not to need a range hood. 😉 I plan to paint my dark cabinets either white or pale grey probably next year; kudos to her for the bold choice – I love it! I don’t like it when the bottom and top cabinets are different colors, but the open shelving makes it work. Beautiful!! (Also, I wish my dishes were that pretty.)
Mindy
November 13, 2014 at 8:34 AMWoah. I’m not usually a fan of open shelving, but that is beautiful. It totally works with those beautifully coordinated dishes! Never in my world, but it is so pretty to look at.
Jane
November 13, 2014 at 9:01 AMI studied the “before” for a while before scrolling down and tried to imagine what I would have done. Then, WOW, what a surprise. The colors and simplicity of the design make such an amazing difference. Great job!
Missey
November 13, 2014 at 6:17 PMThe window over the sink looks like a real architectural element now that it’s not crowded by the cabinets. Looks great!
LeeAnn
November 13, 2014 at 6:38 PMHoly Cow! That is a fabulous makeover. I love that new kitchen.
Genyveve
November 13, 2014 at 10:04 PMLooks beautiful!!! The open shelving is great. I don’t think I even have 3 cups that match. 🙂
Cathie
November 14, 2014 at 8:16 PMUgh, my kitchen. Almost brand new, but designed by a non-cook. I will probably never completely redo it, but I should break down and drop the $100 on new hardware. Christmas?
Colyn
November 15, 2014 at 11:24 PMSimply gorgeous — I love the color and simplicity. Of course, it’s really immaculate for the photo shoot. I’m dying to tear out some of my cabinets and replace with shelves, but only some. I’m wondering how she uses this kitchen without nearby storage. Where are the spices? Paper towels? The pantry looks pretty empty. Cabinets can hide many messy bags/boxes. How does she do it?
Debbie Christianson
November 16, 2014 at 6:21 AMW.O.W. Absolutely love it!!
Tanya from Dans le Lakehouse
November 17, 2014 at 1:48 PMThanks so much for featuring my kitchen!! And thank you, everyone, for all of you kind comments!!
I thought I’d answer a few questions: yes, our shelves really do look like that day to day. It’s really easy to keep them tidy because everything has a place – even guests know right away where things go. The other day I wanted to re-organize a bit and so I took everything off, wiped the shelves, and put it all back. It took me a couple of hours but it was the first time I’d done it since the reveal in June. I was honestly really surprised by how little dust there was! The first shelf had the most but it was still less than what I get on my book shelves in my office. I think because everything is in use, the dust doesn’t settle. They are also quite high (oops) – the top shelf is SO far from the stove. Open shelves are new to me and I’ve always thought they looked like a pain, but I’m happy to report that I find them quite manageable. But it’s a personal choice, for sure.
I have never had a range hood that works, and what this kitchen had was a non-functioning fan hidden behind cabinetry, so removing it wasn’t a big deal. I cook big batches of meals a few times a week and coast on leftovers so I’m no gourmet chef but that kitchen is used regularly. If it’s a really smelly/oily meal, I’ll pop open the window (even in the winter) but I do more oven/slow cooker meals than stove top cooking. The former owners of my last house made the kitchen SO greasy that we had to use a degreaser before we could even paint the walls. I think different cooking styles/recipes just produce different kinds of messes. I end up with more on the floor, than the shelves, lol.
One day my kitchen will have a working range hood (dream big!).
Cropped out of the photo is my floor to ceiling (open!) pantry stocked with a dozen glass jars full or flour, sugar, cereal, rice, marshmallows (lol), etc. I have some extra serving dishes over there too. Spices, paper towel, and smaller things like baking soda and vanilla are stored in the lower cabinets. In the dining room there is a also credenza that holds candles, linens, plates I use on the patio, etc. I did de-clutter a lot while unpacking and tried to pare down to the essentials (and Pyrex!). If you click through to my blog in the link you’ll see many more photos of the kitchen and the layout will make more sense.
Thanks again!!