When Tess and Jess Carter set out to renovate their kitchen they had big plans and lots of details to accomplish. Their work feels flawless and accents the space in such a way that it feels extra comfortable and practical with little bits of personal flare here and there. Want to see what it looks like now?
Over at A Cozy Little Cave, this couple has been quite busy and although at first glance the change doesn't feel as dramatic as some makeovers, once you start looking you see more and more additions and changes to their space.
Since their cabinets stayed the same and the floorplan didn't alter, it's easy to shrug it off, but as you get into the details of the space, it's rather amazing the things that were accomplished. They pair raised and lowered (yes both), the bar and installed a new countertop, installed a super beautiful Ticor sink, new hardware, tiled, applied window film, painted and added some chalkboard paint.
There's far more that's been done and this is just the start so make sure you head over to Cozy Little Cave to see all the details and let their changes inspire some in your own home! Remember, you don't always have to knock down a wall to dress up your space a little!
Related: Kitchen Before & After: A Total Tiny Kitchen Makeover
(Images: A Cozy Little Cave)
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I have to be honest. I liked the before colors better. :(
I also like the before better :/
i disagree with cigdemduynj. before it looked less homey with that atrocious puke-yellow color. yuck! it's nice!
I'm with the first two. I prefer the 'before' by a lot.
Should be "flair," not "flare."
I'm liking the new single-level counter/breakfast bar, but sideways microwave... needs to not be sideways. That's a real college-apartment look. And I get that chalkboard paint can be functional, but it doesn't look super-useful in the location they chose.
Overall, the "before" is so nice that the "after" isn't too different. I think it feels a little warmer, though, and the new sink is great.
Add me to the before lovers.
I like the new penny tile and counters, but I love that yellow door in the before!
The sheer joy of not having to go Lady Macbeth every time tomato sauce or coffee even gets in the vicinity of that white grout makes this makeover worth every penny.
I'm in a rental now with white f*%&king tile countertops - and white bloody grout - and I spend half my time cleaning it and the other half feeling bad about how dirty it looks.
like the darker countertops in the before but love the bigger/more useful breakfast bar now
I hate the half wood half white look on the side of the bar. I thought the before was the after. Those counter tops give it a bathroom feel. I would go manic over every black smudge of dust or lint that settled on the white. the light shade is cute, but the fan makes the kitchen look bigger, not to mention its usefulness to air out grease or smoke. I think more could have been done with said sideways microwave. Is there really no better place to put it? Is it so inconvenient to have it square and facing front?
I'm currently doing my kitchen over with a very small budget. I have to consider greatly what would seem like a good idea and what really is just more practical.
the red and baby blue look terrible together. I would have stuck with a yellow/baby blue scheme. It would look more appetizing and inviting.
sorry. :(
Who are all these posters mourning the loss of laminate countertops and a ceiling fan????? I think the after is fantastic. Much sleeker, without too many changes.
Love the choice of tile for the backsplash. I've been thinking about doing a white subway tile in our kitchen, but now I may have to think about white penny tile instead.
Is the toaster new or were the sides painted? I'm asking because i have a toaster oven that i was going to give a face lift to, with spray enamel....
I don't mourn the laminate counter tops. i have the exact same ones... i just think with what they cost, something more appealing than flat plain porcelain could have been used and I love the tile back splash, it just doesn't match anything now.
using a custom blender for the tiles would have made the whole pattern pop
http://www.modwallsblender.com/
pale blue(40%), water (25%), lemon cream(25%) , and paprika(10%) in a combination mix would have looked dazzling!
Just my opinion, that I'm allowed in the comments forum.
Deciding whether or not to get rid of the ceiling fan could have been a struggle for me; as i see the practicality of it's function, and also see the new light fixtures to be more pleasing to the eye. Love the new sink and hardware. Ditto the new countertops, both the color and the single level. I imagine cleaning up that "before"grout to be a constant nuisance. Gotta admit I'm indifferent to the chalkboard paint craze. Love the penny tile too. Oh & the sideways microwave. I'd do the same thing, prolly preferring the extra counter space over appearance.
Oh & 1 more thing. It's surprising how much more appealing the window is, minus the shade, + the film. The more I look at the photos, the more i like the changes!
I can't believe so many people like the before. Not that the kitchen before was dreadful, but it certainly lacked personality.
The after is great! I loved the fact you dropped down the breakfast bar and made the two counters one. It must open up the space so much more. On the other side of the counter is there a living room? Dining room?
I also have a thing for white counters. They seem somewhat impractical, but it always seems to make a kitchen look larger and brighter.
I also love the new sink and back splash, Kudos!
@Katie Belinda - I like the before because I have the crappiest kitchen that I've lived with (after spending a week repainting the cabinets so I COULD live with them) for 5 years because I couldn't afford the remodel. I would KILL someone for the "before" room!
Plus, the red is too jarring and out of place, IMO. I think if they would've just replaced the countertops, I would've loved the "after". *shrug*
I don't mind the ceiling fan going away, but I vastly prefer the 'before' kitchen.