When Katy bought her Midwest home, she really loved the kitchen... for the most part. The previous owners had done one thing that drove her crazy. They actually closed up the window over the sink! It messed with the whole feel of the kitchen. So she took on a very small remodel that re-opened that window and restored it, and added a few other personal touches, including new shelving, replacing some countertop, and installing an awesome green pegboard.
Take a look at the before and after of Katy's pretty little kitchen!
Here's Katy's description of what she did and why.
I bought my house because of the kitchen sink.Well, not entirely, but I did LOVE the generous IKEA farmhouse sink in our new 1920s saltbox Midwestern house. The problem was I wasn't wild about the rest of the new wall-to-wall IKEA kitchen, including the fact that a previous owner closed up the historic window above the afore-mentioned beloved sink.
It ruined the feng shui. It was like depression settled in every time I washed dishes.
So with a starting point of wanting my window back, and with a tiny budget (just $700!), my husband and I dove into the reno project that not only restored good dish-washing feng shui, but also warmth, color, and personality to my constantly-used kitchen.
We love the results! I can wash dishes facing a sunny window, pondering cleansing (ahem), westward-flowing thoughts. I have my collection of vintage cookware on display and at arm's reach, and dishes ready-to-choose on open shelves. The story and other details are fully documented on my blog.
Read more about Katy's kitchen remodel at her blog, katy she cooks:
• It starts here: Kitchen reno, part 1: the Julia Child pegboard pot rack• And finishes here, including a cash breakdown: Kitchen reno, part 4: the wrap up.
Thanks so much for sharing, Katy! Such a great project.
We're always looking for real kitchens from real cooks.
Show us your kitchen here!
Related: Before & After: A Bold Kitchen Transformation
(Images: Katy via The Kitchn's submission form)
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this question might be really daft but can you use wood counter tops as chopping blocks or are they soft and subject to damage like a cutting board? If you could use this little bar area as a cutting area this is pretty much the best kitchen ever; nice and close together, no running about the kitchen from fridge to oven to counter to sink!
Lovely transformation! That window makes a world of difference.
Clode: Some people choose to not cut on their wood counters, for a more "fiished" and refined look, even sealing them for a shiny effect. Others use them as chopping blocks, and yes they get cut up just like a cutting board. They are usually sealed with mineral oil or other food-safe finishes which wear off over time, and if the scars get to be too much, they can just be sanded down again. For our upcoming remodel, we bought salvaged bowling alley for the countertops (2.5 inch-thick endgrain hardrock maple!), and we intend to cut on it. It just depends on how people like to use their kitchens.
The space just flows as you noted - feng shui is restored. The kitchen seems to have a life of its own...
a window over the sink makes all the difference!
I fully support restoring the kitchen window, however the shelves that were installed instead of the cabinets turned a safe
generic kitchen in to a disconcerting jumble. Adding the window and re-purposing the upper cabinets would have resulted in a more cohesive look.
I am presently house shopping, and a window over the kitchen sink is a must have. How else could I watch the birds at my bird feeder?
Love the sink ... I have the same one!
And the kitchen is so much nicer with the restored window. Great job!
wow, so beautiful! A window over the sink is an absolute must for me too.
I like the added window, but much preferred the other cabinets. Personally just not loving that color.
I'm in shock! All of that fr $700? That's an amazing feat!! I love the open shelving, the colour, the wood slab (instead of what looks like a darker laminate), Beautifully done. :)
Oh and I love the subway back splash, no one has seemed to mention that yet, I think it makes the kitchen look finished!
This looks fantastic! I love a good budget makeover, especially for kitchens, and I can't believe how much difference $700 can make. The "after" is so charming, and has so much personality. Great job!
I approve. It makes the kitchen look more open and less claustrophobic, tho' the whole feng shui thing is a whole lotta hokum. You don't need some asian decorating cookbook to figure out the window needed to be there. You just need common sense, which the homeowner seems to have in abundance.
Wow. I just love everything you did. If it was me I would be thinking about redoing the rest of the upper cabinets too. I much prefer your new style. Changing out that countertop looks SO much better.
Great job! I can't imagine why the previous owner covered up a window for more storage space. Get rid of some stuff - don't hide windows for heaven's sake! Well done.
Love the window and the open shelves. Gives the kitchen a more organic feel.
I don't want to be a doubting Thomas, but how do you purchase and install a window for $150 dollars? I'd really like to hear more about that. Also, the remodel lacks cohesion. It's like the window intersects two completely different kitchens.
It's probably easier to put a window back in where there was a window before than to put a window in a wall that never had a window. Get it?
I love kitchen windows, but prefer the "before" on this. I'd rather have the cupboard space. I live with open shelving now and really hate it; the dust is annoying as hell.
A window to look out of is the equivalent of a porch or front stoop for the solitary dishwasher. A window to the world while wet! I love my window and even though I have an oft used dishwasher, I still get a kick looking out my private portal whenever the "delicates" need washing up.
That peg board pot holder is genius.
I couldn't live with a kitchen without a window over the sink. I think the alteration Katy made is just fabulous!