One of our very, very favorite Apartment Therapy house tours is AB Chao's vintagey, sort of modern, altogether lovely home in Louisiana. We especially loved the kitchen — you can see it above on the left — but we are liking this very recent facelift even more.

Frankly, we're as impressed by what didn't change in this kitchen as what did. She left the lovely bones and all that natural light untouched. Even the old-fashioned soffit over the sink stayed put. But there were true functional and aesthetic upgrades in flooring, lighting, backsplash and countertops. We sure bet that this makes the kitchen a little nicer to cook in and a little easier to clean, too.

• Visit AB's blog and see more of her kitchen remodel: Hashai

• You can see a full before and after photo here, as well as AB Chao's original musings on how to make over her kitchen.

Related: Kitchen Spotlight: A Transformation in Encino

(Images: AB Chao; The 10-Cent Designer)