Before & After: A Tiny Kitchen Lightens up with a $6,000 Remodel

When done right, we love a colorful kitchen. But sometimes having too much color can make a space feel cramped and crowded, like in this kitchen makeover from reader Angie. The peachy-pink walls combined with the floral tile backsplash and honey-colored cabinets make this corner kitchen feel like there’s just too much going on. But Angie’s remodel provides a much more serene cooking space — take a look!

What a difference! The first thing Angie did was shop for new appliances. She hunted for the ones she wanted and waited for the best price she could find. Luckily, the company she bought them from price-matched to make sure she got the best deal. After that, Angie started the long process of refinishing the cabinets

I removed the fronts, sanded them, wiped them down with TSP, primed and painted them. Painting took weeks because the paint needed days to fully dry and so I would prop them up on my son’s building blocks in the basement on one side, paint, wait a few days, turn them over, paint the other side, etc. I applied three coats. Seriously, this took forever.

When it came time to install the backsplash, and adjust a few of the other cabinets in the kitchen, Angie hired a local handyman who was recommended to her by a friend since she knew it would be difficult to get a contractor to work on a smaller job.

She also had the counters and the sink and faucet replaced. In a small kitchen, a deep sink can be a lifesaver, but make sure you measure! Angie writes:

The company I used to replace the countertops bonded the undermount sink to the counter before it was even installed. (They took the sink when they took the measurements.) Once the countertops were installed, we put in the new faucet, hooked up the plumbing, and discovered the sink was too deep to put the disposal back, so I donated that to my neighbor.

Here’s a look at the opposite view of the kitchen. Angie has plenty of cabinet space around the stove, plus another mini counter for keeping essentials.

As part of the remodel, the microwave replaced the hood, freeing up that counter space a lot! The added under-cabinet racks mean that she can hang water or wine and her stemware as well.

Of course, our favorite part of this view is the new door going to their deck. The glass door lets in so much more light — always an important feature in the kitchen.

Thanks so much for sharing your remodel with us, Angie!

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