But as the before-and-after photos show, there’s nothing average about these kitchen makeovers. The designers knocked down walls, created new layouts and added features and materials that make these kitchens stand out from the pack. Let us know which one you think made the most of every square inch.
White Shaker-style cabinets and a marble tile backsplash give the kitchen a fresh look. “I wanted to do everything light and bright,” Lankiewicz says. “All of the kitchens she showed me had white cabinets, and it’s a classic look.”
Lankiewicz integrated some glass-front upper cabinets to break up the cabinetry and allow the couple to display nice wine glasses and decorative plates. Each of the upper and lower corner cabinets has a lazy Susan inside.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Korey Kulpins, a design assistant
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Size: 125 square feet (12 square meters)
Designer: Maegan Blau of Blue Copper Design
Before: This photo taken from the former dining area shows the previous galley kitchen in the background. The space was only 64 square feet, but it felt even smaller due to the dark wood cabinets, taupe walls and mottled granite countertops.
Designer Maegan Blau relocated the kitchen and created a new family hub with a more open and brighter feel.
“I had to do some convincing when I proposed moving the kitchen,” Blau says. “But I knew by relocating the kitchen, it would allow more than one person to use the kitchen at the same time, and a good work triangle was possible.”
Soft two-tone Shaker-style cabinets significantly lighten the look. The uppers are painted a light greige (Warm Putty by Valspar). The lowers are a muted sage green with blue undertones (Hunters Point by Sherwin-Williams).
Wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring complements the warm tones of the updated palette. Double doors on the left open to the condo’s main bedroom and bath.
The deep drawers on either side of the range store pots and pans, while the shallower ones on top include dividers for spices and cooking utensils. “I like putting pots and pans in drawers, because to me it’s the easiest way to do it,” Kulpins says.
A pull-down faucet in matte black coordinates with the cabinet hardware. The sink is a 28-inch undermount single basin in stainless steel.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Young newlyweds
Location: Boston
Size: 159 square feet (15 square meters); 9 feet, 10 inches by 16 feet, 2 inches
Designer: Jodi Swartz of KitchenVisions
Before: The existing kitchen was poorly and hastily constructed, unnecessarily divided the room and didn’t take advantage of the 11-foot ceilings. The appliances were crammed together on the shorter wall. “There was very little storage,” designer Jodi Swartz says.
Swartz maximized storage and highlighted the height of the room by taking the cabinets almost to the ceiling and capping them with large cove molding. The homeowners use the top cabinets to store infrequently used items. A ladder stored in the laundry closet gives them access to the top cabinets.
Swartz decided to panel the dishwasher to the left of the sink so the stainless steel didn’t take away from the sink and shelves. “The fridge, induction oven and wine fridge were enough steel,” she says.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A recent retiree and her boyfriend
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota
Size: 94 square feet (8.7 square meters)
Designer: Jolynn Johnson, owner of Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Before: A shell-like structure that didn’t extend to the ceiling surrounded the former kitchen, cutting it off from the dining room and living room. The homeowner disliked almost everything inside the kitchen as well — dark oak cabinets, laminate countertops, mirrored accent wall, worn-out vinyl tile floors.
She added white cabinets, countertops and appliances to give the compact space a light and airy feel. She extended the cabinetry a foot higher than before, to 8 feet, for more storage and a loftier look. The faucet and the hardware on the cabinets and appliances have a honey bronze finish that adds a warm shine.
The floors are 5-inch-wide planks of luxury vinyl tile that look like wood.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple who are nearing retirement
Location: San Diego
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Melissa Prevost of M Prevost Design
Before: The couple’s former galley kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house. “They were struggling to envision how the kitchen would look if we took down the wall between it and the living room,” designer Melissa Prevost says. Once she showed them a 3D rendering of what the kitchen could be, her once trepidatious clients were fully on board.
The island is painted what Prevost describes as “a very, very moody blue” with a porcelain slab countertop that looks like marble. “She really liked the idea of marble, but knowing how hard she’d said she is on surfaces, the durability of porcelain was a much better choice for her.
Once they took down the wall, they needed new floors. Prevost found them a budget-friendly luxury vinyl tile that looks like light wood. It is softer underfoot than hardwood and is waterproof.
“Before and After: 5 Kitchen Remodels Under 160 Square Feet” Houzz, May 24th, 2021. https://www.houzz.com/magazine/before-and-after-5-kitchen-remodels-under-160-square-feet-stsetivw-vs~149501488?lsmr=Platform_Email&source=ed_newsletter&bsft_aaid=329e9826-7f03-489a-bf58-7ecadf452c0f&bsft_eid=9050a5ef-d73b-47e3-bcc0-366c5fec42e9&utm_campaign=05232021-pro-newsletter-designers-subject-line-test&utm_source=blueshift&utm_medium=email&utm_content=052621-pro-newsletter-designer&bsft_clkid=191ecfe0-b234-4a7f-8d5c-d9542567a03b&bsft_uid=d2c24d35-fe4e-429b-bf7f-84b9c65eb97e&bsft_mid=ba7af3b0-7367-421d-bca3-124784ab85e1&bsft_mime_type=html&bsft_ek=2021-05-26T11%3A31%3A18Z&bsft_lx=16&bsft_tv=7
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Rob and Martha Carlin and an adult son
Location: West Islip, New York
Size: 120 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Jaclyn Lankiewicz of Jaclyn Marie Interiors
Before: The existing kitchen layout wasn’t working for these New York homeowners. The breakfast table was used more as extra counter space than as a place to eat, and the fridge in the back righthand corner gave the space a cramped, cluttered feel.
Fading white cabinets, dark blue laminate countertops, a beige tile backsplash and a wood floor with the stain coming off signaled that this was a kitchen in need of an update.
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