Friday, November 4, 2016

A $400 Kitchen Spruce Up


 Sometimes,
I just can't have my way....
Wah Wah.
So I have to let go, and
 just do my very best under the circumstances...
I was brought in on a consult last week for this kitchen.
The owner had to put the house on the market.
QUICK!
I'm sure you've seen these cabinets a zillion times.
Almond melamine,
no hardware,
and woodtone strips.
You find them in a lot of rental units.
The laminate countertops had some edging issues.
 And there was a lot of water damage 
to the drawer fronts under the sink...
The melamine had chipped off,
and the MDF had swollen from
the moisture.
The ktchen walls were a dingy yellow.

Here were my recommendations:
I would paint all the cabinets.
White uppers, and a mid blue-grey tone
for the base cabinets 
to tie in the stainless appliances for a streamlined look.
To add some dimension, 
I would add panels of beadboard wallpaper to the doors
surrounded by thin moulding.
Sort of like this...
And I would add some satin bar pulls.
I would paint the walls a soft light grey,
and add this backsplash:
An awesome self-adhesive stainless steel tile I found
at Home Depot.

BUT...

I then found out the work could not exceed $400.
Eek.

The owner really wanted black or metallic doors
for an industrial vibe. 
And she wanted to keep the woodtone cabinets and trim.
And that was all she wanted to invest....
I was very concerned that black cabinets 
would just create a "black hole."
So I did up some paint samples on one of the cabinet doors:
Two metallics and a deep charcoal.
My recommendation was the top:
A stainless steel appliance epoxy
which had to be shipped. 

The house had to go on the market in a week.
So we went with the middle option: 
A flat antique nickel.
And so....
All the doors were removed and numbered.
All the doors and drawer fronts were spray painted two coats,
and replaced after they dried.
I wish we could have at least changed the wall color. (Pout.)
But the walls were left as is.
I filled the countertop hole with wood putty.
I added a mirror for some extra light over the sink.
To fix the sink cabinet drawer fronts,
I cut to size and painted a long strip of hardiplank.
Then used a power adhesive to attach.
Then I wiped down all the wood 
with Howard's Restor-a-finish in Dark Oak.
Added the chopping block,
a few props,
and it's ready for market.

It's not perfect...
 But it's definitely BETTER.

Have a kitchen that needs some cosmetic lifting?
I can help!!!!!
SheShe, The Home Magician
Sheila Fox
sheilafox@aol.com
804-402-4370


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