Kitchen Renovation Under $1,000 – In 2 Weekends
I’m so happy with my newly organized kitchen, thanks to Apartment Therapy’s Kitchen Cure. I thought I’d pitch in and share a kitchen renovation I did for less than a thousand dollars. Ready?
The photo, above, is the completed project. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show the right-hand counter or the tiny range. But you get the idea.
This was my first show house. The Junior League gave me a tiny kitchen that had been part of a mother-in-law’s apartment. It was so depressing, I think I may have been the only designer who bid on it.
As you can see, the floor was Ick! The cabinets and counters were a snore. The hardware was cheesy “brass”. This was one ugly kitchen. I love a challenge and could see the potential just waiting to be brought out.
If you have an ugly kitchen, you can transform it too. I overhauled this one in two weekends for under $1,000. Here’s how I did it.
MORE!
Decorating On The Cheap
Today’s New York Times ran a brilliant and funny article about a $1,000 redecorating project gone wrong, then right. I thought you would, too. You’ll also enjoy seeing the room designed by HGTV’s Ron Marvin.
Ron is the host of Small Space, Big Style. He agreed to redecorate a woman’s living and dining room for free with a budget of only $1,000. Did she appreciate getting saving a $6,000 design fee? Not.
To read the article and see more images, follow this link. But first, here are some of my favorite bits from the story.
Mr. Marvin offered solutions for nearly all of her design problems, all for $1,000. Ms. Sperling, however, seemed upset. “I don’t want to totally say no,” she began, before pessimistically questioning nearly all of his recommendations. When told the dark sideboard would be repainted white, she asked “what kind of white?” When Mr. Marvin said the top of the dining table would be replaced with glass, she asked, “Isn’t glass expensive?” And as for the coffee and end tables from Ikea, Ms. Sperling wanted to know, “Is it made well at Ikea?”
later…
He was also perturbed that Ms. Sperling suggested spending more money. “She was being so detailed and picky about the whole budget,” he wrote in an e-mail message to this reporter, and now she is “adding more things!”
still later…
The next day, Ms. Sperling e-mailed back a lengthy explanation for why she wouldn’t be able to make it to Ikea for another week, how she didn’t like any of the three rug options Mr. Marvin sent, and why, according to her calculations, the mirror or a lamp would have to be cut.
Jeez! Thankfully, she liked “99%” of the finished room. I’ve been so lucky to have had great clients. But, there was this one lady….
Portfolio Profile: Interior Designer Marlaina Teich
Everyone loves a designer show house. I do. Fellow interior designer, Marliana Teich, sent me these “before and after” photos of her bed & bath combo in the Brookville Show House.
Pretty nifty, what? Marlaina teaches us a lesson in the importance of contrast. How did she do it? The silver armoire was her inspiration for the design. Marlaina highlighted the high ceilings with an elaborate Mother of Pearl fireplace wall, which was created using 12″x24″ tiles of capiz shells. That’s a cool idea, isn’t it?
The shimmer continues with the bed upholstered in pearlized “leather”. She framed the windows with silk. Using panels on either end frames the bed and removes any awkwardness of the bed in front of the windows.
The biggest design challenge – the bathroom – was completely outdated. The walls were painted cloth. Moisture on cloth? Eeewww.  To update the bathroom, Marlaina added an oversized trellis-patterned wall covering in charcoal gray and painted the trim a fresh white, and also built a custom wood surround for the tub.
To see the rest of the show house, follow this link. What do you think of the rooms? I think she did a great job and showed real creativity in the space planning and the shells on the fireplace wall. Designers pay for everything that goes in a show house room. We hope to sell enough of the furnishings to break even. Unless we own a furniture store, designers beg and borrow to create a room. Which is what I’ll begin doing in a few short weeks at the Junior League Show House here in Grosse Pointe.
6 Decorating Ideas For Stylish Living In A Single Room
How do you live in one room and maintain a sense of style? Having once lived in one myself, I can give you a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Jennifer’s Tips
1. Buy a few bold pieces instead of lots of little things.
Lots of tiny things may seem like the way to go, but they’ll actually make the room look smaller. Your eye won’t know what to rest on and will be buzzing around. The large, graphic artwork in this room works really well. Also, notice the careful selection of furniture. Not too much!
2. Define “rooms” with translucent fabrics and/or area rugs.
You might want a bit of privacy in the bedroom. Even if you’re alone, being able to close off the bedroom will create a cozy feeling that’s easier to sleep in. IKEA makes a great system that suspends from the ceiling.
3. A vibrant paint can define a separate space with-in-a-space.
A large block of vibrant color can visually separate a space. If you’re living in a rental, painting only one section makes it easier to return it to “Decorator White” before you move out.
4. Buy furniture that does double duty.
A dining table can be a desk. An ottoman can be a coffee table. A coffee table could also hold some storage.
5. Light colors will make the space appear larger.
If you want to go with color on the walls, remember that cool colors recede and will make the room larger. A pastel will also reflect more light and work to that effect even more.
6. Finally, mirrors are an old stand-by for tricking the eye.
One-foot square mirrors are sold at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Why not create a mirror wall? Your room will double in size in an instant.
Do you have a tip? Sharing is caring.
images: visiondecor, 200 Water St, Venturska
Design Dilemma: Rachel’s Dining Room
My friend, Rachel Perls is a color expert and writer of Hue. She wrote to me about a month ago asking for help with her dining room decoration. She’s got the color down solid – a nice complimentary scheme of orange and blue The walls are orange and she covered the chairs with a nice blend of blues. She’s planning on painting the trim a dark brown.
So, we’ve got our color scheme. Rachel needed some help with furniture placement, a buffet and some finishing touches. So here we go.
The table needs to be placed with the short end facing the entrance. As you can see, it makes a better traffic flow into the kitchen and around the table. That’s simple! The next place to go is the area rug.
The walls, table and floor have orange tones, which can look monotone. The large window and the wide doorway on the other side cut down on the saturation. Still. I felt it would be a good idea to go with a neutral carpet to cut back on the orange without clashing with the blue patterns on the chairs. The 5′ x 8′ sisal carpet ($158) is from Pottery Barn). It has a bound edge and fits nicely under both the table and chairs. Next, we need a buffet.
I’d like to see Rachel and her husband some pieces they’ll keep forever. I love this Chinese Butcher’s Table from Wisteria ($1,499). The age on the antique buffet gives the room tons of character. Plus, it can serve as a buffet table – terrific for entertaining. Since Rachel is lucky enough to live in San Fransisco, she can shop the antiques in her wonderful city for just the right thing and keep this in mind while she shops. Lucky girl!
We need some simple accessorising. Rachel already owns this tiled mirror. The color ties in perfectly with the blue chairs. I’d hang this over the buffet. She’s going to need some artwork on the other wall as well. I suggest starting an art wall with a variety of photos, art work and other elements. To see how to create this look, read my earlier post on the topic.
I’ve added a hand-painted Talavera plate from Novica as a centerpiece on the table. Two would be even better.And that’s it! A simple plan for a beautiful, colorful room.
Jennifer’s Tips
- Always start with the item that has the fewest options. Here, I would have started with the rug and then chosen fabrics for the chairs afterward.
- Neutral goes with everything! Duh. The beige sisal cuts back on the orange and creates a nice extra layer of decoration.
- Don’t freak about matchy-matchy. Please! This room will look really great with a mix of styles. The only important element is the scale. Keep all the pieces the same scale. Say no to a giant chair with a tiny table.
Okay, let’s hear your tips. How would you decorate Rachel’s dining room?
