Kitchen Reveal: You'll Love My Before and After Updates
My husband and I moved into a new house in Omaha, Nebraska about two years ago and have just recently gotten around to updating our narrow galley kitchen. The original plan was to turn the house into a rental (and still is) but first we needed to do some updates. The house was definitely dated and in need of more than just some TLC. The kitchen in particular needed a fresh update. The cabinets were falling off their hinges, wallpaper needed to be removed and the appliances were lacking.
Since the space is small and there wasn’t the room or budget to make huge structural changes, I knew that the design choices were going to have to give the illusion of more space. I chose white cabinets to give the galley a more open, airy feel and contrasted it with grey countertops (quartz- to save money, not style) and grey vinyl plank floor tiles. I found a black Friday deal on backsplash at Lowe’s for white subway tile and snatched that up as fast as I could! I love the white on white and chose a light grey grout to help break it up. The paint color on the walls is called “Snowfield White” and is a very soft grey in the sunlight. Since this home will eventually become a rental it was important to choose neutrals-something that would appeal to the vast majority. Higher end appliances and brushed nickel faucets/hardware were installed to give the kitchen a more modern feel.
Leaving the kitchen as-is will make the space appealing to renters and definitely upped its value. But keeping the kitchen neural is a but hum-drum for me. So, I added lots of colorful accessories to help really bring life to the space. Something I hope renters will also be encouraged to do in making the space their own.
I found a beautiful runner on Overstock and used it as my color inspiration. I added tea towels in orange and blue, and added bright orange and pink curtains from Target’s Opalhouse collection (one of my fav’s!) When the sun shines through the curtains in the mornings it gives the whole kitchen a rosy glow! Extra touches of color were added here and there to help bring the space to life. I am absolutely in love with this kitchen and almost sad we will be turning it over to someone else soon-in the meantime I am enjoying it as much as I can!
