robglazebrook.com

Because I know everyone must be insanely curious, I decided to post a quick before-and-after comparison of our kitchen work. Even if this does make this article the second photo comparison in a row. Sorry about that.

On the left, we have our before-kitchen. There was nothing wrong with it, per se. Actually, that’s a lie. The linoleum was peeling up off the floor and the ceiling fan’s pull chain had broken, which was a problem because it wasn’t hooked up to any switch anywhere. Which meant you had to twist the bulbs on and off to ensure you had enough light to avoid tripping over the linoleum.

But other than that, we were mostly all about making the kitchen feel more modern, with clean lines and bright, strong colors. We couldn’t afford to replace the cabinetry, or even buy new appliances, so our options were limited. And by options, I really mean money, which meant options.

So here’s a list of the final improvements:

• New vinyl tile on the floor is slightly less hypnotic
• Cabinets now marble white instead of anonywood brown
• Walls add vibrancy instead of sucking life from souls
• New knobs and hinges match the walls nicely and still complement the remaining wood tones
• Benches got a new coat of paint. Err, tablecloth of fabric
• Old and busted: ceiling fan. New hotness: track lighting
• Wood baseboard replaced previous old vinyl wraparound
• Valences hide our vinyl blind shame
• Tablecloth on the table covers remnant of kitchen fruit motif

And all of this work was done on the fairly-cheap. While I don’t have an exact number (and I’m not counting sweat equity), I’d say we were able to complete this renovation for right around $500. Not bad for such a big change, eh? In my opinion, the difference is night and day. And not just because that’s when the photos were taken.