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Kitchen Renovation: High End on a Budget


Kitchen Renovation, Welcome to By Michele Gerber I am a writer, producer, content creator, professor, adventure seeker. and sadly, I've had to be gluten-free for over 15 years. So, I am kind of an expert. I am passionate about, or maybe obsessed with, entertainment and my latest binges, my favorite gluten-free foods, projects and design, and adventure. And, I'll sprinkle in social commentary. Because somethings need to be said Out Loud..

Kitchen Renovation, Welcome to By Michele Gerber I am a writer, producer, content creator, professor, adventure seeker. and sadly, I've had to be gluten-free for over 15 years. So, I am kind of an expert. I am passionate about, or maybe obsessed with, entertainment and my latest binges, my favorite gluten-free foods, projects and design, and adventure. And, I'll sprinkle in social commentary. Because somethings need to be said Out Loud..


Demo and Construction:



The Finishes:


The Kitchen Renovation


The story behind the design:


I spent SO much time, actually years, figuring out just the right way to design this kitchen and dining room space. This is a small 3 bedroom, 2 bath, galley kitchen ranch style house that was built in the 1950s.


The dream was a show stopping white, bright, open and clean design with a giant island. The kitchen had to be high function, high end all with a limited budget.


Before:

Kitchen Renovation, Welcome to By Michele Gerber I am a writer, producer, content creator, professor, adventure seeker. and sadly, I've had to be gluten-free for over 15 years. So, I am kind of an expert. I am passionate about, or maybe obsessed with, entertainment and my latest binges, my favorite gluten-free foods, projects and design, and adventure. And, I'll sprinkle in social commentary. Because somethings need to be said Out Loud..
Kitchen Renovation, Welcome to By Michele Gerber I am a writer, producer, content creator, professor, adventure seeker. and sadly, I've had to be gluten-free for over 15 years. So, I am kind of an expert. I am passionate about, or maybe obsessed with, entertainment and my latest binges, my favorite gluten-free foods, projects and design, and adventure. And, I'll sprinkle in social commentary. Because somethings need to be said Out Loud..










I used lots of online planning tools to get a feel for various designs. I taped off the designs to check the flow and function. Then, I met with an amazing Home Depot Designer but the price for just the cabinets came in around $25K, YIKES!


I started using the online Ikea Kitchen Planner and it gave me instant estimates. In the end my cabinet prices were about $10K. When I found my design they had me talk with a design consultant and she hooked my design up! She added all the drawers inside the drawers, soft close, and lighting. I hired the Ikea installers to put the cabinets in. They are like machines. It was amazing to watch.


Click through to check out the process:


Lessons learned from previous projects:


Focus most on your main surfaces, trends change and you will get tired of overly stylized elements. Kitchens are expensive so you have to live with design mistakes for a long time.


Where I splurged!


My countertop is super fancy White Princess Quartzite. I went back to visit it 3 times before I made the $6K decision. It had so many beautiful colors and felt like a piece of art. I knew everything else would be very neutral and I could get away with the white and slight blue, green, gold, gray, black colors and style.



It was important to me that the island have a smooth surface with no weird raised edges from the appliances. And, I did not want a big vent popping out of the ceiling, ruining the sightlines of our small space. So the cooktop/range and downdraft were my only solutions. I selected a Wolf Range and Best Downdraft about $10K.



The Slope Leather Counter Stools are from West Elm. I LOVE them! Originally, I purchased a cheaper version of these chairs from the At Home store and I had to return them. The quality was just no where near these chairs. BUT, the chairs have a metal base and I have brand new wood floors. My solution was to get bright white carpets from Ikea and use them as sliders. All of my other slider solutions didn't hold up. Each chair about $400, that's $1,200. But, I LOVE them.



Things that look expensive but weren't:


The Kaus faucet and sink are fantastic and came from Wayfair, along with the clear glass schoolhouse lights.


I ordered non Ikea handles the installers put in for me.


Also, the narrow dining room table was custom built and cost me about $400. Originally, I had a wooden plank pipe leg farm table that I built. It was very nice but when my cousin wanted to build this one, I have to go with it. His artistic ability is incredible!


I reused my Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant and my Bosch dishwasher.



Additionally, we had all the flooring redone in the house and now everything matches and we put recessed lighting throughout the space.


The End Result:


Kitchen Renovation, Welcome to By Michele Gerber I am a writer, producer, content creator, professor, adventure seeker. and sadly, I've had to be gluten-free for over 15 years. So, I am kind of an expert. I am passionate about, or maybe obsessed with, entertainment and my latest binges, my favorite gluten-free foods, projects and design, and adventure. And, I'll sprinkle in social commentary. Because somethings need to be said Out Loud..







Michele Gerber, I am a writer, producer, content creator, professor, adventure seeker. and sadly, I've had to be gluten-free for over 15 years. So, I am kind of an expert. I am passionate about, or maybe obsessed with, entertainment and my latest binges, my favorite gluten-free foods, projects and design, and adventure. And, I'll sprinkle in social commentary. Because somethings need to be said Out Loud..

I am a writer, producer, content creator, professor, adventure seeker. and sadly, I've had to be gluten-free for over 15 years. So, I am kind of an expert. I am passionate about, or maybe obsessed with, entertainment and my latest binges, my favorite gluten-free foods, projects and design, and adventure. And, I'll sprinkle in social commentary.

Because somethings need to be said Out Loud.





© 2022-2024 By Michele Gerber. All Rights Reserved.

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