We have moved onto the kitchen and I’m excited to share the updates we have made to make this space feel more like ours! I recently shared the small changes we made to our rental bath and we took a similar approach in our kitchen–changing what we could and investing where it made sense. The “bones” of the kitchen were already there–warm white cabinetry (sans hardware), original hardwood floors, granite counter tops (while not my absolute favorite they still made the kitchen feel elevated), and a layout that was small but efficient. This kitchen is probably the smallest we’ve ever been in so photographing it was tough but I’ll do my best to share with you all the changes we made.
In our kitchen we:
- Updated the paint on both the walls and ceiling to match the rest of the space
- Changed the overhead lighting
- Removed the windowed cabinet doors to open up the shelving
- Added hardware to the cabinetry
- Included our personal styling elements
Before
The Updates
Paint
Again, we painted the kitchen the Behr Spun Cotton, semi-gloss finish. I wish we could’ve been more creative with colors throughout our apartment, but our landlord wanted consistency.
Overhead Lighting
The “boob” lighting had to go. I found this pendant light to replace it! It is also under $200 but looks great. Since the space is small and we had good natural lighting the pendant light brought in just the right touch and functionality. The install was a little tricky since the wiring was older but with good help we got it up. Be sure to get help if you are going to replace lighting and you don’t know how!
Removed Cabinet Doors
Before we added in all the accessories I decided to remove the doors on the cabinets that had windows. They looked a little dated and were pretty grimey from not being cleaned over the years. Open shelves are not for everyone but I like displaying some of our plates and cups–I think it adds layers and a lived in look to the space. Removing some of the doors also saved us money on the next element, hardware.
Hardware
The kitchen cabinets didn’t have any hardware on them and the sides were really dirty from where previous tenants used to grab the drawer or door to pull it open. I loved brass hardware and found these great pulls and knobs from Rejuvenation that would fit perfectly. We were lucky that there wasn’t hardware installed previously as we had more freedom with sizing. Careful measuring and a few drill holes later and our kitchen was starting to look more finished.
Finishing Touches
The final elements of our kitchen update included some personal styling elements. We don’t have a lot of counter space so these pieces needed to be functional. Since the sink was in a corner, we had space behind for a little vignette: a wood stand, a candle and a small vase for pretty flowers or herbs. I also upgraded our paper towel holder and scrub brush. These were small changes that make the ordinary everyday a little more special. Next to the stove top I pulled together my oils, garlic, pepper and salts with a marble charger. Marble is absorbent so it now lovingly holds oil stains but to me, that is a sign that it is has been put to good use. Finally, we brought in a jute rug for the floor. It is very durable and has enough thickness to make standing over the stove comfortable for long periods of time.
These are small changes we made but it had a big impact on how the space felt. If you are ever curious about all the pieces we have in our kitchen, I link everything on my shop page! I’ve also linked some below.
After
Get the Look
