DIY Del Ray: From Vintage to Victorious

When Chris and Mary purchased their duplex in February 2007, renovations were the last thing on their mind—four days after moving in, their second child was born.

After getting settled and making a list of home improvement priorities, they decided a major kitchen overhaul was not on the top of their to-do list. The galley kitchen was original to the house and in need of serious updating, so they added new appliances and a dishwasher for the time-being.

Four years later, and after other home improvement projects had been completed (new bathroom in the basement, refinished floors, painting, etc.), they decided it was time to tackle the kitchen. The kitchen’s metal cabinets wouldn’t close and some were barely hanging onto the walls. The awkward layout coupled with a lack of storage and counter space made cooking extremely frustrating. As Mary described it, the appliances “swallowed the room.”

The kitchen was completely gutted to the studs and all new walls, countertops, cabinets, and fixtures were installed.

They bumped the front wall of the kitchen into the living room, creating a nook for the refrigerator. Although they lost about 3 feet of living room space, moving the refrigerator to the new location gave them a more accessible kitchen layout and enabled they to install an additional countertop and cabinet next to the stove.

New hardwood floors were also installed, continued from the dining and living room.

The room is incredibly bright. Dark brown cabinets and black appliances are contrasted with white granite countertops, white tiled backsplash and undermount lighting. This once dingy kitchen is now a shining star.

Materials Used

Counters: Cashmere White granite
Cabinets: Decora shaker-style
Appliances: GE (from existing kitchen)
Sink: Elkay undermount
Faucet: Moen

What They Like the Most

Mary: We tripled the amount of counter space and we have lots of storage.
Chris: We can finally get our wine glasses out of the attic because there is a place to put them in the kitchen.

What They Would Do Differently

Mary: I would probably open up the wall between the kitchen and dining room. It would be nice to have a more open floor plan, but with three mechanical ducts in the wall, it would have been more difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Plus, we would have lost a lot of upper cabinet space.
Chris: Nothing really, but one minor thing is I would increase the distance between the counter and the upper cabinets—it’s hard to use appliances like coffee makers.

Biggest Frustration

Chris: Overall the project went rather smoothly. But the biggest frustration would be not having a kitchen for three weeks and the dust that spread throughout the house.

Biggest Splurge

Mary: The backsplash was expensive, but my mom installed it so we saved on the labor cost.

Advice for Others

Mary: Hire a kitchen designer. They will help you determine the best layout and make the most of your space (Note: Chris and Mary enlisted the design services of Harry Braswell, where Mary works as a project manager.).
Chris: Be ready for the unexpected. Projects hardly ever go as planned. We were thrown for a loop with the amount of ducts that limited the project somewhat.

Thank you Chris and Mary for sharing your fabulous new kitchen!

For more home improvement projects, visit http://www.diydelray.com.