Who doesn’t love a good “before and after” kitchen renovation? Not to gloat or anything, but today we’re delving into a truly mind boggling “before and after” transformation. This kitchen went from drab, dated, and pokey to bright, airy and beautiful!
Before
After
See…. We weren’t kidding when we said “mind boggling”! So, how did we pull off such an incredible kitchen renovation? We’re getting into it below!
Colour Palette
Opting for a soft grey and Hague Blue colour palette in this kitchen, creates a sense of calmness and tranquility. This particular palette also makes the space feel much more open and airy, whereas prior to the renovation…. the kitchen felt stuffy and cramped.
Bloomsbury Tip: Believe it or not, white paint can actually make a small space feel well, even smaller! Incorporating colour adds depth and anchors the space, making the room appear larger than it actually is!
It’s all about leveraging contrast in the right spot. For this space, we painted the walls and perimeter cabinetry the same colour to expand the outter edges of the room. We then chose a contrasting Hague Blue for the island which anchored and grounded the space. By utilizing contrasting colours in this way, we were able to transform this kitchen into a space that felt much bigger and airier.
Clever Storage Space
Before
After
This transformation focused primarily on maximizing storage space to make this kitchen functional, efficient… and pretty to look at!
Bloomsbury Tip: In order to make the most of the kitchen space, think about your personal preferences when it comes to workflow. Ask yourself questions like “Will I use the island for eating,” and “Where do I like to keep my spices & oils”.
By asking yourself practical, yet crucial, questions about how you’ll interact with the space, you’ll be able to plan storage solutions that align with your preferred workflow. Think of how you move through the space while you work. For example you might find if you bake a lot, that having your spices & baking needs in the island might be better than beside the range. We all work differently, so find what works best for you!
For the Westwinds Kitchen Project, our client wanted to optimize the space for organization, storage and workflow. The client had originally done a partial refresh of the kitchen space by repainting the wood cabinetry…. Which doesn’t help much when it comes to layout or functionality! But it was a quick cosmetic refresh to buy some time before investing in a proper full renovation. We switched up the layout and divided workspaces into zones based on the way the client described using the space, and the frustrations that didn’t work and the things that did work in the previous kitchen. We added an extra counter where it was needed most, and better use of storage space with drawers, organizers & pullouts to better optimize kitchen storage, and to make the workflow more efficient.
Highlight River Views
Before
During Kitchen Renovation
Our client’s home is situated on a gorgeous piece of property with river views that are absolutely breathtaking. The problem? The old layout never capitalized on these beautiful views; they were hidden behind curtains! Our client wanted to highlight the views of the river from the kitchen windows, so we chose to open up space and refrain from using curtains and give some breathing room around the window. The amount of natural light that now pours into this kitchen is absolutely amazing! The goal was to help bring the outdoors in… mission accomplished!
Design tip: leave 4-5” around your windows before starting cabinetry. It will visually open up the space, expand the appearance of your windows and allow more natural light to filter into the room!
Expert Tips For Kitchen Renovations
When it comes to kitchen renovations, there’s always some general tips and tricks you should be aware of!
1. Be flexible when you’re making plans. When it comes to kitchen renovations, one of the biggest mistakes I see is planning that is too detailed and specific and doesn’t plan for the future. For example, let’s say you allocate one cupboard for all of your pots and pans without leaving room for additional future kitchenware. If you purchase new (or taller) pots, then your kitchen no longer functions well… you’ve already run out of space! Rule of thumb: always leave room for flexibility in your plans right from the beginning. This will allow you to settle into the new space and move things around a bit as you start using your new space and find your ideal routine.
2. Create balance, proportion and scale.. Designing a space is all about creating balance that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. A well-balanced room is peaceful, while an imbalanced room is often jarring and displeasing to the eye. Balance is achieved through proportion - not just symmetry, although commonly we want everything to be symmetrical. But in reality, proportion is what our eye finds attractive & pleasing. This particular space was a challenge due to the 8ft ceilings and asymmetrical windows, but we worked with the space we had and proportioned the custom cabinetry to fit the space perfectly! By investing in high quality bespoke cabinetry, appliances & counters we achieved a space that felt larger and more balanced. By investing in great design and properly proportioned cabinetry, our client avoided having to invest a larger amount of money in structural upgrades to achieve a brighter space, such as raising the roof or blowing out walls.
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