

The couple had uncovered the original flooring in other rooms throughout the home, so they opted to keep that look, repairing the floor and adding planks where necessary (mostly in the kitchen). When their contractor pulled up the linoleum, he found only subflooring in the kitchen and damaged parquet in the dining area. To incorporate color, the renovators selected a blue-green handmade tile backsplash that pops against the white cabinets and new wood flooring. They chose white Shaker cabinets with drawers as the bases, a detail the couple really loves. “ It was great to get suggestions from the contractor as there were already so many other things we needed to research and purchase on our own,” Anila said. Their contractor recommended a cabinetry company known for its flexibility on cabinet sizes and styles. These changes let in more natural light-exactly what the renovators wanted. First things first: knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and moving the refrigerator hook-up to another wall to leave more space for a bigger window. Īfter : With a mission to create an open, functional kitchen they got to work with their Sweeten general contractor. They posted their project to Sweeten and were matched with a general contractor. There was only one 6-inch wide drawer and limited counter space so it constantly felt cluttered and the corner cabinet, where we stored our pots and pans, was like a giant cave that you almost had to climb into to reach anything,” Anila shared. “Our kitchen and had inadequate storage, but there were also areas of wasted space, including a giant gap between the fridge and the cabinets.

The couple, an NYU administrator and musician, lived in the home for a year and a half before deciding it was time to renovate. The rest of the cook space had clearly seen updates since then, the latest being standard orange/brown cabinets and linoleum flooring. Project : Improve the layout and maximize storageīefore : Anila and Ian’s kitchen in Flatbush, Brooklyn, still had elements of its 1920s charm, like the high, tin ceilings. We kept the original tin ceiling while updating flooring, paint, sink and lighting.Expanding a window and knocking down a wall brings in more light

In addition to the kitchen, we updated the powder bath off the kitchen. We maintained the charm of this home with an arched doorway into the dining room, crown molding and trim to match. The homeowner loves color and we achieved this with teal light fixtures, an aqua subway tile backsplash, and a subtle teal undertone in the quartz counters. We carefully removed the ceiling and reinstalled it. The highlight of this kitchen is the original tin ceiling. More counter space was added in the window area overlooking the backyard. We added a pantry cabinet by the refrigerator, added cabinets under the window area, and removed the soffit for taller upper cabinets. The footprint of the kitchen was small, but through creative design, we found ways to increase storage and counter space. The project goals were simple – maintain the historic look of the home, increase storage and counter space, and include a pop of color. When a Wauwatosa homeowner approached us about remodeling the kitchen and powder room of her 1930s cape cod home, we knew it was the right fit.
