Help! My Small Kitchen Is Ugly. Now What?

In our beach condo, we have a dark, dated and very small galley kitchen.  Somehow, I have to give the it a total makeover and I have to do it on a small budget.  Since I’ll be working with limited funds, that means not replacing the cabinets and not replacing the appliances.

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When we purchased our beach condo last summer, it had been used as a rental for several years.  The condo was in relatively good shape, but the decor and furnishings were not to our taste at all.  Even though I’m working with such a small space in the kitchen, I want the finished room to be bright modern farmhouse style with just a nod to the beach that’s right outside our door.

Looking from the dining room into the kitchen, this is what it looked like when we purchased the condo.  The cabinets are good quality and are in very good shape, but that’s about the best thing that it has going for it.  

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You can see that we have mismatched appliances, but that pesky budget that I’m working with means that I’m just going to have to live with them and replace them as they die.  🙁  The microwave will stay since it’s relatively new and the stainless on it ties in with the tiny bit of stainless that’s on the stove.  The refrigerator is also relatively new, so I don’t foresee replacing that anytime soon.  But, the dishwasher has some age on it and I’m sure will have to be replaced at some point, so I’ve given some thought to painting it black.  Black is not my first choice for appliance color in this space, but it is what it is.

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So, with all that being said, let’s take a look at my plan.  The mood board that I created for the space shows all the tricks that I’ll use to brighten the kitchen up and give it a modern farmhouse vibe.  Hopefully, you won’t recognize the space when I’m done!  {By the way – you can learn how to create you very own mood boards by clicking RIGHT HERE.}  

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1. PAINT THE CABINETS

We’ll paint the cabinets with Sherwin Williams Extra White so that they’ll match the trim in the rest of the condo.  The old-timey paneling that’s above the cabinets will be painted too.  Our cabinets aren’t shaker style like these, but this gives you an idea of what they’ll look like.

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2. ADD A BACKSPLASH 

The current kitchen doesn’t have a backsplash, but I definitely want one!  I’ve been looking for something affordable and super easy to install, so I’ll be using this amazing glass subway tile from Aspect Tile.  It’s peel and stick and doesn’t have to be grouted, so I’m hopeful that installation will be a breeze.

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3. REPLACE THE COUNTERS

The biggest splurge in the kitchen will be the new Luna White granite counters.  The old fake butcher block counters have got to go.  They’re the one thing in the kitchen that’s showing a lot of wear.  The new granite is very similar to what I used in my kitchen remodel at home and I just love it.  It ties in all of the colors that I’m using, it’s bright and doesn’t show every crumb or speck of dust like some countertops do.

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4. UPDATE THE FAUCET

Nothing fancy here, but I’ll be replacing the current faucet with a more modern one.  The counters include a new stainless sink, but the current faucet is chrome, so I think this one will look much better.

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5. REPLACE THE CABINET HARDWARE

The current hardware on the cabinets is yucky looking fake glass knobs and several of them are loose and won’t tighten.  So I’ll be replacing the drawer pulls, cabinet knobs and hinges with brushed nickel hardware that has simple lines.

6. ADD A HOOD ABOVE THE MICROWAVE

This is a project that’s probably a couple of years down the road.  The photo is just an example that I mocked up to give you an idea of what I’d like to do.  Because the kitchen is small and narrow, a hood can’t project out into the room much at all.  And it won’t be functional – it’ll just be for looks.

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Here’s the full to-do list for the kitchen makeover:

• Paint walls, trim and ceiling
• Paint cabinets
• Replace old ceramic tile with laminate flooring
• Center and replace light fixture
• Replace counters
• Add a backsplash
• Replace faucet
• Replace cabinet hardware
• Paint dishwasher
• Add a decorative hood above the microwave
• Add a roman shade to the window
• Make it pretty!

Okay – in the interest of full disclosure, I’ve really already done quite a bit in the kitchen.  🙂  If you’ve been following along for a while, you’ve already seen some peeks of it when I revealed the dining room makeover.  It isn’t quite finished yet, but I’m hoping it will be soon!

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