Total Kitchen Transformation...With a Bit of Retro History!
Turn a retro era kitchen into a show stopper without totally gutting it! Plus salvaging a piece of local retro history for a unique kitchen island!
**I buy old, neglected, and ugly houses and flip them all by myself! It's a crazy, DIY house-flipping life, so come follow along on my blog- The Bachelorette Pad Flip: https://bachelorettepadflip.wordpress.com/
**I buy old, neglected, and ugly houses and flip them all by myself! It's a crazy, DIY house-flipping life, so come follow along on my blog- The Bachelorette Pad Flip: https://bachelorettepadflip.wordpress.com/
Step 1: When I bought Flip 3 from Grandma and Grandpa's estate, it was packed full of their belongings [and some of mine too]. This 1964 kitchen never really saw any updates expect for refacing of cabinets in the late 80s or 90s. The layout was intrusive, the countertops were faded, the appliances were ancient, the usable floor space was miniscule, and not to mention, it was just dark! It needed drastic updates!
Step 2: KEEP most of the cabinets, but the massive peninsula had to go! But don't worry, I didn't sacrifice storage space. Instead, I hired a local handyman to rebuild matching cabinets that will be flush against the wall instead of sticking out into the floor space.
Step 3: The enormous dividing wall between the kitchen and living room had to go! It not only made the house look so much bigger, it allowed tons more natural light, and more movable room in the kitchen.
Step 4: The ugly stick on tiles were removed, as was the subflooring. The new cabinet layout received a fresh coat of paint. Beautiful hardwood floors were added to match the existing floors in the kitchen. My tip: Don't be afraid of wood floors in a kitchen! They are beautiful and unique, and they've been a huge hit in this flip!
Step 5: I chose a modern-retro line of appliances that I LOVE! They were worth the [minor] splurge!
Step 6: I added new gray countertops and fun retro cabinet hardware. So many fun things have been added to this kitchen....but BY FAR, my favorite is the kitchen island!
Step 7: While antique shopping, I stumbled on this enormous retro metal cabinet. It was salvaged from the local high school cafeteria circa 1960s--the same time my dad was attending there. I stripped the flaking paint, sanded the exterior, and thoroughly cleaned it. I removed the broken legs & added industrial casters.
The final product! After tons of big and little projects, the kitchen is unrecognizable. I wanted a modern kitchen with obvious retro accents. By salvaging the cabinets and tile backsplash, I saved some money. The natural light now floods the space, and it looks so fresh!
To see all of the details and progress posts, check out my blog: The Bachelorette Pad Flip!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 of 108 comments
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Fabulous 'new' kitchen. Great job. LOVE the island. Thanks for sharing.
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Amazing transformation! Cook it up. Enjoy.
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looks beautiful!
Love the makeover! Noticed you have a white stove but purchased stainless for . Do you e look? I have a newer white stove but need a fridge and dishwasher for a white "farmhouse" kitchen look.