My Smallest Kitchen Renovation Ever

4 Materials
$5000
2 Weeks
Medium
Last summer my husband and I purchased our first rental house. At only 780 square feet the house was both adorable and challenging to renovate. The kitchen was our biggest renovation project planned for the little house and to bring it up to today's standards was going to take some creative thinking.
The kitchen is only 9' x 13' and also has to house the washer and dryer. Above is the before pictures showing the back wall with the washer, dryer, and stove all on one wall. Crazy to think someone actually used it this way. There was very little storage, almost no counter space and no dishwasher. I am a trained Interior Designer and my kitchen projects have all been custom kitchens with a much bigger budget. So this one is my first using box cabinets and an 18" dishwasher.
After having new windows installed we completely gutted the kitchen and rebuilt the walls. The electrical work was hired out to upgrade the fuse box and move the stove plug to a different wall.
Then it was time for the cabinets. My goal for the space was to more than double the storage, increase the counter space, and I really wanted it to have a dishwasher. I tried several different layouts on paper before deciding to order the sink base at only a 30" cabinet and special ordering an 18" dishwasher for the back wall. It is a bit more expensive to get these sizes but worth it to have a fully functioning kitchen.
We custom made this island with a hinged top to allow them to move the extension out of the way if needed. I planned the island design using two 18" base cabinets, my husband built the top, and together we refinished and painted the piece.



Here's the back wall


And below is the front wall after everything was installed
(new stove, hood, sink and faucet)
Small kitchens are definitely a challenge but with some creative thinking and planning you make them work.
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Donna Powell
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