Kitchen Home Projects

It's amazing what a few basic swaps can do.

The before? Nice, but too small. The after? A real stunner, and way more practical, too.

The secret weapon? Paint, of course.

Plus way more beautiful, to boot.

Cabinets play a large role in this.

Knocking out a wall makes it feel way bigger, too, though the footprint stayed pretty much the same.

White cabinets are nice, but this color is a looker.

You'll want to paint your cabinets when you see this makeover.

It's still only just 280 square feet, but feels so much bigger.

From sleek white to bold blue, these cabinet redos are the best we've seen all year.

From budget refreshes to full-on renos, here were our favorite cook space transformations of the year.

The classic look of the new kitchen makes it feel timeless.

This is a dramatic (and very effective) transformation.

It looks totally unrecognizable now.

With some help from basil-colored paint.

A small budget went a long way in this project.

Remember these, and your kitchen will look extra high-end.

These two non-neutrals are bold.

The homeowners were quoted $50,000 before they decided to DIY.

Wait until you see what the homeowner did with the soffit.

What was shared to serve as inspiration for others turned into an opinionated thread real fast.

It's worth it to think outside the (cabinet) box.

They analyzed over 500,000 Instagram posts.

Nicole Gibbons tells all.

All the upgrades are renter-friendly, to boot.

A few slick tricks could give your kitchen a high-end, custom-made feel.

HGTV star Jonathan Scott has the know-how for refinishing kitchen cabinets without replacing them.

According to maintenance experts.

From no counters and zero cabinets to a fun, functional cookspace for just $543!

If you're looking for open-concept done right, look no further.

One highlight: a totally doable IKEA hack.

From dark and dated to light, bright, and airy!

It's a little Scandi, a little boho, and a lot chic.

A few simple things turn this space into a "wow."

A little color goes a long way in this kitchen redo.

The after looks way brighter and more open thanks to some smart design tricks.

And you won't believe how light and bright they both are now!

Wait until you see the new light fixture.

For less than $500, thanks to IKEA hacks and contact paper!

Yes, FREE.

These seemingly innocent items can cause lots of damage.

Prepare to be amazed.

This project will inspire you to tackle your own pantry area.

No one will be sad to see those beige cabinets go.

This redo's full of smart money-saving tricks.

Cabinets can really make all the difference in a kitchen.

You'll want to take a sledgehammer to your uppers once you see the result.

Here at Apartment Therapy, we love a colorful kitchen. But we also recognize that painting your kitchen is a little different from say, painting your living room or bedroom. It feels a little more scary, a little more permanent. It can also affect your home’s resale value. If you love color, but these things have you feeling a little trepidatious, why not consider blue?

Name: Graeme & Rebekah Molloy Type of Project: Kitchen Remodel Location: Chautauqua Park, Des Moines, Iowa Type of building: 1920 Tudor The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. Rebekah and Graeme are now totally in the thick of their kitchen reno.

Updating old laminate countertops without having to completely replace them can be a big challenge. Faux finishes can often look, well… faux, and tackling a DIY project (like pouring your own concrete countertops) can be tricky and exhausting. That’s why I was so impressed with this project from interior designer Kara Paslay.Kara managed a realistic concrete look without the hassle and weight of fully-formed slabs.

The apron-front, or farmhouse, sink has been a popular fixture in all kinds of kitchens for some time now, and with the rise in popularity of kitchens that mix traditional and modern elements, it feels more appropriate than ever. If you’re considering adding one of these big beauties to your space, here’s everything you need to know. Searching for a farmhouse sink? See all of our best picks here.

If you’re looking for a relatively painless, low-cost way to update your kitchen, and have ever been on the internet, you know that painting your cabinets is the way to go. Honestly, I can’t think of better dollar-to-dramatic improvement ratio on any other project. And the news gets better: It’s way easier now than it was the olden days, before the miracle of chalk paint.

That trash is treasure.

This kitchen was so dark that you could hardly see what you were cooking at night.

My kitchen Before.. just two-three months ago. Name:Type of Project:Location:Type of building:Whenever I am asked how you learn to make good interior design decisions, how to trust yourself or how to just plain have style, I say the same thing. Start by copying. I don’t mean the type of copying where you cheated in high school by looking at someone else’s answers.

Your kitchen is only so big, so if you’ve run out of storage room, it’s time to make the space work harder and be more efficient. It’s easy to miss potential, but look closely and you’ll find lots more opportunities to store essentials and clutter. Here are five ways we often get it wrong, and how you can quickly remedy your kitchen mistakes.

Butcher countertops are still having their moment. They can add warmth and character to an otherwise sterile kitchen, and the natural and classic look of wood can simultaneously upgrade a kitchen and give it a timeless feel. But as with any trend, you should be wary of adopting it unless it’s a style that truly and personally brings you joy. When it comes to butcher block countertops, which require extra maintenance and can pose unique challenges, this is especially true.

Before: The kitchen, although graced with beautiful large windows, left a little something to be desired. After: A new kitchen from the studs inward, including a new Kohler sink and industrial task lighting above the windows for more functionality.From Andi: Possibly the most luxurious thing is the increased square footage (we went from 95 to 170 square feet).

For all of us who have been following along with Claire and Jeffrey’s renovation, the ultimate moment has finally arrived. That’s right — the kitchen is finally complete, and it’s time for the big reveal. Before: The space viewed from the living room entry. After: Now, the kitchen is wide open, with an uninterrupted view of the window to the backyard.From Claire:We spend all of our free time in this room.

One of the most important kitchen design decisions you’ll make, both for looks and functionality, is the layout. You have a few options—the tried and true U shape, or the elegant and functional galley shape. But if you love entertaining, and love the look of an open kitchen, there’s another kind of kitchen layout that’s worth a look: the L shape. An L-shaped kitchen has just two runs of cabinetry, arranged at right angles to each other. (The name pretty much says it all.

New year, new kitchen.

They may be some of the smallest details in a kitchen, but a change (or addition) of cabinet hardware can totally update a room’s entire look. Available in a disorienting array of finishes, shapes, sizes and materials, the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing what to adorn your cabinet doors and drawers with. But perhaps you’re not entirely convinced that a few knobs can make a big visual difference in a kitchen? Check out the Photoshopped images below.

This is what Tara’s kitchen looked like when she moved in this past year. Not too pretty, eh? With her landlord’s approval, we did a light reno that didn’t cost a lot, but made a major difference in both appearance and function. Spending money on a rental isn’t for everyone — but for those of you who love to cook, have a horrible kitchen, and plan to stay put for awhile, then a little investment may well be worth the time and expense.

At this budget range, kitchen renovations mean less actual physical labor for the homeowners, who are able to leave most of that work to the professionals. That doesn’t mean a total hands off approach however. The owners of these kitchens either acted as their own general contractor, designed the space themselves, and shopped vigilantly for the best deals out there.

Name: Jennifer Pade Type of Project: Kitchen remodel Location: West Village, New York, New York Type of building: 300 square foot apartment in a co-op building For those of you who have been following along with Jennifer’s NYC kitchen remodel, and who saw the truly dire state of her original kitchen, this reveal will be especially satisfying. The work is done, the dust has cleared, and now it’s time to take a look at the finished product.

This plain kitchen was sort of… fine? We’ve seen gross kitchens and this one was far from it. If anything, it was a little sterile, with various off-white shades paired with some unflattering lighting. Here’s another view, where you can see that there weren’t any accent colors, textures, metal-mixing, or any of the other design elements that give a space interest.

If there’s a leading trend, it’s embracing color, and that’s exactly what the talented crew at DC design firm Residents: Understood did with their clients Danielle and Peter. Using the young couple’s wanderlust as inspiration, R:U set about transforming sterile gloomy to bold global.Given that Danielle and Peter met while studying in Europe, got engaged in Iceland, and will be married in Italy this fall, they wanted to make a home that suited their vibrant life together.

The secret? Color!

Here’s the unfortunate truth about 99% of all living spaces: every house and apartment—large or small—likely has something that’s weird, oddly placed, or just plain ugly. These persistent little problems (cords, vents, pipes, outlets) might drive you nuts, but stay they must, especially if you are a renter. The only solution is to get creative…. Here are ten common household eyesores, and DIY projects and ideas to help you disguise them: 1.

Ever since Denise and her husband Brad moved into their 1937 California Ranch style home six years ago, the dark and dated kitchen was always a sore spot for her. Not only was it stuck in the ’80s, it also lacked adequate storage.It wasn’t until the birth of their daughter that she realized she would be spending a lot of time in the kitchen as a stay-at-home mom — and she needed a space that was open, warm, and reflected her love of old world glamour.

Back in 2011, Annie and her husband had a little difference of opinion when it came to the oak cabinets in the kitchen of their new home. She hated them, and he loved them. Since she had carte blanche everywhere else in the house, she wrote into Apartment Therapy asking how they should redecorate and still respect his wishes.

Think twice before rinsing these household staples down the drain.