This “Tiny, Dark, and Dated” ’80s Kitchen Gets a Gorgeous Modern Makeover

If you’re a frustrated homebuyer who’s looking to purchase your first property in this challenging market, I feel your pain. My husband and I walked the same competitive road two years ago. We scoured listings, worked with real estate agents, and dropped everything at a moment’s notice to tour anything that came on the market close to our desired price range and town. We were lucky to find a cozy cottage in a great neighborhood. 

It did need a little bit of TLC, though. Our first order of business was to tackle the linoleum kitchen and the carpeted dining room — neither of which seemed to have been touched since the ’80s. We decided we’d not only renovate the two, but also combine them to create a larger open-concept gathering space that would be better for hosting.  

At just 9 by 11 feet, the original kitchen space really wasn’t very functional. It felt claustrophobically small, dark, and dated. The flooring was gold checkered linoleum, one window sat over the stainless steel kitchen sink, and the cabinets were grainy oak with very limited storage space. The formica countertops screamed, “Help me! I’m stuck in a time warp!” 

The 12-by-10-foot dining room wasn’t in much better shape. With wall-to-wall beige carpeting, two windows, and a brass chandelier, it too felt less like somewhere we’d like to entertain guests and more like the set of a ’90s holiday movie. Both rooms — the entire house, actually — had dated radiators that constricted wall space. In addition, a wall separated the kitchen and dining room, which darkened and compartmentalized both areas.

We pictured these two tiny, dated rooms becoming the new center of our home — a bright, airy, open space where we’d be proud to entertain family and friends for brunch, cocktails, dinner parties, and everything in between. We laid out which aesthetic elements were most important to us: lots of natural sunlight, an open and functional floor plan, quality appliances, and smart storage. Our dream would require knocking down walls and reconfiguring windows. But most importantly, we wanted to create a relaxing oasis to spend time and make new memories.

So, we did as many new homeowners do — we grabbed the sledgehammers and got to work!

Once the walls were down, our next step was to work with an amazing kitchen design center, Radzwillas Kitchen & Bath Design in Trumbull, Connecticut, to map out a sensible floor plan that would check all our boxes and bring our vision to life. They executed that vision perfectly, with all-new cabinetry and tons of counter space. Seeing the cabinets installed (even without countertops, appliances, or paint) was so exciting; it felt like a totally different space already! 

We chose white cabinets with Shaker-style doors (some glass) and honey-bronze hardware, for a striking contrast against the floors. Two large windows and a glass French door leading out into our backyard invited a ton of natural sunlight to pour in.

Next, we chose the flooring — and that’s when it all really started coming together. I was not at all sorry to see that linoleum go! Again, the space felt instantly lighter. We opted for wide-plank, farmhouse-style flooring, which we loved so much we installed it throughout the rest of the house, too. We also removed the radiators and updated our HVAC to maximize floor and wall space.

Some essential finishing touches? A white porcelain apron farmhouse sink, complete with a honey-bronze faucet, and fresh Calacatta quartz countertops. For the focal point of our room, we had a custom farmhouse table made to perfectly fit our space, and topped it off by installing the most gorgeous coastal cottage lighting fixture.

Rather than having extra cabinets along the other wall across from the dining table, we opted for a beautiful buffet server to store special pieces for entertaining — and it’s the ideal spot for a vase of fresh flowers each week.

If you’re feeling stumped by your own tired, dated kitchen, or struggling to find your dream home, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! It’s not easy, but try to see potential instead of limitations. We started our journey with a dated kitchen and dining room, and transformed it into a breezy cottage-coastal retreat. 

This project set the tone for decorating the rest of our house, and it’s the one room in which we spend the most of our time — exactly as we intended it to be.