Joni's condo kitchen remodel: Act 1

This is Joni's SoCal kitchen. And this is Patti contemplating Joni's kitchen.

Patti and Joni are nurses who work together. Patti has a great sense of style — her hair, her clothes, her house, her life. So when Joni decided she wanted some of that style for her own kitchen, she asked Patti to help.

We will be following the progress as these two friends renovate the kitchen.

Joni's budget is $1,000, and the work will be mostly DIY. The slim budget means there will be no replacing of cabinets or counters or floors. Maybe "refresh" is a better term than "remodel."

Here are the plans so far:

• Remove cabinet above peninsula to allow in more natural light.
• Lighten up the cabinets with paint or stain.
• Replace hardware.
• Add tile backsplash with some glass tile.
• Replace lighting fixture in ceiling with low-voltage track lighting.

Joni says she wants the kitchen to feel like a comfortable and funky coffee house. She likes one particular local coffee house (pictured above), which has stone floors and white cupboards, and she and Patti will go there to check out the details. Meanwhile, Patti pulled a pillow off Joni's couch (middle photo above) and wants to use some of those colors in the kitchen.

Check out this video of Patti explaining the project so far.

Bookmark this page and check back for regular updates. Joni and Patti welcome feedback and suggestions!

Comments

[saskia]

Completely agree with removing those upper cabinets that block the view of the kitchen.

Something else that is bothering me, is that pinkish wallpaper? (or is that paint). It could use an update.

But it really looks like a simple update can do wonders. I do like the colors in the scheme. And it looks like they know that light colors will brighten the room.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
KPR: Saskia, good eye on those pinkish walls. Inside the kitchen, the walls will be repainted. However, beyond the kitchen, into the dining room and living room, the walls have been coated with an Old World-looking plaster that I believe will be staying in place.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[anon]

All of your ideas sound good

Instead of removing the cabinet, what if you
fill the space below with a stained glass
window (maybe make it yourself as a crafts
project?)