Trying to make the best of a small space!
When we moved into our historic 100-year-old home, Shawn immediately gutted the kitchen. We did not have a lot of money after buying the house, so what little we had went into buying appliances and secondhand cabinets. It was a super quick renovation that was more about cleanliness than design. Not to say that I didn’t make it as cool as I possibly could, but we needed a kitchen asap and that was the priority.
It went from this:
(And yes, besides the ’70s decor, everything was housed on these 3 walls.)
To this: (My take on farmhouse)
And then I decided farmhouse wasn’t me. But the real reason we did not include the other side of the room in this kitchen renovation is because there is a door to a bathroom right in the way. It made it impossible to put anything on the other side because besides the door to the bathroom there are 3 other doorways to contend with.
So after living here almost 7 years we finally got around to removing the shower in this bathroom, because who needs a shower off the kitchen? That allowed us to move the door and gain the necessary space to install cabinetry on the other side of the kitchen.
Here are some photos of the construction: The 1st photo shows the other side of the kitchen where the original bathroom door was.
And here is the finished product: Last photo is where the door is now that we have moved it and installed cabinets.
Since we were “all in” on this project we also took the opportunity to fix a few things like rotting floorboards, leveling the transition to the back door and installing a hood vent that works better than the dreaded over the stove microwave. We also added cabinetry, new backsplash and paint, as well as a new faucet and pendant, because I mean, why not?
Since the bathroom was part of this overall project, it is included in the budget, and once it’s done I’ll have photos of that and the total cost breakdown. Until then, here is my own realization: I preach to clients all the time to live in a space before you make major changes and try to avoid doing double work as it’s always more costly in the end. And this is true 90% of the time, but sometimes you need to learn and grow through the process and making a mistake is just part of that journey.
So live in the space if you can, for as long as you can, but if you really need to make a change then go for it, but get some advice first to minimize the cost. And be really honest and clear when seeking that advice so your designer can steer you in the right direction and help you achieve the space you want and deserve.
