ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION FROM START TO FINISH
HOME TYPE:
Apartment
PROJECT TYPE:
Kitchen
STYLE:
Bohemian, Eclectic
SKILL LEVEL:
DIY
RENTAL FRIENDLY:
Yes
Two years ago, the kitchen in Marisa’s
@artbymarxa
)
350-square-foot NYC rental apartment
received a slight makeover: The original white floor tiles were replaced with laminate wood flooring to complement the rest of the area.
However, Marisa understood that her intention was to stay for an extended period, and this minor alteration didn’t fully align with her long-term vision. She explains, “The previous kitchen served its purpose but lacked character.” Yet, she felt strongly about making each part of her house truly reflect her personal style.
A journey to Morocco helped cement Marisa’s vision for her ideal new kitchen. Prior to this experience, she didn’t particularly care for using patterns, even though she always enjoyed adding pops of color. “I realized during my travels that patterns bring a lot of personality and vitality to an area,” she says. This insight led her to consider integrating patterns into her design scheme without compromising the room’s spaciousness.
The most significant change came from the peel-and-stick tile backsplash, which brings a retro feel. As Marisa explains, since she chose a design primarily featuring blue tones, she incorporated elements of green through items such as her air fryer and microwave.
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She additionally added new cabinet knobs to introduce some pops of colors. “The
cabinet knobs
“Felt like making a decisive choice since both the blues and greens stood out strongly in the tiles and appliances, so I decided to blend the blue and green knobs together,” she clarifies.
Moreover, Marisa didn’t like the overhead lighting in her kitchen, so she chose LED strips that she placed beneath the wall cabinets instead. This turned out to be an even bigger success since the strip was lengthy enough for her to also hang portions over the upper cabinets.
A
kitchen cart from IKEA
assisted in making all of Marisa’s tools readily available while partitioning the area between the living room and kitchen. She divided the renovation into manageable tasks that she completed single-handedly, with the entire update costing approximately $400.
Marisa expresses her appreciation for the practicality and warmth of the kitchen, adding that she enjoys brewing coffee effortlessly each morning. She also appreciates being able to reflect on cherished moments with friends through the photos on the refrigerator and enjoying the sight of her preferred shade of blue. For an extended look at her beautiful home, check out the link provided.
complete home tour on Apartment Therapy
.
This post was initially published on The Kitchn. You can view it there: Before & After:
This $400 Refresh Brought Dramatic Changes to a Small “Ordinary” Kitchen
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