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Using Brackets To Makeover A Kitchen Island

This email from Laurel-Dawn sounded like a common situation. You find yourself in a cookie cutter home, dying to put your own personal spin on the house so it doesn’t look exactly the same way that the builder left it. Well Laurel-Dawn and her husband definitely turned a common kitchen into something spectacular. Here’s her letter:

“I live in a super simple home. It’s what my mom calls a “tract home” which I personally hate, but I guess it’s true. I live in one of those neighborhoods where all of the houses look the same and it’s hard to put a personal stamp on things. I dream of someday updating a home with a lot of style from the get-go. Until then, I’m changing every surface of my abode, room by room, until it feels like me (and my husband too, I guess!?) Anyway, my dad helped me redo the kitchen and it’s my favorite space in our house. Here’s the before…

Laurel Dawn Before

… and the during…

Laurel Dawn During

… and the after…

Laurel Dawn After 1

Lauren Dawn After 2

Laurel Dawn After 3

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be featured!” – Laurel-Dawn

Isn’t that amazing and borderline mind-blowing? Our favorite parts are the decorative corbels on the island and the rich wall color with the crisp white cabinets (and of course we love that she worked with what she had and just painted the original cabinets). You can peruse more pics and details over on her blog too. And if you’re in the mood for more of their home’s transformation, you should check out their dining room makeover. We’re obviously on a kitchen kick lately (go figure) but it’s a really cool update too!

Comments

  4. Lindsey says

    I actually love the kitchen before, but I think it’s great that since they didn’t, they had the courage to make it their own!

    Reply

  8. Karin K says

    Nice job! The white color on the cabinets really brings out the trimwork – which is almost unnoticeable in the “before” pics.

    Reply

  9. kara says

    I had to laugh at “track home”. It’s actually “tract” …

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tract_housing
    Tract housing is a style of housing development in which multiple similar homes are built on a tract of land which is subdivided into individual small lots. Tract housing developments are typically found in North American suburbs that were modeled on the “Levittown” concept and sometimes encompass large areas of dozens of square miles.

    Reply

  18. Bree C. says

    I love this. I live in Central Florida, which is famous for it’s multitudes of tract home sub divisions. It’s hard to find any other option around here, honestly. This is a great remodel – shows that you can take something that seems impossible to make your own into something great.

    And just because you move into a home that is new, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t change things up just because they don’t have to be replaced or updated.

    Reply

  21. kathy says

    THIS is what I would luuuuuurve my kitchen to look like. We don’t have a tract house but we have a tract kitchen. I think our neighbor around the corner re-did everyone’s kitchen about five years ago bc they aall look the same. I used to like it but now I’m starting to hate it. Thanks for the inspiration!!

    Reply

  22. Lisa in Seattle says

    Who knew a tract home kitchen could turn out so beautifully custom looking? My favorite part is that backsplash. I checked out her blog and the tiles are wonderful! She also has a super-cut Anthropologie bread bin that doesn’t show up here.

    Reply

  24. Lindsay says

    i love the backsplash! the little square tiles are cute, but hanging them on the diagonal makes all the difference!

    Reply

  31. Jenny says

    Whoa, this is GORGEOUS!

    Also, totally completely unrelated, but I am doing a giveaway on my blog (so exciting!! Anyone reading this is welcome to come enter, including you Petersiks although I’m guessing you don’t do that haha) and one of the throw pillows made me think of John haha. Here is a link to it in the shop that the giveaway is from —

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/84656253/new-18×18-inch-designer-handmade-pillow?ga_search_query=bike&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5327907

    Jenny
    simcoestreet. blogspot . com

    Reply

  34. Teresa says

    What a great job.. it scares me to change anything in a newer home since its already so new, but this really shows how you shouldn’t be afraid to make changes. Love all the little personal touches.

    Reply

  36. abode love says

    Look ma! I’m on Young House Love!!! My coworker yelled at me across the office to tell me that my kitchen was on my favorite blog- she knew I would totally lose my cool and she was so right! I did a nerdy dance and screamed, best. day. ever. Thanks so much Sherry & John for featuring my kitchen, I’m SO looking forward to seeing your kitchen come together!

    Reply

  38. Andie says

    I would love to know what color they used on their cabinets as my husband and I are about to redo our cabinets in the kitchen to a white shade (from a medium brown wood finish as well)

    I love how their kitchen came out! gorgeous! Do you have details on their paint colors, etc?

    Reply

  44. Emiles says

    so…this reminds me a bit of our kitchen. It was remodeled in the late 90s/early 2000s…oak laminate floors, oak railing on the stairs, oak countertops, white appliances, black granite. I’m DYING to paint the cabints white (or gray or cream or ANYTHING to get rid of the oak explosion) BUT they’re solid oak, somewhat new, and very high quality. Plus, we’re not going to be in the home for more than the next 5 years (I’ve only been there one year, my husband’s owned it for 3). What would you do? Is it legit to paint nice cabinets just because you can’t stand the oak explosion, even if for a little while? Or, should one tough it out? please help!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, I’d paint them if they really bother me. But maybe I’d try to live with them by making other tweaks (painting the walls to compliment them as they are, bringing in pops of color to detract from them, etc). But I’m just a white cabinet girl (and I don’t believe white cabinets are any worse for resale than wood ones actually) so in the end I’d probably end up painting them! Our first house had white cabinets and we sold it within a few weeks for over asking price! Hope it helps.

      xo,
      s

    • [email protected] says

      I was in the same spot–oak everywhere in a 90s spec house. Mine weren’t close to new, but they were high-quality cabinets. While I know that white cabinets are really popular right now, I also know (given how things are), that oak will probably come back in style and then everyone will be moaning and groaning about previous owners who painted them.

      Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t live for today–but I decided not to paint mine, especially once I knew I was going to move within a few years. Instead, I put in new flooring and painted the walls, and I couldn’t believe the difference it made. I chose a bright (red!) floor color, and it got me to almost liking the cabinets. You can see it here: http://mountainmodern.wordpress.com/house-tour/ (I created the site to help sell the house, which did sell last June. Didn’t get asking price but did sell conventionally, which was quite a feat in my area given all the foreclosures and our remote location.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Very interesting points! I’m in the school of thought that both wood and white cabs are pretty classic. I believe certain buyers will always be attracted to one or the other, but don’t think white cabinets will look dated since they’re so clean and classic (mags like House Beautiful have been featuring kitchens with both wood and white cabinets for the past four decades or so). Such an interesting subject!

      xo,
      s

    • Emiles says

      thanks for all the comments! I’m definitely in favor of painting them. I love me a white kitchen as well, and I agree they don’t hurt resale one bit. BUT the husband is not. he’s scared of the effort and the possibility it won’t look good w/ our dark colored living room (it’s open concept). I’m definitely planning to paint the walls – a light limey green color. We’ve debated replacing the floor too but it’s also not too old. Did I mention this is a 1950s ranch? Your fav. :) They just gutted the living room and kitchen, made it one big room. Oh and to add to the rambling, I think I convinced the hubs we need out in the next year (rather than his preference of the next 3-5 years). So! I suppose I’ll paint, beg to do a backsplash and live with it for a year more, despite my desperate desire to have a gorgeous white cabineted kitchen!

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