Kitchen Makeover (Part 4)

I had entirely too much fun with this Kitchen Makeover!  It’s impossible not to when you love who you’re working with.  These homeowners not only have a young, hip sense of style…they are some of the sweetest people I know; devoted teachers (one of them was even voted Teacher of the Year last school year!), and foster parents, whose whole reason for the makeover was to accommodate foster children in their home.  Just knowing I could help with that, even in a small way, warms my heart.  

This makeover was done in just over a week, and it was done on a shoestring budget.  Let me refresh your memory of what it looked like Before:

We took the homeowner’s love of the color green, took it off the walls and put a toned down shade of it on the cabinets instead.  And we used chalkboard paint to create a fun feature on the back wall and the bottom of  the kitchen bar where the little ones could leave their mark in chalk.

We worked with three complimentary colors, even incorporating black & white inside the cabinets with houndstooth contact paper found at the 99¢ Store!

New hardware was added to the cabinets.  

A peel-n-stick backsplash further modernized the kitchen, tying in to all the stainless steel finishes.  And some black shelving from Ikea helped create the perfect spice rack for easy access.

And finally, I added a graphic silhouette mural on the chalkboard to give the back wall a focal point and highlight the new spice rack.  

Initially, the homeowner asked if I could paint some kitchen utensils on the tree branches, but I felt that should be done in chalk instead.  That way they can wipe it off when they’re tired of it, and use chalk to put something else up; like candy canes and wreaths at Christmas time, or turkey drums and pumpkins at Thanksgiving.  OhMiGosh!  What fun!  Now I want to invite myself over just to draw on their chalkboard!    

As for the new spice rack, the inspiration came from this photo on Pinterest.  The homeowner loved it so much, she wanted to duplicate it, only she wanted the border in paint and not chalk.

Here’s how it turned out:

Now that it’s all put together, this kitchen is so stylish, ultra modern and totally kid-friendly…it’s hard to believe it was ever a bit kooky!  I think it’s safe to say it earns a much higher grade with these teachers now.  In, perhaps, thee most touching Thank You note I’ve ever received, I was told “When children walk in who do not know us and are scared to be in a stranger’s home, I believe the brightness of our home will help to ease their fears.”  Reading that gives me a giant lump in my throat!  Can you see why I love these people?!  

Hope you enjoyed this Kitchen Makeover, and that you found some inspiration to get cooking with a low-budget, high-impact makeover of your own.