For those that have been watching our stories on Instagram, you will have seen the renovations we’re doing at Bonnie’s house — taking it from ’80s brown to on-trend and airy. The next space on our renovation journey is the kitchen remodel, transforming it into a more functional modern kitchen.
The kitchen is the first space you see as you enter the property. It’s poky and dated, and urgently calling for a kitchen makeover! Keep scrolling to find out what we have planned for this space.
Related article: Minimalist kitchen makeover that blends Japanese and 70’s design
Related article: 12 tips for updating your kitchen: Best cosmetic kitchen upgrades
Kitchen before
Measuring just 2 x 1.1 metres, the original kitchen was far too small to be functional for a young, entertaining couple. And looks-wise, it leave much to be desired, ha ha.
As well as being small and dated, the kitchen wasn’t practical at all. The kitchen didn’t have a pantry, and it also had very little usable kitchen bench space and storage cupboards. There was also an awkwardly positioned kitchen window that created void space in that corner of the kitchen.
Here is Bonnie’s kitchen before in all its glory as well as a floorplan of her home.
Design challenge
The kitchen was so unusable that Bonnie ripped it out within days of moving in — deciding a camping table would do the trick just fine until the new kitchen is installed.
We knew the new kitchen had to be larger but not too large that it would overshadow the living and dining spaces. To keep reno costs down, we will try to work with a similar floor plan. If we can keep the kitchen fixtures in their current location, it will significantly reduce plumbing costs and help us stay within budget.
While a huge gas strut window opening out to the front courtyard would have been a dream come true — it’s nowhere near in sight of our budget!
In our next blog post, we’ll talk through the design process in detail but wanted to give you a sense of the area we’re working in.
Inspiration
We always say it’s best to start a new project with a mood board. Do this by gathering your inspiration, and editing and refiing your vision BEFORE locking in your design or selections. So we began with design magazines, kitchen stores, IKEA and other sources to find our inspiration.
Doing this let’s you see everything that’s available — latest kitchen gadgets, new kitchen finishes and materials, different layout ideas and so much more. It’s also an opportunity to dream big and get all your ideas on paper before having to consider any constraints of the project (more on this below).
It was in the ‘Home ideas’ section of the IKEA website that Bonnie found a large, bright and white kitchen that formed the basis of our mood board below. She also loved the idea of open shelves seen on display in an IKEA kitchen. Kitchen shelves offer an opportunity to style cookbooks, ceramic pieces and other kitchen decor. Matte black tapware and beautiful pendant lights were also little luxuries she wanted to bring to the space.
This mood board shows the early stages of our kitchen planning and the aesthetic we wanted to achieve. Don’t forget that grey wash brick wall we did runs through the kitchen so it would be a beautiful contrast of white on grey.
Goals and constraints
As well as achieving this modern kitchen aesthetic, we also had functional kitchen design features on our wish list. More than anything, Bonnie wanted a kitchen that would be functional, easy to keep clutter free and low maintenance.
Must-have kitchen features:
- finding a space for a pantry cupboard — a MUST!
- integrated dishwasher — she had not had a dishwasher for years and wanted to be able to put away items easily when entertaining and loved the integrated option with cabinetry at IKEA
- lighting under cabinetry — this can create a luxury feel at night in the kitchen
- clever storage solutions — lots of drawers so it was easy to access items, with soft close
- induction cook top — there is no gas connection to the property and Bonnie has been dreaming of an induction cooktop too!
- stone benchtop — this creates such a different look and feel to laminate.
But of course, we also had some project constraints to work within.
Kitchen constrains of the project:
- renovation budget of $8,000 – $15,000
- narrow kitchen space
- existing fixtures we needed to work around (such as the placement of kitchen window)
- structural problems and costs to remove old kitchen. For example, the ceiling had fallen away from the batons and had to be repaired.
Stay tuned for our next post where we’re going to talk through the design process for Bonnie’s new kitchen, explain how we decided on the different finishes and materials, and ways you can save when renovating your kitchen. You may also like to read this article on how to affordably update your kitchen.
