• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation

Condo Kitchen Renovation

November 16, 2016

I recently was involved in helping with a condo renovation that I’m so excited to share with you. There is a lot to show, so I’m breaking it down in several posts. This one is an overview of the condo kitchen renovation. So without further ado, here are the before and after pics introducing you to how this went from quite a dull, closed-in 1980’s condo to an open concept space with timeless classic styling accented with a touch of ‘Modern Swedish Farmhouse’. (I think I just made up that term)

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

But before I show you the ‘Modern Swedish Farmhouse’ style, here are the before pics:

Condo Kitchen Renvoation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

This single level, 2 bedroom condo was built in the late 70’s or early 80’s and had the walls and styling to prove it. There was a wall separating the kitchen from the dining space, and a wall separating the kitchen from the entry hall. For the pic above, I was standing in the dining area and shooting a pic past the wall into the North end of the kitchen towards the entry.

In the picture below,

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

I was standing by the front entry and shooting past a small doorway entrance to the kitchen. You can see the dated cabinets, countertops, and vinyl flooring.

In this shot below, you see the classic 1980’s stainless steel sink over the laminate countertops.

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Oh, and that soffit above the upper cabinets sporting that busy wallpaper only encourages the walls to feel like they’re closing in.

So our plan?

This was a whole house renovation, but so that I don’t overload you with too much information, here’s what our plan for just the kitchen was:

  1. Remove the interior walls of the kitchen that were dividing it from the main living areas and create an open concept great room incorporating the kitchen, hall, dining and living area into one space.
  2. Replace the flooring in the kitchen as well as the entire condo, to all be the same. (Excluding the bathroom flooring, but I’ll get to that in a different post)

  3. Completely gut and renovate the kitchen with new appliances and cabinets, lighting, backsplash… the works!

So, let me take a second out here and explain a little about this design job… well explain my ‘clients’…

This condo was the newly acquired home of my friends. (during the renovation process they obviously had to move out) Point is, the previous decorating wasn’t theirs…

They are long time friend of ours. The wife has been a mentor to me for over 30 years, being the 1st gal that embraced me after we moved to a new town. We, being complete outsiders in a small town, with a new marriage and a couple of babies, didn’t have a clue… about much of anything! But she was so encouraging and a living example of christian love. I am forever grateful to her mentor-ship and the impact she’s had on my life.

Her husband is a very talented guy with loads of energy. Among other career and businesses he was involved with, he was a carpenter. He and I worked on several projects together in years past. We both think rather pragmatically so can get the job done efficiently. Because of that, when I did voice design concerns, he would totally listen and help to achieve that part of the project as well.

That is a brief bit of history of my friends… but here are a couple of other things to fit into this ‘design job’ that made it very unique, if not challenging.

The husband, quite suddenly, lost nearly all his sight a couple years ago. He can still see a little, if the conditions are right, so showing him floor plans etc. was challenging but we found a way around it. He is very interested in and certainly has the knowledge and skill to do this renovation, but because of some recent physical drawbacks, eyesight being a key one, he wasn’t able to do a whole lot of the actual work. (I will say though, he did do a fair amount. How he can work around his loss of vision is a testament to ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’!) He was however, very involved in the communication and the job foreman of the entire project!

And the wife, I love her so much, but she can have a hard time making the final decision about stuff. That can be a good thing, but can also lead to a slothful project schedule to the point of it just hanging in an unfinished state forever. Sometimes you just need to be pragmatic and decide, that’s where I come in.

They had great ideas for how they wanted the condo to function and feel. My job was to be able to hear their ideas and function needs and help them bring it to fruition in a timely manner.

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Along with the overall floor plan I drew up for the entire condo space, I also created this oversized color coordinated kitchen cabinet placement plan that the carpenter tacked up for quick reference:

We ordered the cabinets online from here.

A color coordinated plan like this helps to easily place cabinets, including proper door swings, as most cabinets can swing either way, depending on which way you hang it. This way the carpenter can efficiently follow the enlarged sketch.

This is what the kitchen looked like once the dividing walls were taken down and the cabinets and soffits were removed:

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Before the new sheetrock was put back, an ‘electric plan’ for the ceiling lights, wall outlets on backsplash walls, as well as the pendant lights over what would be the new island, and outlets in the island all had to be figured out and installed.

Here is all that done, plus the new sheetrock over it:

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

See that short wall on the far left, above? Previously that wall extended across the entire width of the kitchen, with a doorway and sort of window opening between it and the dining room. (You can see that in the 2nd ‘before pic’ at the top of this post.) Most of that wall was removed. We only left this 3′ wall to act as half of the fridge surround. Besides that little 3′ wall, all the rest of those dividing walls were totally removed.

The ceilings in the old condo were popcorn finished, once they were wetted and scraped, the carpenter put on a knock down finish. (more details about that in a future post too)

After the sheetrock walls were taped and mudded, the floor was installed so that the cabinets could sit on it.

Here is a picture pretty far in the progression of the project. The floor is done, the cabinets all installed, (including the new pantry cabinet on the hall wall… more details about that in a future post) the farmhouse sink done, (here is where you can purchase the farmhouse sink) the counters done, the island done.

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

The wood walls, (yup, details in another post) are still going in and the front entry is still getting a lot of work done to it. But you can see the space now all opened up.

A lot of details happened between the picture above and below this sentence!

Here is the finished kitchen now:

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

See what I mean about ‘Modern Swedish Farmhouse’? My friend just happens to be Swedish, and has some wonderful family mementos from her mom and family, which with their bright reds and clear colors look great against an all white background.

Track lighting in the kitchen, (one of my favorites) is such a versatile type of lighting. For this kitchen we chose these LED dimmable fixtures.  It offers you the ability to move and point lights exactly where you need them or want to highlight an object. Plus you can add additional lights if you need.

Above the farmhouse sink, we installed floating shelves made of thick rustic boards with a grey stained finish. It hard to see in this picture, but there is actually a mirror in between the top shelves. This mirror serves and a visual extender to the kitchen and bounces more light around.

Below the 2nd shelf and all along the backsplash is white penny tile with a light grey grout. (more details about that in a future post)

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

I love my cabinets and farmhouse sink, (click here to see them in our 100 year old house) we installed in our 100 year old house, so that was exactly what I recommended for this project too. These ‘Newport’ cabinets are great quality, classic styling and work in our old house just as well as this house with a modern flair. (The LED under cabinet lighting is fantastic! Here is the link for it: LED, dimmable under cabinet lighting)

The island:

Before and After Condo Kitchen Renovation, SimpleDecoratingTips.com

So many detail to share about it…

Shopping Links:

  • Kitchen Cabinets
  • Undermount LED Lighting
  • Farmhouse Sink with Drainboard

Here are all the posts featuring this condo renovation:

SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Condo Bathroom
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Condo Bathroom
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Condo Renovation Dining Room Details
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Condo Renovation Dining Room Details
How to add a fireplace to any room SimpleDecoratingtips.com
How to add a fireplace to any room SimpleDecoratingtips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Condo Kitchen Renovation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Condo Kitchen Renovation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com changing popcorn ceilings to knockdown
SimpleDecoratingTips.com changing popcorn ceilings to knockdown
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Custom Kitchen Island Feature
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Custom Kitchen Island Feature

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please feel free to follow and share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook, Pinterest, Flipboard, Bloglovin, YouTube and now Instagram!  I appreciate you reading along.

This post is linked up at: HomeTalk, pocketful of Posies, Chic on a Shoestring, Between Naps on the Porch, StoneGable, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Home Stories A to Z, A Stroll Thru Life, DIY Dreamer, Thrifty Decor Chick

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jan says

    May 29, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    Hey Liz, I was looking for a link to the LED under cabinet lighting you have used in the past? I thought it was on the condo project but I didn’t see it. ? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Liz says

      May 30, 2017 at 11:43 am

      Thank you for the question Jan! I thought it was there too… I’ll fix it right now. In the meantime, here is the link: http://go.redirectingat.com?id=78087X1556902&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FJuno-18-in-White-LED-Dimmable-Linkable-Under-Cabinet-Light-ULL18-30K-90CRI-WH%2F203165895
      These LED undercabinets are terrific! They are interlinkable and dimmable.

      Reply
  2. Phyllis E says

    November 20, 2016 at 6:19 pm

    I love the grey shelves with the mirror behind the–brilliant idea for a windowless room! It looked as if there was an opening behind the shelves! So nice!

    Yes, I know this 1970’s condo kitchen layout well–my father’s townhome was very similar. I am so glad that we aren’t so formal anymore that we feel we have to wall off the kitchen!
    Nice job.

    Reply
  3. Jan says

    November 18, 2016 at 7:34 am

    I love it all! Excited to read your blogs about the whole project! So fun!!

    Reply
    • Liz says

      November 18, 2016 at 8:58 am

      Hi Jan, 🙂 It was fun working with them, and the condo turned out fantastic!

      Reply
  4. Amy says

    November 18, 2016 at 5:33 am

    Just beautiful! Simple and I love the contrasting accents!

    Reply
    • Liz says

      November 18, 2016 at 8:57 am

      It really turned out great! Excited to show you more!

      Reply
  5. Shirley says

    November 17, 2016 at 6:37 pm

    I am thrilled to see it reviewed here!!!!

    Love it …

    Reply
    • Liz says

      November 18, 2016 at 8:56 am

      It will be fun to share all the wonderful details of this transformation! Thanks for following along.

      Reply
  6. Lucky Cowboy says

    November 17, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    Night and Day (literally, so much brighter)! Love it!

    Reply

Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Our Whole House Renovation: Mid-Century into Colonial Revival Cottage Style

SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating the Basement Apartment
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating the Basement Apartment
SimpleDecoratingTips.com From a Tub to a Shower
SimpleDecoratingTips.com From a Tub to a Shower
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Progress Report on our Whole House Renovation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Progress Report on our Whole House Renovation
How to Install an Interior Storm Window SimpleDecoratingTips.com
How to Install an Interior Storm Window SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Luxury Vinyl Planks
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Luxury Vinyl Planks
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to tips Window Well Installation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to tips Window Well Installation
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
Simple DIY Curtain
Simple DIY Curtain
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How I Made Curtains without a Sewing Machine
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How I Made Curtains without a Sewing Machine
SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Surface Mounted Suspended Ceiling
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Surface Mounted Suspended Ceiling
front porch addition mostly done SimpleDecoratingTips.com
front porch addition mostly done SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating Update Post
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating Update Post
Incorporating Vintage & New Light Fixtures SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Incorporating Vintage & New Light Fixtures SimpleDecoratingTips.com
hall closet into library simpledecoratingtips.com
hall closet into library simpledecoratingtips.com
Vintage Window Awning Redo SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Vintage Window Awning Redo SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Repurposing Cabinets
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Repurposing Cabinets
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Progress
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Progress
Main Floor Completion Celebration Giveaway SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Main Floor Completion Celebration Giveaway SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Wall Mounted Pot Rack
Wall Mounted Pot Rack
Tiling the 2nd bath floor
Tiling the 2nd bath floor
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Cedar Closet Lining
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Cedar Closet Lining
SimpleDecoratingTips.com we had to cut down 13 trees
SimpleDecoratingTips.com we had to cut down 13 trees
Before and After Front Entry Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Before and After Front Entry Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Adding a Front Porch
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Adding a Front Porch
Re-Thinking the Living Room Furniture Plan
Re-Thinking the Living Room Furniture Plan
Antique Inspired Kitchen Island
Antique Inspired Kitchen Island
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to Change a Door Lock
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to Change a Door Lock
Front Entry Portiere
Front Entry Portiere
Repurposing Vintage Screen Door
Repurposing Vintage Screen Door
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Bathroom Renovation Done
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Bathroom Renovation Done
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Door & Window Decisions
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Door & Window Decisions
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Whole House is a Lot
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Whole House is a Lot
Fireplace Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Fireplace Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Before and After Living Room Renovation
Before and After Living Room Renovation
Dining Room Progress SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Dining Room Progress SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Footer

Shop Decor Steals

AntiqueFarmHouse

Have you noticed this site is faster?! It’s because I switched to SiteGround!!

Web Hosting

Disclosure Policy: According to FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that some of the content of this blog may be a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Copyright

Sharing is great! Please feel free to share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest and Flipboard and Houzz and YouTube the more the merrier! I appreciate you stopping by. But please remember that all photos, images, text and content are owned by SimpleDecoratingTips.com. So anything you share, please be sure it always links back to my original post it came from. Please do not remove watermarks, crop or edit anything without written permission from me first.

Disclosure Policy: According to the FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that this blog is a source of income and may occasionally incorporate endorsements or testimonials and shopping links. It is important to me to disclose this to you. The content of this blog is a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. Products provided to me by my advertising partners for my review are given to me free of charge with no cost to myself. This does not ensure a positive review of the product in any way. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and always make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Graphics Fairy

Graphics Fairy

Feedspot

Feedspot


My Household Tips and Tutorials for You:

Plate Hanger
Plate Hanger
How to Remove Carpet Depressions
How to Remove Carpet Depressions
First Aid Remove Sticky Residue
First Aid Remove Sticky Residue
How to Remove Pet Urine Stains
How to Remove Pet Urine Stains
How to Mount a Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
How to Mount a Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
Packing & Moving Tips
Packing & Moving Tips
How to hang a window box SimpleDecoratingTips.com
How to hang a window box SimpleDecoratingTips.com
how to naturally clean silver
how to naturally clean silver
DIY Natural Simmering Potpourri simpledecoratingtips
DIY Natural Simmering Potpourri simpledecoratingtips
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
how to install a floating shelf
how to install a floating shelf
Housekeeping Naturally
Housekeeping Naturally
How to Hang a Wall Mounted Lamp
How to Hang a Wall Mounted Lamp
DIY  natural sachets
DIY natural sachets
7 Simple Hangers and How to Use Them
7 Simple Hangers and How to Use Them
Make your own Natural Potpourri
Make your own Natural Potpourri
How to Avoid a Greasy Mess when Frying on the Stove
How to Avoid a Greasy Mess when Frying on the Stove
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing
How to Clean Spilled Wax
How to Clean Spilled Wax
Five Ways Hardware made a Difference
Five Ways Hardware made a Difference

Gardening Tips

Window-Boxes-inside-a-2nd-story-porch
Window-Boxes-inside-a-2nd-story-porch
Transplanting Stella D'Oro Daylilies
Transplanting Stella D'Oro Daylilies
DIY Simple Deer Proofing
DIY Simple Deer Proofing
Creative-Planters
Creative-Planters
Before and After Landscape and a DIY Pergola
Before and After Landscape and a DIY Pergola
raised bed container gardening title
raised bed container gardening title
2 pergolas  garden update
2 pergolas garden update
snug-harbor-farm
snug-harbor-farm
install this arbor and fence in one day
install this arbor and fence in one day
Turtles and Window Boxes
Turtles and Window Boxes
Backyard Boat Pond
Backyard Boat Pond
DIY Window Well Installation
DIY Window Well Installation
How to Prune a Peegee Hydrangea
How to Prune a Peegee Hydrangea
The-Story-of-a-Blue-Jay-Title-Page
The-Story-of-a-Blue-Jay-Title-Page
Creating-an-Oasis-with-a-Water-Fountain
Creating-an-Oasis-with-a-Water-Fountain
before  after front garden landscaping
before after front garden landscaping
How I re-did these Concrete Lions
How I re-did these Concrete Lions
Kid's Craft DIY Miniature Fairy Garden
Kid's Craft DIY Miniature Fairy Garden
DIY Compost Bins
DIY Compost Bins
rooftop-garden
rooftop-garden
DIY Brick Edging
DIY Brick Edging
before  after circular garden
before after circular garden
moving-a-screened-gazebo-onto-the-property
moving-a-screened-gazebo-onto-the-property
What-is-this?
What-is-this?
we had to cut down 13 trees
we had to cut down 13 trees
spring-planter-arrangement
spring-planter-arrangement
DIY Hanging Terrarium
DIY Hanging Terrarium
Tips on Forcing Bulbs Indoors
Tips on Forcing Bulbs Indoors
Ingenious Tips to DIY this Planter
Ingenious Tips to DIY this Planter
The-Beauty-of-Fences1
The-Beauty-of-Fences1
1-in the garden with water walls and cloches
1-in the garden with water walls and cloches
Humidity Tray for Orchids
Humidity Tray for Orchids
Growing Grass in a Vintage Scale
Growing Grass in a Vintage Scale
Garden & Landscape Inspiration
Garden & Landscape Inspiration
Potting Shed
Potting Shed
before and after front terraced garden
before and after front terraced garden

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Sample Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
↞
↠
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.