Not-so-extreme Kitchen Makeover

From the moment we moved into our townhouse, I wasn't very keen on the colors in our kitchen. The wood of the cabinets was too dark, the counters were a hideous red-orange laminate, and our old appliances were yellow. Not really a "Better Homes and Gardens" room, but I could still see the potential. Unfortunately, since we rent and don't own the home, a lot of what I would do to update the kitchen is "not allowed" according to our lease (i.e. paint, knock out cabinets, etc). But with a little creativity we've found a couple of ways of working around those "rules".

First, Dave convinced our landlord to update the appliances, as it would bring more value to his home. We didn't really get new appliances, but they are new to us and at least they aren't yellow. Secondly, we took off the cabinet doors that prevented a lot of light from coming into the kitchen. This opened up room to display our wine bottles and also made the kitchen flow a little better with the rest of the downstairs.

More recently, I updated the other cabinets by covering them with paper. A little double-stick tape, an exacto knife, and some beautifully coordinating paper and SHAZAAM! Instant kitchen remodel. The paper is, of course, from Paper Source -- where I have been working for the past three months. The pattern picks up the countertop color and adds more white which brightens the room -- all for less than $20.00 (and I've got paper to spare!)

A quick photomerge of our kitchen BEFORE

AFTER (pardon the mess, we just finished dinner)

Next on our list is re-arranging the downstairs, adding more storage shelves, and hanging a curtain partition! Check back for photos!