I bought my condo in December of 2018. Let’s just say it was the most expensive Christmas present I had ever bought for myself… I had toured a few places prior to this one, and had even made an offer on another place that fell through. This condo had only been online for less than a day, with no pictures yet. Based on the limited information that was shared in the listing, it seemed like a place I should at least look at (and was well within the budget – PRAISE HANDS EMOJI), so my realtor got a showing the next day. We walked in…and were teleported back to 1985. Green countertops, mangy carpet, and APPLE WALLPAPER. No joke. Let’s just say I started my mental “Demo Day” checklist right then and there ☺ First room you see when you walk in is the kitchen…so it seems fitting to start our in-depth tour in the kitchen!
The kitchen renovation was the most drastic room makeover in the whole condo (and the most expensive lol). The kitchen was 54% of the total cost of the renovation. But think of all the big-ticket items in there – I mean, we started OVER in the kitchen. All new cabinets, new countertops, new appliances, new flooring. Believe me, we looked at all the different hardware and appliance stores to find the best budget-conscious options (cause ya girl isn’t made out of money!).
The only thing we hired out in the kitchen was getting the gas valves replaced – cause Bjorlins don’t mess with natural gas (reference blog post “one year later”) !! And my neighbor from growing up (hey Eamonn!) helped my dad install the backsplash since he had installed one for our other neighbor recently.
Besides that, some fun background on some smaller ticket items: silverware was brand new off NextDoor, mixer came from Facebook marketplace, light pink dishes from Ikea – because it’s my kitchen and I can have pink dishes if I want to 😉
More details and some Before & After shots below:
Countertops
[Menards] I chose a laminate in the color “Calcutta Marble”. Now, this is not the laminate of the 70’s…They’ve got all kinds of laminate that looks like the more expensive solid surface options (granite, marble) but for way cheaper. If it’s your forever home, maybe you splurge for the higher end materials. But especially for somewhere more short-term like a condo, I highly recommend laminate as an option!
Appliances
[Best Buy] I purchased them all as a bundle deal from Best Buy. Most places give you additional discounts if you purchase multiple appliances from them – take advantage of that! We also moved the fridge to the opposite side of the kitchen so that I could have a water hookup for an in-fridge water dispenser (LIFE-CHANGING). Shoutout to my dad for figuring out the logistics on that one!
Cabinets
[Home Depot] I got white shaker style cabinets. I went with the 36” cabinets instead of the ceiling-high 42” cabinets. The small amount of value the taller cabinets would add was not worth it to me in comparison to how much more they would cost.
Flooring
[Lumber Liquidators] I knew I wanted gray flooring and ended up finding this great option that was on clearance. If you have a general idea about what color flooring you want, there are going to be plenty of options you’ll find in all price ranges. And, being flexible with the exact style you want could save you a LOT of $$!
Backsplash
[Menards] I just went with basic 4×8 white subway tile, laid in a subway pattern (alternating, not lined up on top of each other). I spent a lot of time on Pinterest looking at which pattern/style I wanted for the backsplash and always seem to gravitate towards the classic subway styles – they give the kitchen a crisp, clean, uncluttered look! Anddd, it looks so much better than the apple wallpaper 🙂
Let me tell you, it is so GOOD to be home. Stay tuned for the Dining Room reveal, coming soon!
