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12-15-2021 08:35 AM
I thought this Sarah Richardson kitchen would be a good 'add-on' to the two other ones I posted.
"Before". Sarah and Tommy had quite a challenge.
There weren't any still pictures, it's just a video, so I had to pause, and snatch still shots from that, which is less than desirable. If interested, the video is your best bet to get all the wealth of detail.
The kitchen has to occupy a small space, as it is in a narrow, tight little row house in an urban setting (probably Toronto, Ontario) :
I love "before and afters". More "befores":
It's about 11 feet by 11 feet, complete with cramped work areas, Eighties' light oak banded cabinetry, nondescript surfaces
Sarah had to completely reconfigure it -- she removed an obstructing island, replacing it with a space-saving peninsula, added some tall pantry cupboards, and removed some walls, opening it more to the next room. Even though she could add no square footage, it helped that she opened it up to that little sitting room abutting it.
The kitchen has no windows, but she cleverly made a slot high in one wall, that allows light from a nearby skylight to come in. The kitchen also gets 'borrowed' light from that adjacent sitting room.
She gave the kitchen a custom look by having some cabinets spray lacquered a yummy shade of green.
They then did one of my favorite things-- they mixed those green cabinets with white ones, and with handsome steel ones with frosted glass fronts-- it gives a custom look, even using less-expensive, non-custom elements.
Hope you can see how Sarah's choice of glass-fronted cabinets mixes so interestingly with the others.
There are too many fun things to cover -- she and Tommy, her design cohort, went with an outsize neutral porcelain tile floor, and she chose a retro design money-saving laminate for the countertops, that combines the greens and grays of the scheme.
But my favorite things are the handsome, two-tone neutral tile backsplash, and the twin green pendant lights, which are vintage and slightly "industrial". They give this budget kitchen some of its distinctive character.
In the video, the glass tile backsplash glistens:
This project was like a tutorial in transforming a small space. There was so much more to the work and decision-making process of this makeover, that you can only get from the video. It also gives much more expansive views of the room. You can check it out by googling:
We Built an Open Plan Kitchen With a Low Budget Sarah 101 Abode - Youtube
The homeowners were thrilled. Talented Sarah's seemingly still "got it", whether the project is large or small.
12-15-2021 09:12 AM
Sarah's one of my favorite designers. She never makes something unlivable just for show.
12-15-2021 09:33 AM
I love Sarah Richardson, and she and Tommy did a great job with this kitchen. I wish she had a show on HGTV (or some station) right now. I would have chosen a color other than green, but I do love everything else.
12-15-2021 09:39 AM
Wow! What a great job!! That looks like a totally different kitchen for sure!
12-15-2021 09:57 AM
I've always loved Sarah's work, and this is no exception; it's amazing what was done here. @Oznell Thanks for posting!
12-15-2021 10:46 AM
I like Sarah's designs but I am surprised she didn't use blue!
She uses a lot of IKEA for a reason. We recently redid our kitchen using IKEA cabinet boxes and interiors with custom fronts. But it took a while to get the correct boxes due to supply chain.
I am beyond thrilled with the look and the much improved storage even using the same footprint as the original kitchen.
12-15-2021 11:02 AM
Love it. Lime green is my go-to kitchen accent color. Many go for red, but I'm just not a red fan (replaced all the red knobs on my Wolf appliances, in fact). I love lime green in a kitchen.
12-15-2021 11:03 AM
I've always enjoyed Sarah's shows and would love to see a new 'Sarah's House'... Even when I haven't cared for her choices, I always enjoy her process. To me, this isn't among my favorites of Sarah's finished products, but, as always, she's done a commendable job.
12-15-2021 12:55 PM
Great improvement! I'm surprised I like the lime green. Still, not sure I would choose that color for my kitchen, but it looks nice here.
12-15-2021 03:09 PM
I wish Sarah would come work her magic on my kitchen. It's not so small, just poorly designed. Too many exits, closets, pantry, bay window which make re-doing very difficult.
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