A $500 Kitchen Transformation: A Plan

Today's Agenda:  Reveling in my latest Craigslist purchase.  The Crate and Barrel Dylan chair that I always visit and sit in when I'm at the store.  Was found on CL for $850!  Used for staging a property.  Reg. price @ C+B = $2000.  It's a beautiful gray...looks lovely in my guest bedroom/lounge.  Pictures to come...

So, the $500 Kitchen Transformation Project is off to a good start.  On Monday the idea was finalized and the plotting began and by Monday night a plan was emailed to my client. On Tuesday the plan was discussed with my client.  Today, Wednesday, I am getting caught up on other work before tomorrow and making my list for things to purchase and then on Thursday we get started and put the plan into action.  We are hoping to finish by Friday and close it out with a celebratory dinner!

Here is the $500 plan! 

{Items in pencil are the current pieces, items in green are things to do/buy and in red is the cost.}

The goal is to retain the lightness that we have established in the rest of the house (amidst a lot of molding and not an incredible amount of light) but add a little bit of whimsy in this space to keep it fun and not so serious.

Client is on board with just going for it! 

Her initial response though did include a couple hesitations.  Especially in a project like this where we are just going for it.  Wonder what her thoughts are?  I was too :)  So here are a few.  

"Reigning in my inner control freak and giving Nicole carte blanche on the kitchen.  Now, I would not have chosen anything with snakeskin (!!!!) embossing, nor would I put yellow, blue and black together.  But...

I trust in Nicole's capacity for vision via thrift and I love the little accents - rugs on chairs - who knew? - that tell me that she has a vision for the outcome.

And the kitchen CAN'T be any worse - so there's always that. 

In all seriousness,  I anticipate nothing short of magic.

Also, I now understand that my expensive taste will bankrupt me if I allow it to, so a bargain kitchen without a scrap of Ikea (ok, the rug/ throws are Ikea) makes my heart sing.   In my mind, at the end of the day this is in the pages of Dwell with me looking svelte and worldly, my kids brilliant and edgy and, oh yeah, this is about my kitchen...my kitchen looking amazing and - guess what - it just cost 500 bucks! :)"

As you can tell, we are definitely having fun.  We'll see how it all turns out :)

Will try to post in progress pics tomorrow!

A $500 Kitchen Transformation: An Idea

Today's Agenda:  Lots to do!  Just hoping no earthquake or hurricane this week that I need to react to/prepare for/or be consumed by the news by...that would be nice...

One of my awesome clients hired me to design her two teenage sons' rooms in this amazing Victorian house (yes, think Royal Tenenbaums awesomeness) before they moved in, and to advise on layout and design for the living and dining areas of their home.   We've now finished the sons' rooms, they have moved in and the living and dining areas are well on their way.

And, then there are about 27 other rooms to work on in the house.  This is where patience comes into play.  And, honestly, a budget.

On the upside, this is how a fun idea was born -- The $500 Kitchen Transformation!  Originally born from the perplexing question -- "What the F*!% Am I Going to do with this Kitchen?".

So, in my awesome client's words below, we forge ahead.  With $500.  One week.  And very. little. patience. left. with this behemoth of a house! 

My awesome client...

We just moved into a large, Victorian townhouse in DC (too much space - what was I thinking???!!! I know, it's not really a problem but right now it feels like it!) and am feeling overwhelmed.  I don't live with the neatest of boys - two sons and a husband - and I care quite a bit about design/ aesthetics. We have an eclectic mix of good furniture.  Some we bought when we lived in a 1920's center hall colonial, some from our loft (I still miss those windows!) and some family pieces (for good and for bad).  It's not a coherent collection at all, but it definitely suits us.  We love mid-century furniture and design, but strive to mix it up with things from other eras - too much mid-century and you get, well, sadly, kitsch.  We've moved around the country a lot, most recently living in a rented house while looking for a house.  When we finally found a house that had great bones but needed a lot of cosmetics to bring it alive, I realized that I would never get the house transformed by making small adjustments over time. I was so lucky to meet Nicole Lanteri of On My Agenda in my search for a young, creative designer who might make the process fun, create layouts, pick colors, help to find pieces, and generally make the house work for us.  I am so impressed - yes, this is a naked plug (Nicole didn't ask me to write this part ;)) - at her capacity to envision things, at her willingness to balance, create, and revise.  I am a theater director, so I am used to working with design and space, and enjoy the process.  But while I am drawn to individual pieces, most often very expensive pieces (oops!!) Nicole is constantly imagining the scope of the room.  She loves the flea market as well as the design center.  And she has a wonderful sense of proportion.

So here we are - two months into the design process.   The living room and dining room have really come together (pictures to come!) but I keep having the sense that the kitchen (which we hope to remodel within the next few years if I don't get scared off by the price tag $$$) is a big, ol' bummer.  It's grey, 1970's, grey walls, choppy, cramped, did I mention grey??.  It does have tall cabinets and reasonable appliances going for it, but it otherwise feels pretty grim compared to the rest of the house.  

What to do??

So here's the challenge Nicole and I came up with:  A $500 Kitchen Transformation.  

The goal:   a beautiful space in which  am inspired to make complicated dishes, want to drink martinis with friends, and enjoy cleaning up at the end of the night with my husband.  Is that too much to ask for?? :) 

Stay tuned!

The site of the $500 Kitchen Facelift.

 

 

 

 

I'm So Excited About My Iphone Handset I Can't Stand It

Today's Agenda:  Basking in the excitement of Amazon.com notifying me that my purdy little yellow Iphone handset being on its way. 

I love working on home office projects, working in my home office and seeing what other people's home offices look like.  How someone works is really fascinating and I'd venture to say no two people would like the same home office setup. 

Do you know the blog Made By Girl?  Super fun inspiration.  Especially to take pictures of hanging out with friends.  I need to be better about that.  

Well, I love her home office.

Favorite Part = Iphone Handset.

So much that I had to have my very own.  It's on its way.  And, yes I rearranged my home office to find the perfect spot for him.  Stay tuned...