before
& after
A Splash of Style Subtle changes in form and function refresh and refine a tiny condo kitchen BY JOETTA MOULDEN • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANET LENZEN
BEFORE
Going to the hair salon is not the usual way to gain a client, but hairdresser Cathy Clark was having problems with her condo and needed my help. “The kitchen backsplash decision was getting on my nerves and just wasn’t working,” she explains. “I couldn’t figure out how to pull it all together. The backsplash had me really stumped and I could not figure out what color to paint the walls,” Cathy said. Since we had worked together before on her living and dining rooms, (Houston House & Home, April, 2010 “ Finding Harmony”) Cathy knew what to expect and felt confident with my recommendations. We met at her nearby condo and had a look. Since her kitchen was small but wonderful, it just needed a few tweaks to make it spectacular. With one meeting, followed by a few emails, we transformed her condo kitchen. “You made it so easy,”
BEFORE (above): It was easy to see how small this condo kitchen was and how much it needed a smooth-flowing color scheme with the adjoining living/dining room. AFTER (top of page): Because the kitchen was diminutive, function and color flow was important.
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she exclaimed. “The more I had looked at tile, the more confused I became about what I wanted,” she explained.
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This agony went on for about six weeks until Cathy contacted me for help. “What a relief! You shuffled through my stack of 59 tile samples, selected just the right one, and we were on our way,” Cathy said. “I was very excited about it and was also relieved to be rid of my indecision.” TIP: Your eyes will first go to the lightest
and darkest items in a photograph. Using fruit and flowers to create contrast with neutral paint and tile often gives you the most bang for the buck and helps for resale, too. To expand the small room visually, I recommended that she have her contractor, Gus Lemus Residential Services, paint the flat walls in her kitchen to match the already-painted cabinets, which were painted in Pratt & Lambert Downy Gray #2255 satin enamel. This color coordinates beautifully with the Cadet Gray # 2243) flat wall paint in the adjoining living and dining rooms. I also noticed the door of her fridge opened the wrong way, increasing her frustration level because she had to walk around the fridge to open the door. Gus switched the hinges — an easy fix. From the number of tile samples she had gathered, we chose a backsplash tile from Home Depot — MS International Crema Ivy Bamboo Stone Pattern Mosaic Polished Marble. It looks great with her existing Bianco Mineral Formica solid surface counters installed by Lowe’s and her Blanco under mount sink and Blanco faucet purchased online at www.ebay.com. The oilrubbed bronze pulls and knobs are from Bering’s Hardware.
BEFORE BEFORE (above right): The lack of a backsplash wall behind the desk led to unsightly marks on the surface, while the area behind the top of the refrigerator was lackluster; the refrigerator door opened the wrong way.
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AFTER (top of page): Flipping the hinges and restyling the top of the fridge was easy and made a huge difference. Adding the tile backsplash to the desk not only balanced the room but keeps the pencil cup from marring up the wall, too.
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TIP: Cabinets don’t have to stand out.
Sometimes painting them the same color as the wall can make them “disappear” in a small kitchen.
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before
& after
AFTER (left): Walls that match the cabinets contrast now with the new Home Depot backsplash tile. The existing countertop and sink contrast with the new backsplash and existing wood floor.
BEFORE (below): A twotone diagonal backsplash and a total lack of fireproof tile along the washer/dryer wood wall enclosure did not meet code; the walls needed lightening with paint.
BEFORE
To increase the storage in the kitchen, Gus installed chrome pull-out drawers from Container Store inside the cabinets to the right of the washer dryer. “The pull-out shelves have lowered my frustration level and probably my blood pressure, too,” she smiled. I gave Cathy the name of my great tile installer. The professional installation included wrapping the tile completely around the pass-through wall above the sink as well as extending the tile beyond side of the washer/dryer cabinet and to form a backsplash on the existing desk. “The tile looks fantastic and is so easy to live with. I really liked your idea of tiling up the wall and around the
TRADE SECRETS • Think green. Painting existing cabinets and adding new hardware keeps them out of the landfill and saves money, too. • Pay attention. Sometimes the easiest changes—like flipping refrigerator hinges—can eliminate frustrations you didn’t even know you had.
pass-through and behind the desk. Nothing was difficult and the project went so quickly and smoothly,” she explained. She was confident it would turn out after the success of her living/dining room project. “My family and friends say they love it, even the ones who don’t mind telling me if they don’t like something,” Cathy said. “I definitely recommend professional design help. I would probably still be wondering what backsplash to put in without your input—never mind all of the small touches that make such a big difference,” she smiled.
• Get creative. Covering the entire wall around a pass-through with tile adds style and impact. • Sometimes the most effective strategy is not to gut your kitchen but to first rethink the pieces that are already paid for.
Joetta Moulden offers home makeovers using your own home furnishings to create the home you’ve always dreamed of. Joetta believes your pieces collected through the years reflect your personality and can be artfully arranged. Her ability to focus on your personal style and not let her own preferences influence the design of your home makes her unique. See more makeovers on her Web site at www.shelterstyle.com, e-mail her at joetta@shelterstyle.com or call 713.461.2063. If an initial appointment or referral is booked by April 30, a 15 percent first meeting discount will be given. Shelterstyle.com holds a "Pages of Happiness" rating and, for the fifth consecutive year, a “Super Service Award” presented to 5 percent of companies that achieve and maintain a superior rating on www.angieslist.com. 30
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