These 2 Architects’ Personal Kitchen Renos Gave Us Tons of Cool Design Ideas
Thousands of people have used Sweeten, the contractor-homeowner matchmaking service, to help renovate their homes—and believe it or not, that includes quite a few architects tackling personal remodels of their own places. Architects, they're just like us! Well, not exactly. Even though these pros might have needed a little assistance executing their visions, those visions were already near perfection. Two Sweeten projects in particular caught our eye for the sheer number of space-saving solutions and big-impact details packed into the newly-renovated apartment kitchens. Here, find five of the coolest ideas to take note of. (And wait 'til you see the before-and-after pics!)
1. Give super-skinny tile a chance
When architects Kate Meagher and Arthur Liu renovated their Manhattan brownstone's kitchen, they decided to cover every inch of blank wall space between the upper and lower cabinets with the thinest of ceramic tiles. Arranged vertically with high-contrast white grout in between, the little tiles (found at Nemo Tile) make a huge design statement.
2. Hack the L-shaped kitchen if you're tight on space
Moving the location of a bathroom door allowed Kate and Arthur to swap their tiny galley kitchen layout for a more functional L-shaped arrangement. However, the square footage they were working with was still pretty meager. To eke out as much floor space as possible without sacrificing that extra prep area, the couple left their appliance cabinets at standard depth, but chose shallower 15-inch-deep cabinets for the new leg.
3. Don't think of plywood as just for behind-the-scenes construction
As Clever editor Amanda Sims has reported, this building material is a) incredibly cheap and b) feeling really fresh and modern right now. Check out the back of the custom six-foot-long island that couple Cody and Marissa—he's an architect, she works at Columbia University—dreamed up for the new kitchen in their upper Manhattan apartment.
4. There's a compromise if you love open shelving but you're kind of afraid of it, too
Cody and Marissa opted for upper cabinets to hide away clutter—except for in one spot. Right above the range hangs a mini open shelf that keeps everyday cooking essentials within easy reach. It also has the benefit of visually breaking up the large expanse of white cabinetry.
5. Suck it up and go to IKEA
We've said it before and we'll say it again: IKEA kitchens are underrated. Both couples ended up using the Swedish brand in their renovations. "The IKEA kitchen cabinet system is amazing for the price point," Cody and Marissa told Sweeten. "There are an infinite number of modular configurations and we achieved a result that is nearly indistinguishable from a custom kitchen. The upper cabinets are 40 inches tall and extend to the ceiling, allowing for tons of storage; We never thought we would have empty shelves while living in N.Y.C!" All of the details, like the countertop, backsplash, and cabinet knobs, were opportunities to personalize the design with non-IKEA pieces.
Deciding to tackle the installation on their own, Kate and Arthur had a more harrowing experience, but it was still worth it in the end. "Arthur and I ended up building the rest of the kitchen ourselves using IKEA base cabinets that we modified and custom fronts. We also decided to just paint the fronts ourselves," she told Sweeten. "After doing it and coming out the other side, this is not recommended. However, if you have the time, patience and space, you will save a lot."
Sweeten is a free service in New York and Philadelphia that personally matches renovation projects with vetted general contractors, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas. and when you’re ready to remodel, start your renovation on Sweeten.
