When Remodelista contributing editor Meredith Swinehart began planning a recent move across the San Francisco Bay into the East Bay condo of her cinematographer boyfriend, the pair agreed to make some aesthetic upgrades so his longtime home would feel more like theirs. They made a plan: First, they would redesign the laundry niche. (Why start there? See Before & After: A Pet-Friendly Overhaul for the Laundry Closet for the reason. Hint: Cats are involved.) And second, they would revamp the space that was most visually irritating to them both: the kitchen.
Their gripes: The cabinets had perforated metal panels that left cabinet contents exposed and served as effective catchments for cooking grease and grime. The glossy seal on the wood cabinet frames had been damaged by splashed water over time, and the charcoal gray tile backsplash looked downright purple in the wrong light. The cabinet pulls were decorative—in a bad way—and the overall look was sorely dated. But because their complaints about the circa 2002 kitchen were largely aesthetic, they sought to make big changes while keeping the same footprint and making relatively minor interventions. The game changer? An upgrade to the cabinet fronts, and, most important, a fresh coat of paint.
Photography by Mahyar Abousaeedi for Remodelista.
After
On the recommendation of a friend in real estate, Meredith and her boyfriend hired East Bay Custom Cabinet to do the refinishing. Owner Lupe Hernandez suggested replacing the cabinet fronts entirely instead of swapping the perforated metal center panels with wood.
Before
See Meredith’s laundry room overhaul at Before & After: A Pet-Friendly Overhaul for the Laundry Closet.