A Day With Lauren

With every change in season I always get the itch to do the typical big clean, purge my closet of all the clothes I've worn to death and take on a new décor project! Bathrooms and kitchens are always big ticket renos so I have to get creative with my updates...

Let's just note my dream kitchen below...

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/homebunch/

The previous owner of my condo did some updates but left some definite room for improvement. I have white cabinets - which I love - but I also have this sort of terrible green granite counter tops to work with. I knew I couldn't afford to replace the counter tops so I just needed to tone down the colour and shift focus away from it.

FLOORS! The floors were something that definitely could use a facelift and would not break my bank. Originally an awful laminate reminiscent of a school classroom, I worked with Carecraft Contracting and upgraded to a beautiful porcelain floor in black with a bit of gray undertone. I chose larger floor tiles and to lay them vertically to make the surface area look larger. Also, these large tiles compliment my choice of smaller tiles for the backsplash.

BACKSPLASH! Another easy/inexpensive way to update a kitchen - and subway tile is my favourite. Gloss, matte, glass, colour and you can have fun with the grout as well to make it more noticeable (think white tile with dark grout to make it stand out!). My backsplash surface area is on the smaller side, so I opted for a monochromatic look in white tile and light gray grout. I'm super happy with the result! Like the Big Lebowski woud say, it really pulled the room (kitchen) together!! Handy work by the talented team at Carecraft Contracting again.

PASSTHROUGH! One of the reasons I bought my place was because the face of the kitchen was "open" to the living room and dining room. The passthrough offers a small counter space, but it was topped with laminate that had no curb appeal. I worked with a carpenter and picked out a gorgeous piece of wood and stained it to bring out the natural grain. The pass through - although a minor detail - looks fantastic and contrasts the granite, tile and stainless accents in the kitchen. Moreover, it is a nice transition into the dining room. Not too mention its function for serving, housing my cook books and everyday entertaining use.

Between the floors, backsplash and passthrough upgrades, I was able to makeover my kitchen while staying on my $1000 budget! The counter tops even seem a little less green now...

So don't shy away from kitchen or bathroom upgrades - set out a budget and decide what will offer the most impact while not breaking the bank!!

What is your next weekend project??