Kitchen Makeover for a Busy Cook
This beloved cook needed a kitchen makeover badly!
People called this cook from all over the world to get advice on just which herb or spice or combination of ingredients would work for a special dish. Her reputation was as large as her heart, and her talent with combining spices legendary.
![](https://createdesignhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/New-quartz-countertop-and-french-door-stainless-steel-fridge-1024x768.jpg)
Kitchen Makeover
However, it’s hard to cook when the kitchen is tiny and doesn’t have enough storage or work space. This condo kitchen that really needed a makeover. There wasn’t enough cupboards due to a pass through from the kitchen to the living room. We closed this off which enabled us to add in additional upper cabinets and dedicated space for the microwave. Because it’s a condo kitchen space was limited. The client didn’t want to make the kitchen open to the living/dining space due to cooking smells. A high powered ventilation fan was a needed upgrade.
Before pictures
![Kitchen Makeover Before](https://createdesignhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_2889-683x1024.jpg)
![kitchen](https://createdesignhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Tucana-kitchen-before-820-x-550.jpg)
After pictures
![](https://createdesignhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/New-quartz-countertop-lots-of-countertop-space-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://createdesignhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/New-quartz-countertop-and-stainless-steel-stove-1024x768.jpg)
We replaced the floor and cabinets, tiled the back splash, replaced the counter top, sink and faucet, as well as installing a new exhaust (ventilation) fan. We painted and re-organized items so that they were easier to access. At the time the client chose to keep some of her appliance. Now, a few years later we’ve replaced the appliances.
![](https://createdesignhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Spice-drawer-2-1024x768.jpg)
This cook uses a lot of spices in her cooking. One of the changes that made the greatest impact was taking her mish-mash (yes, that’s a technical term!) of spice and herb containers and de-canting all of them into similar sized glass containers which we then put in a drawer so it was easy to access but tidy.
Happy client
“I love what Clarissa has done with my kitchen. It never worked for me – was always messy and cluttered without enough storage space. When I went on vacation Clarissa and her team came in and renovated the kitchen – changing the floors, kitchen cabinets, counter top, painting, and installing beautiful green glass back splash tiles. I love it! It was dark and dingy before – now it’s bright and fresh and clean. Clarissa even made sure there was space for a spice drawer so now I am organized and able to cook even more.” Nishat K
Kitchen Makeover Tips
One of the most important things to consider when designing a kitchen is to think about your cooking and storage needs.
- Do drawers or cabinets work better for you?
- Is additional storage for seasonal or party dishes, bowls, plates, or glasses needed?
- Do you need extra ventilation for spices and cooking with high heat?
- How important is counter space?
- Are there some appliances that have to be out on the counter as they are used all the time?
By really digging deep and thinking about your cooking/storage/entertaining needs you can start writing up a list of must-have’s. That’s a great starting point for creating a kitchen that is functional. Ignore the “pretty” items like countertop and backsplash details until you’ve really worked out the functional details.
Is a kitchen renovation in your future? Click HERE to read “Is a Kitchen Renovation a good investment?”
If you’re interested in reading about the study on what return you’d get for a kitchen renovation you can find that HERE on the Appraisal Institute of Canada.