We are *this close* to having the apartment of horrors renovated and ready to rent. And by we, I mean my dad. Because he did about 99.9% of the work here.
But I did do one thing – paint the kitchen cabinets. And they look quite lovely, if I do say so myself.
Go ahead – pat me on the back. Good girl, you can say. I’ll wait.
There are a lot of things good bloggers do. Things like “create Pinterest-worthy posts” and “edit their writing” and “create a brand.” I do very few of these things. And when I do them, it’s purely by accident.
Another thing great bloggers do is take before pictures. Ha. Ha. Ha.
This is the only picture I took before. And it was after all the (OMG-SO-DISGUSTING-I-COULD-VOM) cabinets and flooring were removed from the premises.
The last renter had taken it upon herself to paint all of the walls. (Without asking.) She also went ahead and painted all the outlets. And some parts of the ceiling. And a few dashes of the trim work. You know, the usual. And she chose bubblegum pink for all the painting. Of course.
The painting was pretty horrid. But the cabinets and flooring were worse. Cleanliness was an issue. As were (unauthorized) pets. Plural.
But I can’t show you any of that. Because I was too busy trying to keep myself from being sick.
I had some comments on the last post about rentals asking why we had to get rid of everything in this house. It was an issue you would have to actually smell to believe. There was no way the odor was coming out of anything. Even cabinets. After ripping everything out of the apartment and airing it out for a week, there was still a lingering stank.
Can you just close your eyes and imagine? (Mostly because I don’t have a scratch and sniff app. Or before photos.)
So, it was horrendous.
Before the cabinets went in, my dad scraped several layers of paint and wallpaper (including on the ceiling) and then painted everything in a nice fresh white (Behr Ultra Pure White, which is my favorite white).
He painted everything besides the ceiling in a semi-gloss finish, which is not something we’d normally do, but it works well for the kitchen in a rental. Easier to wipe and clean, and simple to repaint when needed. Plus we knew I was going to paint the cabinets grey and the white lightens it all up.
Then he added some sheet vinyl to the floor and started installing cabinets.
We chose to purchase the same stock cabinetry we put into the barn. They are the basic oak cabinets you can pick up at any home improvement store (we got them at Menards). They are unoffensive looking, come in standard sizes and inexpensive. Plus, they can be repainted if necessary (unlike the laminate style cabinets which are a pain to repaint).
We actually painted the cabinets in our first rental (which was purchased 6 years ago) and they still look great. So, we have high hopes.
We kept the layout basically the same on this side of the kitchen. The stove and sink in the same place and we were even able to salvage the range hood. But we added a few extra cabinets and uppers for storage.
Then it was paint time.
I really loved the color we painted our barn cabinets and it has held up wonderfully. So we used the same paint for these cabinets – it’s Behr Elephant Skin in a semi-gloss finish. It is really easy to clean and does hide a lot of sins. Plus it’s a nice, neutral grey (it doesn’t read blue or mauve or purple). So this kitchen actually includes two of my five favorite paint colors.
The paint went on beautifully and I only had to touch up after the first coat. I actually finished the entire kitchen in about 3 hours.
But I don’t bother taking any of the doors or drawers out and just painted them in place with a brush, being careful to edge around the hinges and such. This is probably not what a normal person would do, but it works for me and still looks great. (Check out my lazy painting tips for more quick tips.)
I leave all the drawers and doors open for a couple of days to make sure it all dries completely before closing.
We also added a pantry cabinet on the opposite wall where the fridge will be. (Before the fridge was facing the other way, but this will be a much better use of space.) It leaves us with exactly the amount of space needed for a 30 inch fridge so it was meant to be.
I think anyone would appreciate the extra storage.
The kitchen has two large windows so it gets so much great light. I think a bright kitchen is a happy kitchen.
I chose a stock laminate countertop from Menards and it is really quite nice. The colors and style tie into the floors and cabinets.
And here’s a close-up of the cabinets. You can still make out the grain of the wood, but the color makes it look clean and crisp.
Now we just need to add some hardware and buy the appliances and the kitchen can be checked off the list.
I love that this kitchen was relatively economical to remodel, but also quite cute. I think it will make a positive impression on a potential renter.
Would you be able to live with this kitchen?
I’m a Behr DIY Expert. Thank you to Behr for sponsoring this post. As always, I only work with brands I know and love. And thank you for supporting NewlyWoodwards sponsors to help make posts and projects like this possible.
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Emily @ imperfect says
I cannot even begin to imagine the stress that this whole ordeal involved. But you’re making it great – love that gray!
Racheal says
What a cute kitchen, Kim!! Wondering… what is the color of the Menards countertop? Looking to replace our tops on a budget and love this color combo!
Kim Woodward says
Gosh, Im’ not sure Racheal. It was in stock so I just grabbed it! good luck with your kitchen!
Manddi K says
This is gorgeous! You are going to have one lucky renter.
We are using the same stock laminate from Menards in our kitchen. Photos don’t do it justice. It looks much prettier and high-end in person.
Kim says
Agreed. It really is nice. And I like the way the edge is shaped.
cassie @ primitive & proper says
your next renter is super lucky to inherit such a pretty kitchen and gorgeous cabinets! your hold renter should be shot. with a pink paintball.
Brittaney says
Oh yes I LOVE THIS!! Did you see my kitchen inspiration from a couple of weeks ago? We’re going gray too so seeing this done makes me super excited. Your next tenants are so lucky! What an adorable space.
Kim says
Can’t wait to see your kitchen! It will be lovely!
Rachel says
It looks amazing! Gorgeous color on those cabinets, and it makes them look so modern and fresh. And I can TOTALLY imagine the sort of stank that might have been in there, because we bought our house after it had been rented for 10 years to someone who I think was JUST like your renter. So much yuck.
Kim says
So bad. So so bad.
Amy says
Ha! I was just in Menards this weekend with my husband as we considered using these stock cabinets to paint, since we’re very specific on our white uppers, charcoal lowers idea. I love what you did here, it is amazing when the basics are done right, how the whole feel can change. Great Job!
Kim says
Thanks, Amy! Hope yours turn out wonderfully!
emily @ go haus go says
I can only imagine how the house looked/smelled when you first walked inside… YIKES. We are tip-toeing into the rental way of life and stories like this freak me out. You just never know how a person is going to treat your stuff. Or better yet, what they’ll do without your permission.
Love the color on the cabinets. Here’s to finding a good renter!!
Kim says
There are ups and downs, like all things.
Peggy says
Is it just me, or are some of your pictures upside down? Anyway, it all looks pretty good!
Kim Woodward says
Ugh – sorry about that, Peggy. I’m not sure why that happened and I have tried everything to fix it.
Alli says
The cabinets look awesome! I’m also wondering about the floors … We are considering a peel and stick tile in our basement and so I’d love more info on what you used.
Kim says
It’s a roll out vinyl from menards. It is truly the best. Super durable, looks good, quick and easy to install,cheap. I wrote a post about it last year (we have it in our bathroom). Really recommend it.
michelle@decorandthedog says
Ooo, I really like. It looks high end.
Good girl, Kim. *pats Kim on back for her extra hard work* Dad did okay too.
Kim says
You get me
Oona says
I love Behr paint. I have to paint the entire downstairs in the house I am in now and I plan on using Behr, like I always do. lol Helps that we got a jillion gifts cards for the wedding. I really like the cabinet color. It pops on the white walls and looks great with the counters and floors.
Dani says
I’ve never seen a cuter apartment kitchen! And you’re right, anyone would appreciate the pantry cabinet.
Kim says
Thanks! I would love a pantry like that!