Chania submitted these before and after photos of her kitchen in Ontario for my contest and I love how she gave the space some much-needed personality.
She says that when they bought this tiny cottage, “it showed like a dog with fleas. The kitchen was so ho-hum, it was crying out for a makeover.”
Take a look at it now!
Chania says, “I painted all the cupboards, changed the hardware and added lots of authentic collections that I found in the Grey Bruce region of Ontario where the cottage is.”
“My favourite part is the island. It was a horrible laminate with green counters. I found 2 old doors and had a neighbour friend panel the island with them. He then covered the counters with authentic barnboard that he got from a farmer who was tearing his barn down….part of why I loved this kitchen.”

For more photos and information about this makeover, visit Chania’s blog.
What a transformation! I love that the original cupboards were given a facelift, rather than trashed and replaced. That island is to die for! And the buffet is a bit like yours, Julia, only white! 🙂
I love the makeover, another attestation to what a coat of paint can do! And that is the only way to do an island, with a step up to hide the mess in the kitchen when you are at the dining table. Without that, forget it! We redid our first floor and that was my MUST.
What a great job! Re-using what’s still good instead of throwing it all away for the latest fad. It looks very nice and crisp! Excellent!
What a great transformation!!!
She did an amazing job here and I love the results. 🙂
Have a Wonderful day Julia and thank you for the mention the other day. I appreciate it, my friend.
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
Love it, a very cute makeover. Love tiny cottages, have you added any new ones to your cottage page recently? *going to check*
Thank you so much for the mention!
I am loving all these “real life” make-overs. It is so fun to see the individual personalities that are manifested in these creative designs! Thanks for sharing!
Isn’t it? I agree!
Love that island. Need to find someone who is tearing down a barn!
Ha! I know, right?
Hi Julia! I pop in on your blog quite frequently…but thought today I’d actually say, ‘hello’ since we’re both hanging out at Emily’s. 🙂 Loved reading your answers…I’m hoping some of that prowess rubs off on my and I can eventually leave my day job! xoxo
I also love that she worked with what she had. The lighting fixture is great, and so is the rest of the decor. Well done!
One word: perfect. She has my decorating style. I love the rustic countertop and all the fun little homey touches…I’m a sucker for the “collected over time” look. 😉
what nice job love when people re use stuff
I think that box is the air conditioning unit.
Love it, especially the wood counter!
My kitchen isn’t (yet) as cozy as this one but I painted my cabinets from builder’s honey oak to white and the transformation was breathtaking. I plan to take out the existing counter tops and replace them with wood (one thing at a time). I can’t wait. I think about it all the time. I also am putting in wood floors. My husband thinks I am NUTS! “Wood in the kitchen, with all that water?!” I asked him about the thousands of years of wooden boats. That has stopped the chatter for a while. I will show him this kitchen, which should shut him up for good! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!
What a beautiful transformation! It doesn’t even look like the same space, they did a fantastic job!!
Great makeover Chania! And yes, those wooden barn planks are wonderful and make the kitchen!! Really good job.
If there were an award for best cosmetic kitchen redo, this should win! The bardboard and old door on the island are brilliant. Of course, I might be biased. I have those exact same puke orange cabinets. I’m going out and buying a can of paint…
Oh my! I LOVE the countertops on the island! But I think my favorite thing about this kitchen is that it is so personalized with sweet little collectibles, like the globes and vintage tins. Charming!