When Chelsea and Kiel moved into their 1918 Craftsman bungalow in Ohio, the kitchen didn’t have much personality. It was hard to tell it belonged to a nearly 100-year old house.
They didn’t have a lot of money to put into a total kitchen remodel. But with some hard work and creativity, they were able to give it an entirely new look.
Keep scrolling to see how it turned out!
A Bungalow Kitchen Makeover
Chelsea says, “We finished this renovation for under $3,500 (not including new appliances) but spent nearly 9 months DIYing. We did a complete gut and remodel including handmade custom cabinets, beadboarded ceiling, replaced electrical & lighting, refinished floors (under layers of laminate & glue), tiled backsplash, handmade kitchen island, and updated trim work.”
Wow. I’m impressed!
They created the new kitchen island with metal piping and leftover butcher block
after the counters were installed. They fitted the island with old wire baskets for more storage.
The “EAT” letters were scrap yard salvage finds, believe it or not.
Kiel is an industrial designer by day and a furniture maker by night at
Midwest Woods Furniture where he creates home goods from wood sourced around Ohio.
I’m really digging that wide turquoise tile they used for the backsplash. So fun.
The cast iron sink was a $25 Craigslist score, and the faucet is from IKEA.
Another look back at how it looked before (below):
And now, after its remodel:
Hard to believe it’s the same kitchen! Thanks to Chelsea for sharing their bungalow kitchen makeover with us.
Visit her blog Farm Fresh Therapy for more photos and details.
Photography credit: Coley & Co. Photography.
That is an adorable and fun kitchen – quite appropriate for that age home. Much better than the “apartment-style-from-the-80’s” Before photo!
That is absolutely awesome!
The sink. The sink! I had a similar porcelain sink in a college apartment and though I broke many a glass in it (accidentally), I think it may have been worth the charm.
Aaaaah! How awesome is that gorgeous turquoise tile? Beautiful job! So inspiring to see homeowners incorporate salvaged and repurposed items to create such a great living space. Love all the details right down to the fun, coloured dishes! Thanks for sharing!!!
That sink is AMAZING. And I love the island. I also am digging the hardware on the cabinets.
Okay, I just had a moment, here.
That ‘before’ kitchen was just sad, wasn’t it?
I’m beyond glad I spied these highly inspirational photos before we complete our (completely gutted) kitchen re-do!
I, too, dig the turquoise tiles + am wondering how to do something equally awesome!
Personality! Personality! Personality!
I love it!
Personality is right. I love what they did with this kitchen. This looks like a place where people actually cook, and use the things on the shelves enough that they don’t have to worry about dusting all the time. Love the colors and the vintage chairs, signs, etc. We have that same sink, but it still has the original metal cabinet, which we painted turquoise! Great job!
I really love this. It looks lived in, like people actually cook and hang out here and have fun. The colors are fun and lovely together.
A job well done! Original wood floors are always a favorite with me, it’s great that they decided to restore them even though it’s a lot of hard work.
I spent five years working on a 1930’s bungalow, some days it was so difficult I thought I was crazy for even considering the project. Always worth it in the end though.
The island they handmade is an exceptionally nice touch, and is giving me ideas as to a kitchen table I have been wanting to make.
Great before and after, thanks for showing it!
Fun AND functional- the perfect combo! Love it 🙂
This kitchen looks real to me and not staged like a catalogue shoot or a model home. You can hear the voices, the clink of wine glasses, laughter, smell the yummy food being prepared. I want to hang out here.
Gotta say, although I’m a huge fan of turquoise, and I like color and some open cabinets/display, for me this is too much–the after felt busy. But putting doors back on is probably an easy change if the owner ever changed their minds. Also, I really dug that pantry door (both ways, really).
My thoughts exactly, Jane. This kitchen reminds me of my grandmother’s kitchen in her craftsman home. This kitchen, though busy, makes me happy and makes me want to take a seat and stay a while.
Terrific reno….Love the homespun personality throughout but especially the homeowners colorful dishware. So nice to see it displayed on the open shelving. It adds so much character & charm to the feel of this kitchen. The sink is a true treasure & the tiles add just the right touch of color to tie everything together. This is such a sweet kitchen.
I am thrilled because they are thrilled and even though I loathe open shelving, it is a helluva a renovation. And that sink! Oh my goodness that sink is fabulous!!!
Wow! Beautiful job.
Love it, you can tell a lot of hard work went into this remodel.
AHHHH that sink, that sink. $25??? what a score!! I am in love…..They did a great job with this room, they should be very proud.
I would love to know more about the little cabinet/closet in the corner. Is it built in? A free standing piece? Did they buy it or make it? So cute!!
Lily, the cabinet was one we found at an antique show (scott show). It is an older cabinet probably 1920’s or 30’s. We were about to walk out and my wife saw it and after some haggling I found my self loading it in to the truck. When we got it home it fit perfectly in to that spot!! and I didn’t even have to paint it!!
Love it.
Not what expected, but I’ll arm wrestle them for the sink
What a nice sink! I love that it has drainboards to cut vegetables on so that they save counter space.
WOW I am blown away! It’s amazing to see a space completely transformed like this. I’d like to think that if I had open cabinetry like this, I would be a lot more diligent about organizing! I see it as a positive!
I had a lot of open shelving in my last kitchen and just like the rest of my house I cleaned it. It did not take that long and I bet they have a stool they use too. As for the décor, it is happy and fun. Keep in mind these owners did the work themselves and did so very inexpensively. So if they change it up, tear it up and go a whole new direction they can. That’s the luxury about being talented like these folks, they can do and re-do whenever they want. They can take risk. I like risk takers! Whether you or they realize it or not, this is their art, collectively they have created a room of art that is probably ever changing, Think of it as live art, It is not for everyone, That is why they make beige paint.
I did see that in the new HGTV Magazine. That was so nice of them to give me a shout-out. Thanks, Kimberly! 🙂