My Little Kitchen Renovation

Three years ago I bought myself a flat in an old Illovo block; you know the ones with big rooms, parquet floors and ample storage space. Storage space. Ah, what dreams are made of. The flat is pretty much still in its original condition which is fine because it’s in great shape, but the kitchen was pokey, dark, had very little storage space and gross formica countertops. I mean, why would you print a picture of granite and stick it on a countertop? About 6 weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and create the space I wanted; a place to cook and love and spend time in. In the end I decided not to break through any walls or move any plumbing, I decided to keep the original cupboards and repurpose as much as I could to keep costs down. I managed to renovate my kitchen for R22 000 which I think is good going, especially considering some of the initial quotes I got were in the R90k range. In the end I designed exactly what I wanted, found some suppliers to do different jobs and project managed myself.

Here’s a look at my kitchen before:

And here’s a look at the result:

I’m so chuffed with the result! I’ve always loved the idea of exposed shelves in a kitchen because I’m generally quite neat and enjoy merchandising my things. The meranti shelves with industrial brackets allowed me to utilise the entire wall and create a ton of additional storage space; the horizontal lines have also created the illusion of width which makes it feel a lot bigger than it did before. My splurge was on the marble countertop which was a non-negotiable and I’m completely in love with it. I sometimes want to lick it. I painted the existing cupboards with some vintage paint I mixed, and treated myself to some new doorknobs from Anthropologie. On the opposite wall I ripped off the old square tiles and replaced them with white metro tiles with white grout. I’m also now completely addicted to this process and can’t wait to get stuck into my bathrooms. 

Here’s a list of my suppliers:

• Labour, installation, wood & brackets // Tripple Set Handyman Services
• Marble // Top Rock
• Paint // Orejen & Dulux
• Doorknobs // Anthropologie
• Peg-board // Superbalist
• Light // Esque
• Carpet // Mr Price Home

And finally, Norbert. Norbert is my amazing painter who came highly recommended by friends for whom he’s worked for many years. He’s available to work on weekends and comes with a glowing reference from me. He’s available in Johannesburg on 074 074 7405. 

brandslut xoxo