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July 2nd, 2009
before & after: a tale of 2 kitchens (and a bath)

lisabefore
our first before & after post of the day is all about 2 great kitchens. first up is lisa fontaine of picnic. she recently remodeled her berekely, ca kitchen and bathroom with dramatic results. i am loving the tile in both rooms and the clean modern look she’s got now. and all that light in both spaces? i’m so jealous…great work, lisa!

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lisa’s bathroom:

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CLICK HERE for the second beautiful kitchen before & after after the jump!

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next up is maria of vintage simple. maria said it took about four months worth of weekends (and a whole week in december during the holidays) to get her kitchen where she wanted it. she ripped out “hideous” tile countertops and replaced them with ikea butcher block counters, took out the lower cabinets and put in place unfinished, off-the-rack oak cabinets from lowe’s (which they painted and distressed), put in a new farmhouse sink (ebay), faucet (ditto), and appliances (craigslist, friend’s cast-off, lowe’s). whew! for the upper cabinets, maria took out a couple of doors and added period details with moldings, brackets and trim, then covered some of the remaining glass doors with pretty fabric and painted the fronts of a couple of solid doors with chalkboard paint. then they added beadboard all around and put up vintage tin tile for the backsplash and as a detail on the vent hood over the stove. in the unused space next to the fridge wall, they made a built-in bench and hung a vintage chandelier (but painted it blue-gray) and an old beveled mirror, and bought a round table from ikea (“some day, I hope to be able to afford a Saarinen one, but for now, docksta will have to do…”). the result is really gorgeous and i’m so impressed with all of maria’s hard work. great job!!

[have a before and after you'd like to share on d*s? just shoot me an email right here with your images]

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57 comments
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:09 am

WOW!!!! That kitchen turned out fabulous!

Jen said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:13 am

Wow! Love that first kitchen, what a beautiful transformation!

Lisa, What kind of Faucet and side spray did you put in your kitchen? It looks very sleek and matches the feel of the kitchen so well.

Lisa said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:19 am

Love love love the second kitchen!

July 2nd, 2009 - 10:21 am

Oooh, I love the green tile in that bathroom!

Karolina said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:25 am

I have no words!! Both kitchens are so nice!!

July 2nd, 2009 - 10:33 am

oolala, I love them both!! I especially love the window seating area of the first one and the deep sink of the second. *sigh*

SFDC said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:41 am

Love the cabinets in the first kitchen — can we get source info on those?

bananas. said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:42 am

the second one is lovely. i love every little thing they did, especially the chalkboard cabinet. very clever.

Ginger said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:47 am

Beautiful!!! Talk about a total 180!

Haddie said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:51 am

WOW. B-e-a-utiful!!! How did they do it?!?!

July 2nd, 2009 - 10:54 am

I love that green tile in the bathroom too! I looked into it for our own remodel but man was it expensive!

Colleen said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:55 am

Beautiful work. How did you do the glass back splash in the 1st kitchen? I’d like to try that.

Tami said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:56 am

I love all the afters; the bathroom is stunning, I’m coveting. I have to say that I kind of have a soft spot for the before in the first kitchen too. The after is brilliant but I love old houses and the character they have,

Michelle said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:58 am

I LOVE the second kitchen. Butcher-block counters and farmhouse sinks make me happy.

ModernBettyHGTV said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:59 am

Are those Kitchen Cabinets made from that new Bamboo Plywood? It is glorious!

July 2nd, 2009 - 11:02 am

there is such gorgeous simplicity and warmth to both of Lisa’s rooms. I especially love the tile work in the bath.

elissa said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 11:04 am

Love the second kitchen (the first one is nice too). The refrigerator is exactly what I’m looking for. Any idea what kind it is?

abby said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 11:10 am

Love the tile in the bathroom!

Asma said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 11:14 am

Oh, really liking the bathroom – the green tiles are beautiful!

deb said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 11:16 am

holy cow, that tile is incredibly beautiful.

Constance Semler said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 11:23 am

Kithcen #2- In addition to the butcher block island and apron sink, I love the beadboard wainscoting, especially in the breakfast area!

cml said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 11:25 am

what kind of fridge is that in the second kitchen? thanks!!

July 2nd, 2009 - 11:25 am

oooh the creative thought behind that..so envious! I love all of it!

July 2nd, 2009 - 11:42 am

thanks for the kind comments…! elissa and cml, to answer your question, the fridge is fisher & pykel (we got it through lowes) and i love it; it’s small (yet roomy) and we have to make ice cubes the old-fashioned way ;), but i love it. and i love having the freezer on the bottom.

-maria

mherky said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 11:55 am

What?! You didn’t want a pink kitchen and a blue-tiled bathroom?! What’s wrong with you?

Just kidding. I like both remodels but what’s the deal with the plexiglass behind the sink in the kitchen? I don’t get that. Why not do a tile backsplash or something? I am really digging the tile walls in the bathroom. Nice work!

Tara said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 12:01 pm

GREAT kitchen makeovers. The first one is lovely, but the second one amazing. Nice to know that with some elbow grease great things can get done. Love the Before and After feature – inspiring.

Jerusalem said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 12:53 pm

so cute! Love that last kitchen – adorable!

July 2nd, 2009 - 12:54 pm

I am in love with the green bathroom tile. The bathroom would be lovely anyway but the tile kicks it up a notch.
And the second kitchen has me in awe at the DIY skills and dedication needed. It turned out just perfect.

July 2nd, 2009 - 12:58 pm

very cool; love the juxtaposition of the two different kitchen looks; I am a sucker for open base cabinetry; very lovely work on both spaces.

July 2nd, 2009 - 1:20 pm

The kitchen’s so pretty after the makeover. Wow!
Also love the made-over bathroom w/ aqua green tile. The view through the large window is awesome too!

Jen said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 1:28 pm

These two make-overs are fantastic! I wonder what the price tag on something like this is?

July 2nd, 2009 - 2:42 pm

was thinking of making over my kitchen, maybe we just trade houses. love it! congrats!

Novi said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 2:56 pm

Gorgeous transformations to both! I like the color scheme of the first kitchen and bathroom. Thank you all for sharing!

July 2nd, 2009 - 3:40 pm

WOW!

Petra said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 3:47 pm

Love the glass-tiling!

elsie said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 5:03 pm

I am loving the green bathroom tile too. Where is it from? I would love this in my bathroom….

Jillian said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 5:22 pm

Both kitchen makeovers are wonderful, but I am saving that photo of the breakfast nook for my inspiration file. It’s perfect.

knack said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 5:32 pm

yay for greenville girls……..I agree that the second makeover is fantastic! CONGRATS!!

Jana said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 7:17 pm

Love the “after” pictures, but that pink and white kitchen was pretty darn cute “before” too!

Dan said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 7:30 pm

I love those green tiles in the bathroom. I might have to get hold of some similar ones!

yansy said:
July 2nd, 2009 - 10:53 pm

what an amazing transformation. I love the combination of the wood with the green tile.

July 3rd, 2009 - 12:16 am

fabulous transformations!!!
thanks so much for sharing
and i love maria’s blog, vintage simple!

Lisa said:
July 3rd, 2009 - 10:19 am

Lisa is the back splash in your kitchen Plexiglass?

hrhkat said:
July 4th, 2009 - 6:56 pm

That bathroom tile looks like the same tile candice olsen used in a recent kitchen remodel, I love it so much.

Connie said:
July 5th, 2009 - 8:50 pm

The first was absolutely amazing! Love the glass as the backsplash!

Liz said:
July 5th, 2009 - 10:05 pm

In the second kitchen with the butcher block counters, how were they treated? I have IKEA butcher block counters and they don’t look as dark or as nice as the ones featured in the pictures.

holly said:
July 6th, 2009 - 1:12 pm

wow, i LOVE the 2nd kitchen! esp that sink and butcher block. gorgeous

July 6th, 2009 - 5:44 pm

Liz – the island’s butcher block is Numerar in oak, and I left it as it was (I just wipe it with mineral oil once in a while). Pronomen (which is thinner and more affordable) is around the sink and stove… I stained it with a water-based stain (“english oak) and then put a couple of coats of low-sheen poly (also water-based). It made a huge difference. (Keep in mind that I don’t chop veggies directly on them, though).
-maria

colleen said:
July 6th, 2009 - 6:02 pm

are the cabinets in the first kitchen in Formica Rattan Cane? It looks exactly like the cabinets I custom designed for a client’s kitchen (so of course I love it!) Is the green bathroom tile Opera Glass?

Karen L. said:
July 6th, 2009 - 9:08 pm

Lisa – can you give me the source of your bathroom cabinet pulls. I am loving the simple bent metal shape. Thanks!

July 7th, 2009 - 10:57 am

I can just say WAUUUUUUU!!!! Fabulous work

jamie said:
July 8th, 2009 - 12:38 am

Such extreme differences, nice work!

Lynn said:
July 16th, 2009 - 5:05 pm

Wow! What a beautiful renovation! I’ve been looking at doing a few updates to my kitchen like update my aging appliances, but the cost makes it a little difficult. However I did find this web site Appliance Art (http://www.applianceart.com) that sells appliance covers. It’s not as nice as getting a new appliance, but it def makes in improvement in the overall look of my kitchen.

amy o said:
July 17th, 2009 - 10:49 pm

lisa fontaine: where did you purchase your cabinets and countertops?

merci.
aow

August 8th, 2009 - 2:21 pm

Thank you for all of your comments! To answer your questions in regard to my kitchen and bath (the first one)…
kitchen faucet- KWC, Eve Mini
kitchen cabinets- formica laminate
kitchen counters- Concreteworks in Oakaland, concrete
bathroom tile- Island Stone, glass linear interlock in reed
bathroom pulls- Sugatsune, SN-95

x + o
Lisa

August 11th, 2009 - 11:49 pm

So beautiful! What a wonderful job you did! Absolutely gorgeous…….
xo
Melis

Jen said:
February 21st, 2010 - 9:12 pm

Kitchen #2 is inspiring for a kitchen reno I am in the process of. Maria, you mentioned you purchased your farmhouse sink off ebay. do you know know the brand or company? I am looking for a similar sink. Beautiful work!

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