“We also wanted to accommodate more appliances and have more practical storage space,” she says. Credit: Purnima Ghosh Credit: Purnima Ghosh By using existing cabinets and tackling a DIY project, the homeowners created the functional kitchen they were looking for. “I like the clean look of it,” she says. “It has more storage space and is more practical.” Credit: Purnima Ghosh Credit: Purnima Ghosh
About this before and after
House type: Apartment
Project type: Kitchen
Style: eclectic, traditional
Skill level: DIY, professional
Rental possible: No
Designing a kitchen that’s right for you is difficult, but it’s even more difficult when you have a small space. When your workspace becomes smaller, appliances can quickly take over the countertop, making the space feel even smaller.
Purnima Gosh (@warmthofourigloo) felt her kitchen layout was getting out of hand and wanted to make some changes. “It looked very messy,” she says. “We also wanted to accommodate more appliances and have more practical storage space.”
Purnima wanted to add more functionality to her kitchen.
Find storage solutions for your “messy” kitchen.
Purnima and her husband Narattam used what they had to create a more usable space for themselves. They got existing cabinets that they built themselves professionally laminated in matte white for $418.
“We loved the fact that we[already]had cabinets. It was more practical and saved us a lot of money,” says Purnima.
They got creative to add even more storage. “We replaced the LPG cylinder with a gas pipeline, so we now have a lot of storage space under the counter,” she says. Purnima also used leftover plywood and wallpaper to create a wooden plaque to help hide the gas pipe. “It’s still easily accessible and not completely hidden for security reasons,” she added.
Purnima laid white and black vinyl tiles on the floor, which she says are “cost-effective and removable.”
Create a functional kitchen within your budget.
Purnima and Narrattam took a lot of effort on their own to make sure they didn’t spend more money than necessary on a $600 project. “It was our first time making our own furniture and using power tools,” says Purnima.
Their DIY skills helped create storage. “We used leftover plywood and scrap wood in many areas, including the pelmet, the rack above the sink, and under-counter storage,” she says. “The result may not be professional, but I think that’s the beauty of it,” Purnima adds.
Purnima said installing the cabinets was the most difficult part of the project, but she enlisted the help of Narrattam’s cousin and it was completed successfully. However, if your space is small, you will need to make some concessions. Purnima says she sometimes wishes the cabinets were lower. “Right now, we’re used to it and have a very minimal stepping stone in case we need it,” she says.
Although a little taller, the cabinets are part of the functionality of the space. Open shelving and hidden storage allowed Purnima to add more appliances and make the space more functional.
“I like the clean look of it,” says Purnima. “It has more storage capacity and is more practical.”
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