As I’ve mentioned before, Ryan and I bought a studio apartment in December ’07 and completely renovated it ourselves. Being recent college graduates we were on a strict budget, but the space needed to reflect our style. Being that I am an interior designer, I am constantly tempted by beautiful high end furniture and finishes. Our biggest challenge was creating our home on a budget while using every inch of our precious space wisely.

Before:

Our first step was removing the middle wood panel from each of the doors. That along with the door hardware made the space look extremely dated and it needed to go immediately! We filled the holes from the removed center panel with wood filler, primed and painted the cabinets.

During:

Our countertop and backsplash was a sheet of formica and was REALLY hard to take out (thanks, Ry!). We replaced it with a more updated laminate countertop that is neutral and is a great contrast to the mosaic backsplash.

After!

I am probably most proud of the kitchen because I did a lot of the work (check out that backsplash!).

General breakdown of costs:

Flooring for the kitchen area $150

Industrial faucet $150

Backsplash $150

Sink $60

Countertop $120

Paint $40

Under cabinet lights $30

Appliances $2000 (eek!) Probably our biggest splurge!

Although I had fun working on this project, I am happy that it’s over and I can enjoy it!