They Tried Painting the Cabinets

The original kitchen layout was miserable – the only way to load the dishwasher was to block the range, those sitting at the bar were staring at low-hanging peninsula cabinets, and soffits ate up potential storage space. The decor? 1980s oak cathedral-door cabinets and cluttered chipped-laminate countertops. It still took 12 years for CliqStudios designer Angela Nguyen to convince her aunt Sheryl to fully remodel her kitchen.

Angela notes that the average homeowner remodels a kitchen 1.5 times, and Sheryl’s 2004 project, painting the cabinets and countertops – was a classic .5 remodel. The kitchen now had a new look, but the layout was as inefficient and awkward as ever.

Twelve years later Sheryl was finally convinced to consider new cabinets. Sheryl is, however, a frugal shopper, and checked out numerous cabinet sellers for price, quality and options. When she returned to CliqStudios , she was well-informed and ready to get started.

Angela created a design that vastly improved the efficiency of the space and opened it up to the living area. The footprint is the same, but what a difference! Moving the dishwasher not only relieved the congestion, but made way for wide pot-and-pan drawers by the range. Cabinets rise to the ceiling, providing ample storage for occasional-use items.