This youthful client wanted her 550-square-foot Boston flat to feel like home, but the outdated kitchen and toilet just weren’t cutting it. Working with a strict $25,000 budget, designer Stephanie Sabbe gutted the two rooms and utilized fresh materials to give the original layouts a gorgeous new look.
Project at a Glance
Location: Boston
Size: Kitchen: 76 square feet; bath: 33 square feet
Price: $25,000, such as materials and labor
Stephanie Sabbe
The majority of the budget — about $16,000 — went toward the kitchen. Sabbe stuck with the original kitchen’s general layout and swapped out cabinetry, appliances and materials. The cabinets, from Ikea, price about $4,800 including installment.
Pendants: Globe Pendant, West Elm; flooring tile: Wm. Smethurst and Son
Before Photo
Stephanie Sabbe
BEFORE: The original kitchen had a good layout, but the upper cabinetry didn’t take advantage of the space.
Stephanie Sabbe
AFTER: Now the upper cabinets extend to the ceiling, making space for an over-the-range microwave. The budget didn’t allow for replacing the bar, therefore Sabbe added simple framing to front and painted it a warm gray.
Bar stools: Twist, Crate & Barrel
Stephanie Sabbe
A raised bar on the kitchen counter divides eating and prep area and leaves room for additional outlets.
The client wanted Carrara marble to the kitchen counters but was worried about maintenance and price. So Sabbe found this piece of remnant granite that imitates the marble’s soft tones. The countertop fabrication and installation cost about $3,400.
Countertops: London white granite; art: Paper Boy Press; sink fixture: Overstock.com
Before Photo
Stephanie Sabbe
BEFORE: A nook in the kitchen rear wall seemed awkward with its single wall shelf. “It had been yelling to be utilized,” says Sabbe.
Stephanie Sabbe
AFTER: A coat of chalkboard paint turned into the corner right into a design feature, and several rows of Ikea shelves make full use of this space. “It’s such a very small kitchen, so this made a huge difference,” says Sabbe.
Backsplash: Hex, Home Depot
Stephanie Sabbe
After installing the Ikea cabinetry, Sabbe along with the client noticed that the wood grain could be seen through the paint, making the cabinets look nearly pink next to the white walls. They had the cabinets habit lacquered in white. This unexpected expense place the client back $1,300.
Range,microwave: Whirlpool; wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Before Photo
Stephanie Sabbe
BEFORE: The apartment’s unique bathroom felt cluttered, dark and obsolete. Sabbe used about $9,000 of their budget to update this space.
Stephanie Sabbe
AFTER: A fresh wall remedy immediately transformed the room. Using an Etsy stencil and two glowing colors of Benjamin Moore paint, local fine art painters applied a pattern to the bathroom’s main wall. This was the bathroom’s main splurge at $1,300 for materials and labor.
The original vanity felt outdated, therefore Sabbe designed a new one using a remnant marble top for about $400.
Wall paint: White Dove and Sunny Afternoon, Benjamin Moore; vanity paint: Desert Twilight, Benjamin Moore; mirror: Simply Mirrors; sconce: Restoration Hardware; painting: Final Touch Painting
Before Photo
Stephanie Sabbe
BEFORE: The old bathtub and shower felt additional cramped using a shower curtain.
Stephanie Sabbe
AFTER: Sabbe took out the curtain pole and put up glass around the tub and shower to make the bathroom look larger. The original tub was reglazed for $375, giving it a brand new look with no significant price tag. Simple subway tiles from Home Depot finish the look.
Flooring tile: Basketweave, Home Depot; wall shelves: habit, by contractor John Butler; shower: subway tile, Home Depot