Kate Riley pulled off a stunning kitchen makeover as part of a project to help women in need. We know Kate from her awe-inspiring design and DIY blog Centsational Girl, and we’ve been pleased to have her as a guest contributor here on the Apron blog.
In addition to writing for her blog, conquering mind-blowing DIY projects, shooting photos and raising a family, she manages to find time for her Alma Project, which she and her husband started last year. It transforms fixer upper houses into comfortable functional homes for a local homeless shelter.
We’re so pleased she was willing to share with us her inspirational story and the details of her equally inspirational kitchen transformation.
Thanks to the Apron blog for having me back again. I wanted to share a feel good makeover, one that couldn’t have happened without the support of The Home Depot.
Two years ago, my husband and I decided the way we wanted to give back in our community was to assist our local COTS (Committee on the Shelterless) with their transitional housing program. We felt it important to use our DIY talents to provide real solutions for real people with real needs. We adopted our first house last year and named it The Alma Project.
Living inside the Alma House are single mothers, previously homeless, who reside for free on the condition that they are learning skills, stabilizing their lives, attending counseling, and remain drug and alcohol free. These mothers are saving their money from their part-time jobs and raising their children as best as they can. They have no time or money to fix up this house. That’s where we step in!
This year we adopted a second home and began with a playroom makeover. Next up was the kitchen, which was a total disaster when we started. We had very limited funds and only six weeks to make the necessary changes before the new families moved in. We were able to raise $1,550 from donations from my Censtsational Girl readers, but then The Home Depot stepped in to take this project to the finish line. The Home Depot generously donated brand new cabinetry to the project! With some elbow grease and clever choices, were able to completely remodel this kitchen for under $4,000.
Here’s a glance at the kitchen before we began the makeover. You can see there was this horrid grease-covered black hood we knew we had to get rid of, cabinets that were falling apart and a range that was not meant to be placed in an island. In addition, the surround cabinets did not match. The bar stools were too high, and this layout did not make sense for the four families living in the home and sharing one kitchen.
Since The Home Depot was supplying all new cabinets, we removed all the old ones (some were donated to Habitat for Humanity, others kept for another project), gutting everything all the way down to the tile floor.
Given the abundant light, white appliances, and the number of residents, I thought it best to use wood cabinets instead of white cabinets for the surround, but chose white cabinets for the island and a butcher block top. We also replaced the hood with a sleek stainless and glass version and updated the light fixtures and seating, too. Here’s how it looks today!
The new focal point is this sleek stainless steel and glass range hood that brings this kitchen into the modern century. We got lucky with a new range too, scoring a white range for $150 at our local Habitat ReStore. We found a butcher block countertop at IKEA and cut it to fit the new range.
One of the best features in this kitchen makeover is the glass tile backsplash, a beautiful medley of gray green glass, clear glass, and taupe ceramic 1 x 3-inch tile by Jeffrey Court called French Palace. Both the glass mosaic tile and new light fixture were purchased at The Home Depot, as well as the Glacier Bay stainless steel sink. The wall color is Soft Meadow by Glidden.
The Alma Project continues, and we always appreciate donations – look for the “Donate to The Alma Project” button on the right side of the page when you go to the Centsational Girl blog. And thank you, Home Depot, for your philanthropic spirit and dedication to charitable work to better people’s lives!
Take a full tour Kate’s beautiful kitchen makeover on Centsational Girl. Kate’s article has more of her gorgeous photos, a description of how workers reconfigured a wall and a breakdown of the budget for the remodeling project.
Take a moment, also, to read Kate’s 5 Essentials for a Cozy Cabana, and check out more great stuff from our guest contributors here on the Apron.
For more kitchen makeover ideas follow our Kitchen Ideas & Inspiration board on Pinterest. And browse our online Kitchen Department for everything you need for your kitchen remodel.
