Kitchen Makeover: Easy and on a Budget

Like most apartments, ours came with a kitchen already in place: white lacquer cabinets, appliances, and bamboo wood floors. That’s not really my style but we never made updates until recently. I teamed up with my friend, Elyse Petrella, who is an interior decorator. She helped me change/add a few things that really refreshed the look and feel of the space. Although the kitchen layout remained the same, I feel these minor changes transformed the space to look more transitional and elegant.

Below are the things that were updated:

• Pendants above the sink/island (from Wayfair)
• Sink Faucet (from Signature Hardware)
• Counter Stools (from Ballard Designs)
• A few accessories (lemon towels from Bloomingdales, lemon cutting board from Macy’s, clear vase for fresh greens from Amazon, and rattan round tray from Amazon!)

Kitchen before:


I learned a lot in the process of my kitchen refresh so here are some tips to help your next project:

•Look for inspiration. Mine is Aerin Lauder, she always has the most beautiful elegant taste for the home and personal style too.

•If you find something that you absolutely love but it’s above your budget, shop around. Google will be your best friend! You will be surprised how you can find similar pieces for less. For example, my pendants are from Wayfair but are similar to the ones from Circa Lighting that are almost double the price!

•Don’t be afraid to accessorize and add color. Add a dish towel with a pattern or solid color, a small potted plant, and/or kitchen tools that you will use such as an olive oil dispenser. These items will all help add dimension to the space.

That’s it! Sounds super easy, and it was (besides the installation of the pendants and faucet).

I hope this was helpful if you’re looking to make a few changes to your kitchen or need a little inspiration.

xx Chanel

About Me

Bonjour! I'm Chanel and I write about my passion for the things I love: home decor, personal style and motherhood. I keep elegance at the core of everything. Mixing is my thing, from old to new, and affordable to expensive finds. Come say hello!

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